Free Tool
Heart Rate Recovery: Peak & 1-Minute HR
Enter your heart rate at peak exercise and again 1 minute after stopping. We will calculate your HRR drop and evaluate your cardiovascular fitness.
Your heart rate at peak effort, right when you stop exercising.
Your heart rate exactly 1 minute after stopping exercise completely.
How to measure your heart rate recovery
Heart rate recovery (HRR) measures how many beats per minute your heart rate drops in the first minute after stopping vigorous exercise. To measure it with this method, you need two values: your peak heart rate at the moment you stop exercising, and your heart rate exactly 60 seconds later while standing still or slowly walking.
The easiest way to capture these values is with a chest strap heart rate monitor or a smartwatch. Note your heart rate on the display when you finish your last hard effort, then check it again exactly one minute later. You can also take your pulse manually: count beats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 at each time point.
What your HRR score means
A faster heart rate drop indicates better cardiovascular fitness and a well-functioning autonomic nervous system. When you stop exercising, your parasympathetic (vagal) nervous system kicks in to slow the heart. Fitter individuals have stronger vagal tone, leading to a quicker recovery. A drop of 12 BPM or less in the first minute has been identified in multiple clinical studies as a marker of increased cardiovascular risk, regardless of age or fitness level.
Most healthy adults see a drop of 15 to 45 BPM. Well-trained endurance athletes often see drops of 40 to 60 BPM or more. Your result is evaluated against age- and gender-specific norms to give you a classification from Poor through Athlete level.
Tips for accurate measurement
- Exercise at a high intensity before measuring. A brisk run, cycling sprint, or stair climb works well.
- Stop exercising abruptly and stand still or walk very slowly. Do not sit or lie down, as body position affects recovery.
- Measure at the same time of day and under similar conditions for comparable results over time.
- Avoid caffeine and stimulants before testing, as they can affect heart rate response.
Already know your BPM drop?
If you already know how many BPM your heart rate dropped (for example, from your Apple Watch or Garmin recovery data), use the direct drop entry mode instead.