Some medications can also cause changes to your heart rate. Learn more about how Covid-19 affects your heart.Viral infections such as the flu or Covid-19 may cause your heart rate to increase. This happens as your heart pumps harder to deliver oxygen and immune cells around your body, helping to fight the infection. It’s common for your pulse rate to increase in response to an infection or fever. Women should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day (or 1.6 litres), and men 8-10 glasses (or 2 litres). Staying hydrated is an important way to regulate your heart rate and has many other health benefits. You may notice a faster heart rate and palpitations (a feeling of being aware of your heartbeat, or that your heart is pounding or beating irregularly). When you are dehydrated, the volume of your blood decreases and your heart needs to work harder to pump blood around your body. Some common reasons include illness or fever, dehydration, anxiety, medications, as well as other health conditions. Use our target heart rate tool to find out the beats per minute you should aim for during exerciseĪs well as exercise, there are many other reasons why your heart rate may suddenly change.Yes, it’s normal for your heart rate to increase to 130 to 150 beats per minute or more when you exercise – this is because your heart is working to pump more oxygen-rich blood around your body.
Is it normal for my heart rate to speed up when I'm exercising? If you notice your heart rate is slower than usual, and you are feeling faint, fatigued or dizzy, you should talk to your GP. However, if a slow heart rate is not normal for you, especially if you feel unwell with it, this could indicate a problem with your heart. For example, it is common for someone who exercises a lot to have a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute or less. What is a slow pulse rate?Ī heart rate below 60 beats per minute when you are at rest is considered slow (bradycardia).Ī slower heart rate can be normal for some people, including athletes, fit and healthy young adults, or those taking medications like beta-blockers. If you have noticed a sudden increase in your heart rate and are also feeling dizzy, faint or having palpitations (a feeling of being aware of your heartbeat, or that your heart is pounding or beating irregularly), you should speak with your GP. It’s normal for your heart rate to increase when you’re exercising or if your body is fighting off an infection. If your heart rate is over 100 beats per minute when you are at rest, this is considered fast.Ī rapid heart rate, also known as tachycardia, can be related to many different health conditions. Your age and general health can also affect your pulse rate, so it’s important to remember that a ‘normal’ pulse can vary from person to person. A normal resting heart rate should be between 60 to 100 beats per minute, but it can vary from minute to minute.
Your pulse rate, also known as your heart rate, is the number of times your heart beats per minute.