Apple Health metrics › Heart Rate Recovery

Heart Rate Recovery on Apple Watch and iPhone

How fast your heart rate drops after hard exercise, a marker of cardiovascular fitness.

What it is

Heart rate recovery is the drop in beats per minute one minute after peak exertion. A faster drop generally signals a healthier, fitter heart.

How Apple measures it

Apple Watch records it after workouts where you reached a high heart rate and then slowed down.

What's a normal range?

A fall of more than about 12 bpm in the first minute is generally considered healthy. Fit people often drop 20 bpm or more.

What moves it

• Aerobic fitness (improves it)
• Cool-down method
• Heat and dehydration
• Fatigue
• Medications such as beta blockers

See Heart Rate Recovery next to your other vitals

Apple Health keeps this number several taps deep. OnlyVitals puts the metrics you pick, including Heart Rate Recovery, on a single dashboard so you can read them at a glance. Everything stays on your device.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good heart rate recovery?

A drop of 12 bpm or more after one minute is typically considered healthy, and fitter people drop more.

How can I improve heart rate recovery?

Regular aerobic exercise and interval training are the most reliable ways.

Related metrics

• Heart Rate
• Walking Speed
• Walking + Running Distance
• Walking Step Length
• Walking Asymmetry
• Double Support Time

This page is general information, not medical advice. Ranges vary by age, sex, fitness and device. Talk to a clinician about anything that worries you.