Why Is a Low Resting Heart Rate Desirable?

Blood pulsing through the veins puts pressure on them. The more times your heart beats per minute, the more stress the veins experience. A fast pulse also gives arteries less time to fill with blood, which can leave the heart starved for oxygen. Thus, you should aim for a low resting heart rate -- between 60 and 100 beats per minute -- and realize that the closer to the low mark you are, the better.

Normal Blood Pressure

• According to the December 2008 issue of “Harvard Health,” the slow resting heart rate that exercise promotes has the potential to lengthen your life by reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems. The article notes that a fast heartbeat was associated with hypertension in men, an issue first discovered 60 years ago. On the contrary, the incidence of high blood pressure among males with a slow pulse wasn’t as high.

Low Atherosclerosis Risk

• In 2007, the “Journal of the American College of Cardiology” reported that among several cardiovascular benefits, a low resting heart rate reduces the risk of coronary atherosclerosis. The condition is characterized by the buildup of plaque -- fat deposits -- in the heart arteries. This minimizes the flow of blood and can eventually completely block it, causing heart failure and even death.

Longer Life

• Researchers in Norway studied almost 30,000 individuals without a history of heart disease for 10 years. Participants who started out with a resting pulse under 70 beats per minute and saw it rise to over 85 at the end of the study were 90 percent more likely to have died of ischemic heart disease in that 10-year period than those who maintained a pulse under 70 beats per minute. Ischemic heart disease manifests as the narrowing of the coronary arteries, which blocks oxygen flow to the heart.

Reduced Diabetes Complications

• In May 2012, the journal “Diabetologia” published the result of a study that found individuals with diabetes type 2 and a high resting heart rate had an increased risk of developing and dying of cardiovascular problems. However, despite this association, it is worth noting that the George Institute for Global Health researchers could not determine whether the fast resting heart rate was an independent cause of the coronary problems in diabetic patients or the result of other health conditions that raise the risk of heart disease.

Low Osteoporotic Fracture Risk

• Osteoporotic fractures are the result of low bone density. Because it is weakened, the bone breaks easily even after a mild injury, such as a fall from a low height. This type of fracture usually happens to the hips, spine, wrists, humerus and pelvis. In its March 2002 issue, the “Journal of the American Geriatric Society” reported that University of California researchers found that women 65 and older whose resting heart rate was 80 beats per minute or more were at increased risk for osteoporotic fractures and heart disease.