Heart rate recovery

How fast your heart rate drops after hard effort is one marker of fitness. Here is your drop, and how to read it sensibly.

Your details

Heart rate at the end of the effort
One minute later
Two minutes later

Note your heart rate the moment you stop, then again at exactly 1 and 2 minutes. Do it the same way each time, such as walking slowly.

From 168 bpm at the end of your effort

26

beats lower after one minute

  • After one minute142 bpm
  • After two minutes120 bpm, 48 beats down
  • Drop as a share of your peak15%
  • Hospital test line (Cole 1999)12 beats or fewer in the first minute

A bigger drop generally goes with fitness. The useful bit is your own trend: test the same way each time, such as after the same hill, and compare.

Stop and get help if you have chest pain, feel faint or are unusually breathless. Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away. Check with your GP before a big step up if you have a heart, lung or joint condition.

The working

From 168 bpm to 142 after one minute and 120 after two

Your heart rate fell 26 beats in the first minute, 15% of your peak, and 48 beats after two minutes. That is well above the 12 beat line used in hospital research.

Where 12 beats comes from

Cole and colleagues, 1999

In a study of people having clinical treadmill tests, a drop of 12 beats or fewer in the first minute after stopping was linked with higher long term risk. That was a controlled hospital test, so a home reading after a run is only a rough comparison.

Getting a fair reading

Same way every time

  • Use the same effort, such as the same hill or interval
  • Do the same thing for the first minute: stand still or walk slowly
  • Use the same device
  • Track the trend over weeks rather than one go

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Diagnose heart problemsA home reading is not a clinical test.
  • Allow for medicinesBeta blockers and some other medicines change heart rate.
  • Read a wrist sensor perfectlyWrist readings can lag after hard effort.

Questions

Common questions

What is a good heart rate recovery?

A bigger drop generally goes with better fitness. In hospital treadmill research, 12 beats or fewer in the first minute was linked with higher risk.

How do I measure heart rate recovery?

Note your heart rate as you stop hard exercise, then again 1 minute later. The difference is your recovery.

Can heart rate recovery improve?

Many people find it improves as they get fitter. Compare your own readings over time.

Should I worry if mine is low?

One reading is not a diagnosis. If it stays low, or you have chest pain, faintness or palpitations, talk to your GP.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

When to get your heart checked

Speak to your GP if your heart rate is often unusually fast, slow or irregular, especially with dizziness, breathlessness or fainting. Call 999 for chest pain that does not go away or if you think someone is having a heart attack.

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