Fun Facts about your Hard Working Heart

Your heart is one hard-working muscle. It’s a fascinating, giant pump that is working second minute of every day.  With it working so hard for you, maybe knowing a little more about your heart will inspire you to work a little harder to keep it healthier.

Fun Fact #1 – Your adult heart beats about 100,000 times a day

That’s at least one beat every second, or 60 to 100 times a minute, according to the American Heart Association. For people whose heart rate is closer to 60 beats per minute, that’s about 86,000 times a day. And it’s 144,000 times a day if your heart rate is closer to 100 beats per minute.

Fun Fact #2 – As you get older your heart rate gets slower

As children grow, their little bodies are constantly undergoing changes – limbs get longer, bones get stronger and the mind grows more complex.  According to the National Institutes of Health, your heart rate also changes throughout the decades of your early life:

• Newborns ( 0 to 11 months) have a heart rate of 70 to 160 beats per minute
• Baby to Toddler (1 – 4 years) have a heart rate of 80 to 120 beats per minute
• Children (5-9 years) heave a heart rate of 75 to 110 beats per minute

Fun Fact #3 – Your heart rate drops while you sleep

At night, it’s common for heart rates to drop below 60 beats per minute. Why?  Your metabolism slows which in turn slows your heart and helps your body relax.

Are you working hard enough to keep your heart healthy?  An annual appointment with your primary care doctor or a cardiologist can help you take a more active role in keeping your heart healthy.  If you need to find a primary care doctor or heart specialist, visit our Physician Finder to set up an appointment today.