How to bring heart rate down immediately

• If your resting heart rate is near or above 100 beats per minute, you might want to consider ways to get it down. 
• Some of the best ways to lower your heart rate include exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and quitting smoking.
• If your high resting heart rate is the result of stress or anxiety, consider trying yoga, meditation, or simply going for a walk outside. 
• This article was reviewed by John Osborne, MD, PhD, and the Director of Cardiology for Dallas-based State of the Heart Cardiology.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

For most adults, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). But if you're toward the top end of this range, or above it, you'll want to lower it.

It is possible to have a heart rate that's too low, but generally, the lower your resting heart rate, the healthier you are. In fact, well-trained athletes and highly-active adults are often in the 40 to 50 bpm range. 

If your resting heart rate is too high, here are some of the best strategies to lower it over time, as well as tips to calm it down in the moment. 

How to lower your heart rate over time 

Kristin Dean, MD, a board-certified physician at Doctor On Demand, says when your heart beats fewer times each minute, it is more efficient and doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. 

"Studies have shown that a lower overall workload for your heart is a good thing for heart health long-term," Dean says. "Higher heart rates may be associated with an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, as seen in the Copenhagen Male Study." 

Additionally, a higher resting heart rate has been associated with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease leading to death, says Maheer Gandhavadi, MD, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group. 

You can lower your resting heart rate by making a few lifestyle changes. Dean says some of the best ways include: 

• Regular exercise. "Increasing your physical activity will improve your overall heart health and likely result in a lower heart rate over time," says Dean. Frequently walking, jogging, swimming, or biking are easy ways to gradually decrease resting heart rate. 
• Healthy Diet. Research has found that omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a reduced resting heart rate — try eating more fish, walnuts, and avocados. 
• Stop smoking. Resting heart rate was found to be higher among young adults who smoke, according to research published in the Hellenic Journal of Cardiology.

How to lower your heart rate in the moment 

Anxiety and stress can also cause an increased heart rate, both over time and in the moment.  According to Harvard Medical School, generalized anxiety disorder may lead to higher rates of heart attacks and cardiac injuries. 

There are a few common strategies that can help manage anxiety over time and lower your heart rate to a normal resting number in the moment. Dean and Gandhavadi suggest: 

• Meditation and deep breathing exercises
• Yoga
• Going for a walk
• Taking a bath
• Staying hydrated

If anxiety and stress is a regular part of your life, you should also minimize your use of caffeine and potentially meet with a therapist to find the strategies that work for you to manage stress. 

If you have a consistently elevated resting heart rate, a doctor's visit is necessary. Together, you can create a personalized plan for improving your cardiac health.

Related stories about heart health:

Mary Sauer is a freelance writer for Insider.

Read more Read less

• What Is a High Heart Rate?
  • What Is Tachycardia?
• Tachycardia Causes
  • What Causes Tachycardia?
• Guide
  • How Can I Reduce Tachycardia Immediately? Topic Guide

Tachycardia causes a high heart rate. Reduce a racing heart rate with tips such as coughing, gagging, taking, a cold shower, the Valsalva maneuver, meditation, yoga, deep breathing, relaxation techniques, and staying hydrated.

In many cases, no treatment is needed for tachycardia and the heart will return to a normal heart rate on its own. 

As long as you have not been diagnosed with a heart problem or other underlying condition that causes tachycardia and requires medical treatment, home remedies may help reduce a racing heart rate, such as:

• Stimulate the vagus nerve, a nerve that connects the brain to the heart to help synchronize the heart and the brain
  • Cough
  • Gag
  • Take a cold shower
  • Valsalva maneuver
    • Bear down as you would during a bowel movement
    • Inhale and hold your breath, like when you’re stifling a sneeze
    • Breathe in for 5-8 seconds, hold that breath for 3-5 seconds, then exhale slowly
    • Repeat several times
    • This will increase aortic pressure which will help reduce heart rate
• Practice stress reduction
  • Mediation
  • Yoga 
  • Deep breathing 
  • Relaxation techniques
• Consume foods and drinks with electrolytes and stay hydrated
  • Magnesium: found in foods such as dark leafy greens and dairy products
  • Potassium: found in foods such as potatoes, bananas, and avocados
  • Calcium: found in foods such as dark leafy greens and dairy products

To help prevent tachycardia: 

• Drink plenty of fluids
• Avoid stimulants that can lead to palpitations
  • Caffeine
  • Tobacco (don’t smoke)
  • Illegal drugs 
  • Some medications (don’t stop taking any prescribed medication without first talking to your doctor)  
• Limit or avoid alcohol
• Eat regularly to avoid low blood sugar 
• Get enough sleep

What Is Tachycardia?

Tachycardia is the medical term for high heart rate. Tachycardia can be dangerous if it is too high. In general, a fast resting heart rate for adults is over 100 beats per minute (bpm). 

According to the American Heart Association, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute) for people aged 15 years and older. 

SLIDESHOW

Reviewed on 4/21/2022

References

Image Source: iStock Images

https://www.heart.org/

https://healthcare.utah.edu/cardiovascular/conditions/racing-heartbeat.php

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537248/

https://iccli.com/2019/11/26/home-remedies-for-relieving-your-heart-palpitations/