What is a good heart rate recovery?

At one minute, a drop of 12 bpm or more is generally considered normal and 20 bpm or more is a good sign of cardiovascular fitness. A drop under 12 bpm at one minute is a recognised risk marker worth discussing with a clinician.

How do I calculate heart rate recovery?

Subtract your heart rate after a fixed recovery interval from your peak heart rate at the end of exercise. For example, a peak of 170 bpm falling to 145 bpm after one minute is a recovery of 25 bpm.

When should I measure recovery heart rate?

Note your peak heart rate the moment you stop hard effort, then count your pulse exactly 1 or 2 minutes later while standing or sitting still.

Should I cool down or stop dead to measure HRR?

Clinical HRR tests often have you stand or sit still immediately after stopping. An active cool-down (walking) keeps the heart rate higher, so for a consistent reading use the same method each time and note which you used.

Does HRR differ at 1 minute versus 2 minutes?

Yes — the heart keeps falling, so the 2-minute drop is larger. The 12/20 bpm thresholds apply to the 1-minute mark; for 2 minutes there is no single cut-off, so track your own trend over weeks.

Is my data stored anywhere?

No — every calculation runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded or saved.

Heart Rate Recovery Calculator

Heart rate recovery (HRR)

Heart rate recovery is how far your pulse falls in the first minute or two after hard exercise. A faster drop generally reflects better cardiovascular fitness and healthier autonomic (vagal) recovery, and a slow one-minute recovery is a well-known marker studied in cardiology. This tool gives you the number in seconds so you can track it across workouts.

How it works

The calculation is a simple subtraction: HRR = peak heart rate − recovery heart rate. You enter the highest heart rate you reached at the end of effort, your pulse after a fixed interval, and whether that interval was 1 or 2 minutes. The tool shows the bpm drop and, for the 1-minute interval, classifies it against common reference thresholds: under 12 bpm is below average, 12–19 bpm is average, and 20 bpm or more is a good sign of fitness. For the 2-minute interval it simply encourages tracking your own trend, since there is no single cut-off.

Example

Peak heart rate 170 bpm, pulse after 1 minute of rest 145 bpm:

HRR = 170 − 145 = 25 bpm
25 bpm at one minute falls in the “good” band (≥ 20 bpm).

1-minute drop	Interpretation
Under 12 bpm	Below average — discuss with a clinician
12–19 bpm	Average for general fitness
20 bpm or more	Good cardiovascular recovery

The result is calculated instantly in your browser. This is general fitness information, not medical advice.