The Basics: Heart Rate Recovery

Want to know how well your body bounces back after tough training? Heart Rate Recovery is one of the clearest signals.

Heart Rate Recovery at a glance

Heart Rate Recovery (HRR) measures how quickly your heart rate drops after intense exercise. A faster drop indicates a more efficient cardiovascular system and better recovery capacity. A slower drop may point to fatigue, stress, or insufficient aerobic conditioning.

Bevel calculates HRR as the difference between your peak heart rate (zone 4 or higher) and your heart rate up to two minutes post-exercise. For example, if your peak HR was 160 during the workout, and 2 minutes later it was 130, your HRR would be 30.

HRR data can be seen in each of your workout Activity Details if you reached zone 4, and the Fitness tab shows HRR trends over time.

Why HRR matters

Your recovery doesn't start when your workout ends — it starts with how fast your heart slows down. HRR offers a unique window into your body’s ability to shift from effort to rest, driven by your nervous system’s response.

A fast recovery is associated with better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of future heart events. On the other hand, delayed recovery can reflect overtraining, stress, or poor recovery practices.

What influences HRR?

HRR is shaped by several internal and external factors:

• Workout Intensity: Only workouts where your heart rate reaches zone 4 or above are used to calculate HRR. This ensures the data reflects meaningful cardiovascular load.
• Post-Workout Stillness: For the most accurate data, stay seated or standing still for 2 minutes after stopping your workout. Walking or fidgeting can disrupt recovery data.
• Overall Recovery: Sleep quality, hydration, nutrition, illness, and mental stress all influence how quickly your heart rate returns to baseline.
• Aerobic Training: As your aerobic capacity improves through consistent cardio training, your HRR often trends upward over time. A stronger heart returns to resting levels more quickly after effort — a sign of improved cardiovascular efficiency.

Not seeing data? If your heart rate didn’t hit zone 4 during a workout, Bevel won’t calculate HRR for that session. See Heart Rate Zones to learn how Bevel calculates uour zones. You can adjust your heart rate zones in Settings if needed.

Interpreting your HRR

Bevel displays your Heart Rate Recovery as the last data point in the last 7 days, helping you track meaningful trends over time while smoothing out daily fluctuations.

To help contextualize your HRR, Bevel uses reference ranges based on research from the American Heart Association and American Stroke Foundation. These ranges are standardized by age, and you can compare where you are relative to others in your age group.

Note: These ranges are based on data from individuals without diagnosed health conditions. If you have hypertension, diabetes, obesity, or smoke, your actual recovery capacity may be lower, and these ranges could overestimate your expected HRR.

How to improve HRR

HRR is highly trainable — here’s how to support it:

• Build aerobic endurance: Low- to moderate-intensity cardio improves your heart’s efficiency.
• Prioritize sleep & recovery: A rested body recovers faster.
• Stay hydrated & well-nourished: Supports cardiovascular and nervous system function.
• Manage stress: Mental load affects physical recovery too. Breathing exercises, meditation, and light movement can help.
  

By tracking your Heart Rate Recovery, you’re tuning into your body’s ability to recover and regulate — a key marker for smarter, more sustainable training.