It’s that time of year when I’m increasing my conditioning to report for the season in top shape. Being in great cardiovascular shape has numerous benefits, but I’m going to share another one that you may not realize: the increased ability to relax.

The average person sits in a chair with a resting heart rate of somewhere between 60-70 beats per minute (bpm). The standing heart rate increases slightly from this number, and the heart rate decreases when laying down. Why? The more muscles that have to work to maintain posture, move you around, etc. require the heart to pump more blood.

How do you feel when you’re resting? Do you feel truly relaxed, or do you feel somewhat tense, anxious, or jittery. Chances are, you’re not as relaxed as you think you are.

Invest in a Heart Rate Monitor, if you haven't already

The result of my recent focus on increased conditioning has dropped my heart rate significantly. Now, my Dad is a world class runner and from him I inherited good genetics, but nonetheless, my increased workload has yielded me a very noticeable benefit just sitting around my house. What is this benefit? I can barely tell I’m alive at times.

Let me explain. My heart rate laying down ranges from 47-49. Sitting from 51-55. Standing from 54-60 (standing is highly variable, as virtually any movement makes your heart rate rise). When I reach these levels, as I do when I get into shape, everything in my body feels calm, relaxed, and barely moving. I barely breathe, my heart barely beats, and everything in my body just feels relaxed in a way that almost seems unnatural. It feels great, like the way you feel when you just get out of a cold pool. But why does this wonderful side effect occur?

When your heart gets stronger via an increase in conditioning (this DOES NOT have to mean sustained cardio, which I DO NOT recommend), stroke volume increases, meaning your heart pumps more blood with each beat. This means that while running, lifting, sleeping, or cooking eggs, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to do the same job. This means you don’t get that out of breath feeling, muscle tension, or a need to take deep breaths (your lungs also become more efficient at extraction oxygen from each breath).

Would anyone covet your heart?

So, you stand around and your body gets everything it needs from tiny, shallow, intermittent breaths (just like you practice at the end of yoga classes when you get 5 minutes to relax) with a heart that barely beats, and shoulders that sit comfortably back. It’s really a nice feeling to not have that muscle tension that accompanies a heart that is working overtime just to maintain life.

Get out and work hard and see how you feel. If you’re just starting out, then 2-3 days per week will make a big dent in lower that heart rate. If you’re already in good shape, then you will need to either up your intensity, volume, or both to keep moving toward your best heart rate. And don’t forget! High intensity interval training is the BEST way to shed fat and increase cardiovascular capacity – not sustained cardio done on those (worthless) elliptical machines, treadmills and the like. If you need a refresher on my views of machines, check back later on this week for my rant on why treadmill running is a waste of time, especially if you want a better butt.