I recently bought a Garmin watch for my partner and me, and we have been really loving it so far. In recent years, our smartphones and smartwatches have brought us closer to our health. When I was younger, heart rate was something we only talked about at the doctor’s office. Now people track their heart rate on a regular basis.
Trackers, such as smartwatches and rings, provide a window into your cardiovascular health. In this post, I will highlight all the heart health metrics available in tracking devices, what they mean for women, and what red flags to look out for. At Middlescence, we are all about helping women unlock their hearts’ potential, and this post will get you started on tracking metrics that matter and defining your heart health.
If you want to take some actions TODAY for your heart health, check our article: 3 Heart-Healthy Actions You Can Take Today.
1. Resting Heart Rate (RHR): Your Cardiovascular Baseline
Your RHR is one of the most reliable indicators of cardiovascular fitness and overall health. For women, a normal range is 60-100 beats per minute; the lower the better. If you notice a lowering trend in your RHR (above 60), your heart’s fitness is moving in the right direction.
Why it matters for women: Research shows women’s RHR naturally fluctuates with menstrual cycles, typically rising 2-5 bpm after ovulation. Understanding your personal RHR pattern helps distinguish between normal hormonal changes and concerning trends.
Red flags: Consistent RHR above 100. A sudden increase of 10+ bpm that persists for several days, especially if accompanied by fatigue or shortness of breath. Consult your doctor in such cases.
2. Heart Rate Variability (HRV): Your Stress Resilience Indicator
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures the tiny variations in time between heartbeats—a higher variation indicates better stress resilience and recovery capacity.
Why women should pay attention: Women’s HRV naturally varies throughout menstrual cycles, typically highest during menstruation and lowest just before. Chronic stress, which disproportionately affects women due to caregiving responsibilities, significantly lowers HRV and increases heart disease risk.
Interpreting your data: Consistent drops in HRV may indicate overtraining, illness onset, or chronic stress. Keep an eye out for unusual changes over a longer period of time.
3. Active Minutes and Heart Rate Zones
This is my favorite feature to track on my watch. Earlier, when I would work out, I wouldn’t get a detailed report of how much aerobic exercise I did. Your heart appreciates when you put it under stress, when you walk, lift, do yoga, swim, etc. Most wearables detect when you’re in different heart rate zones, tracking time spent in fat-burning, cardio, and peak zones.
Here are the target heart rates based on your age, defined by the American Heart Association [1]
I won’t be touching very deep into different heart rate zones, but provide a brief overview. You can check out this amazing guide by the Cleaveland Clinic [2]. In a nutshell, here are the various heart zones:
- Fat burn zone: 50-70% of max heart rate
- Cardio zone: 70-85% of max heart rate
- Peak zone: 85-100% of max heart rate
Weekly targets: Aim for 150+ minutes of moderate activity (fat burn/cardio zones) or 75+ minutes of vigorous activity (cardio/peak zones).
Progression strategy: Gradually increase time in cardio zones rather than jumping to peak intensity, which reduces injury risk and builds sustainable fitness. Start small, stay consistent and increase the intensity over a period of time.
4. Step Count and Movement Patterns
Walking is a great way to incorporate movement into your day between periods of sitting. I make sure to get up and walk for a minute or two every hour or two of sitting. While 10,000 steps has become a popular target for people to achieve in a day, the impact of steps on your heart is also important. In the All of Us Research Program [3], they found out both step count and Daily Heart Rate were more strongly associated with cardiovascular fitness and CVD outcomes step count alone.
What matters most: Consistent movement throughout the day is good for your heart. Having intense sessions of walking that get your heart rate up are healthier for your heart.
Wearable features: You can set reminders in your watch to remind you to move when you have been sitting for a while. I personally love this feature.
Turning Your Data Into Heart-Healthy Action
Your wearable provides valuable trends and can be an invaluable source to indicate an onset of illness or stress that might affect heart health. If you notice sudden changes in multiple metrics (elevated RHR + decreased HRV + poor sleep), it might be a good time to consult your doctor.
Insights from tracking devices can also help you adjust your routine and see how it feels in your body. Most advice are based on ‘averages’, but everyone’s body is different. Your wearables are a great way to personalize it for you. You can also use these insights to have informed conversations with your healthcare provider about your cardiovascular wellness.
References
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates (Accessed on 27th June, 2025)
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-heart-rate-zones-explained (Accessed on 27th June, 2025)
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40156587/ (Accessed on 27th June 2025)