Quick Tips To Bring Down a High Heart Rate

As you go up and down through life, so does your heart rate. Running on the treadmill at the gym? Your heart rate may be clocking in at 156. Chatting at the coffee shop with a friend? Your heart rate may be a much lower 72.

Your heart rate climbs and dips depending on what you’re doing, how you’re feeling and what’s happening around you. If you’re calm and inactive, it’ll be on the lower end of your heart rate range. But if you’re actively moving around, or very nervous or anxious about something, your heart rate can speed up — and even spike.

Cardiologist Tamanna Singh, MD, offers some tips for bringing down your heart rate in the moment, plus how you can focus on your overall heart health.

How do you lower your heart rate immediately?

If you’re feeling anxious or stressed, or just looking to calm down after physical activity, there are several techniques you can use to lower your heart rate ASAP.

“Practicing mindfulness, like through meditation and breathing exercises, can really help bring you into the moment and lower your heart rate,” Dr. Singh says.

Let’s take a look at some of the in-the-moment ways you can bring your heart rate back down to normal, plus a few tips on how to care for your heart health in the long term.

1. Don’t skip your cool-down

If your heart rate is high because you’ve just finished a workout, be sure to include a cool-down session before you wrap things up. You might feel tempted to bail on it, but your heart is begging you not to.

“This important final phase of your workout helps bring your blood pressure and heart rate back to a resting state,” Dr. Singh explains, “in addition to other benefits like staving off muscle cramps and lowering your risk of injury.”

2. Focus on your breathing

Breathwork exercises are one of the best and simplest ways to bring your heart rate down after activity. One review revealed that breathing exercises lead to a significant decrease in heart rate.

Not sure where to start? No need to get too fancy with it. You can simply take some long, deep breaths with your eyes closed, or you can try more structured breathing techniques, like box breathing or five-finger breathing.

3. Do a physical body scan

Yep, tensing up can help you calm down. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a type of body scan technique that can help you get out of your head, relax and, in turn, lower your heart rate.

To do it, tense and then release each muscle group, starting with your toes and working your way up your body. By the time you reach your head, you should be feeling calmer and more even-keel.

4. Mindfulness and meditation

Ugh, that upcoming meeting with your boss has you panicked … and all of a sudden, it feels like your heart is beating out of your chest! When your mind is racing with anxiety or you can’t stop worrying, a mindfulness practice or a five-minute meditation can help you feel grounded again — and can return your heart rate to normal.

5. Vagus nerve stimulation

Seemingly simple actions like gargling, coughing or gently massaging your abdomen may stimulate your vagus nerve, which can help lower your heart rate in the moment. Your vagus nerve, which runs from your brainstem down to your belly, is a major player in the body system that controls your heart rate.

Actions that stimulate your vagus nerve are known as vagal maneuvers, and healthcare providers often teach people with certain types of heart conditions to do them to lower their heart rate. But if you do have a heart condition, be sure to speak with your cardiologist first to learn what’s safe for you.

6. Controlled cold exposure

Cold can be a shock to the system, but it can also be surprisingly soothing. Various studies have looked at how “facial cooling” techniques may help activate your body's relaxation response and lower your heart rate.

It’s simple: Try splashing some chilly water on your face or holding an ice pack to your skin (be sure to wrap it in a washcloth first!).

“This is likely to work best if your quickened heart rate is related to something like a heated workout,” Dr. Singh notes.

7. Take a warm bath or shower

How good does a warm shower feel after a hard workout or a stressful moment? Soooo good, right? That sense of calm it brings also extends to your heart.

“When you take a bath or a gentle shower, the sensation of warm water can help lower your heart rate,” Dr. Singh shares.

8. Get (lightly) active

This might sound counterintuitive, especially if you’re trying to lower your heart rate after a hard workout, but it’s true: movement may help.

Doing gentle, calming exercises like yoga or tai chi can help calm your nervous system and lower your heart rate — not to mention relax you. Going on a walk in nature can also help you feel more mindful and connected to your body.

How long will it take for your heart rate to slow down?

As soon as you stop doing something active, your heart rate will immediately start to drop. From there, it takes a few minutes to get back to normal.

“The general recommendation is that you should see your heart rate drop at least 12 beats per minute within the first minute after completing exercise in your training zone,” Dr. Singh says.

If it seems like it’s taking too long for your heart rate to recover after a workout, or if your heart rate regularly seems high when you’re not working out, it’s important to bring it up with your healthcare provider. A high resting heart rate can be a sign of a health condition that needs medical attention.