Normal Heart rate for Men and Women

Contrary to popular belief, a healthy heart does not beat with a clockwork regularity but speeds up and slows down to meet the body’s changing oxygen requirements, varying throughout the day as you perform different tasks. And so the normal heart rate will differ from one person to another. The normal pulse rate even varies with gender meaning the normal heart rate for men and the normal heart rate for women are different. However, understanding whether you are more susceptible to a heart attack is usually indicated with an unusually high resting heart rate or a low maximum heart rate. Commonly, people check what is called their resting heart rate to understand what their body’s version of normal is, and identifying unusual changes in that regularity might warrant medical intervention.

• What is Resting Heart rate (RHR)?

The basal heart rate, or the RHR, measures your average heart rate by checking the beats per minute (i.e., bpm). This measure is noted when an individual is rested and relaxed in a natural environment that has not been subjected to recent strain. This metric helps monitor the heart health and fitness level of an individual. A low RHR is considered to be a good sign. For most adults, the average basal heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute, and while generally, this might increase with age, several factors can affect the RHR.

Usually, women tend to have a higher RHR as compared to men. This is because women typically have smaller hearts than men, which means that every heartbeat for women will produce a lesser blood flow, and so the heart has to pump faster to meet the required output. Considering this, the normal bpm or average heart rate for men ranges between 70 and 72 bpm. whereas the average heart rate for women is usually between 78 and 82 beats.

However, a Women’s Health Initiative report of 2010 indicated that an RHR at the lower end of the spectrum may offer certain protection against heart attacks. If your heart rate is consistently over 80 bpm, it is recommended you speak to your doctor about your heart rate and understand what the normal bpm for your age is so you can identify and prevent the risk for cardiovascular diseases early on.

To maintain a normal heart rate, it is important to be aware of the factors that influence your resting heart rate. Maintaining the normal pulse rate becomes particularly important when you pair it with the understanding that prolonged stress amps up the RHR and increases the risk of a heart stroke or a heart attack. Usually, despite differences in the average heart rate for men and the average heart rate for women, both genders see similar changes in the RHR owing to stress in most age groups. Even emotions such as anger, fear, happiness, etc., can affect the normal pulse rate for men and women. Here is a list of some additional factors that affect the RHR:

• Since there is a correlation between the body mass index (BMI) and the RHR, weight or high BMI is an important factor

• The normal heart rate for women during pregnancy goes up by 30 – 50% higher with as much as 90 bpm

• Both smoking and drinking negatively affect the RHR

• Medications, whether they are for allergies, blood pressure, sleep deprivation, etc., all have a role to play when it comes to the normal pulse rate for men or women

In addition to the above-mentioned, the normal heart rate for men or women is also affected by factors such as age, diet, body position (meaning whether you are sitting or lying down), and several myriad factors. To know the particular causes of the elevation or reduction in your RHR, one must consult with a doctor.

As the phrase suggests, maximum heart rate is noted when your heart is working its hardest to supplement your body with its oxygen requirement. Examining the maximum heart rate helps you understand the aerobic capacity of your body, meaning the amount of oxygen your body can consume.

Various observational studies have found that a high aerobic capacity is tied with a lower risk of a heart attack. For a healthy heart, vigorous exercise is recommended as it fulfils the dual objective of ensuring a low resting heart rate as well as a high maximum heart rate.

It is always advised to examine your heart rate so your doctor will understand if you have a health condition that is causing your oxygen level to drop dangerously low.

Moreover, considering the importance of a healthy heart in keeping one alive, it is important to have a health insurance plan that provides protective financial cover for your heart. With a sedentary lifestyle that tends to neglect physical exercise, medical insurance to cover the soaring hospital expenses and costly medical bills are indispensable for financial health. Moreover, when you buy health insurance online, you can compare different plans to find one that best meets your requirements.

Several factors influence the health of your heart, such as your age, whether you smoke or not, your mental health, the medications you take, etc. However, it is important to instil the practice of taking care of your heart health with regular exercise and a heart-healthy diet early on. To supplement this, it is also important to invest in a comprehensive health insurance plan that covers you against critical heart conditions.

You can also seek a health insurance plan particularly designed for heart patients that will take care of the expenses of treatment and hospitalisation. In addition to ensuring financial cover for your heart, with medical insurance, one can also avail of health insurance tax benefits with a deduction under Section 80D on the premiums paid. You may want to visit Tata AIG’s website for more information as well as to buy a health insurance plan for you and your family.