The heart is more than just an organ that people write poems about and sing songs about. We often associate it with love, courage, or kindness, but its main job is to keep us alive. This small, fist-sized muscular organ tirelessly pumps blood throughout our body, providing every organ with oxygen and nutrients. The heart can speed up when we are excited or exercising, and slow down when we are resting. Have you ever wondered how many times the heart beats in a day, a year, or a lifetime? Scientists have an answer, and it may surprise you!
Can you guess right now how many beats the heart makes in a day? The answer is at the end of the article! Image source: In Future
Human Heart Rate
According to Live Science, the human heart, like that of other living things, never beats at the same speed throughout the day. It constantly adapts to our actions. For example, when we sit at our desk, our pulse may be slow, but when we walk to the store or run on a treadmill, it may speed up significantly.
Even when we breathe, the heart rate changes: when we inhale, it speeds up, and when we exhale, it slows down slightly. The difference in heart rate changes when breathing is about 100 milliseconds.
The human heart is comparable in size to a clenched fist. Image source: Wikimedia
Our heart is able to “feel” the needs of our body. It seems to regulate its work itself depending on how much energy is required at the moment. Whether it is physical activity or rest, the heart constantly adapts, as if it has a mind of its own.
Normal Heart Rate
At rest, the normal heart rate of an adult is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If the pulse rate goes beyond these limits, it may be a sign of heart problems. For example, a rate above 100 beats may indicate tachycardia, and below 60 – bradycardia. Such deviations serve as an important signal for doctors in diagnosing possible diseases.
With age, the heart rate usually slows down a little. This is due to the fact that the heart muscle wears out over the years, and fibrosis may also develop— excess tissue growth that makes it difficult for the heart to contract normally. Sometimes arrhythmias occur, such as atrial fibrillation, one of the most common heart rhythm disorders. These changes can affect the speed of the heart's contractions.
As we age, our heart rhythm becomes irregular. Image source: My Heart Start
To understand how fast your heart beats, it is enough to measure your pulse for one minute. If you are an adult and your pulse at rest is within 55–85 beats per minute, you can consider everything normal. For newborns, this figure is significantly higher — from 70 to 190 beats per minute, since their metabolism is much faster.
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How many times does the heart beat in a day, a year and a lifetime?
The heart, working tirelessly, makes many beats during the day, a year and a lifetime. If a person's pulse at rest is about 70 beats per minute, then during a day his heart beats about 100,800 times. Over the course of a year, this figure increases to about 36.8 million beats. And over a lifetime, which lasts on average 77 years, the heart makes about 2.85 billion beats.
The human heart does not have a “limit” of beats, everything is very individual. Image source: Reddit
Despite such impressive numbers, the heart does not have a specific “limit” of beats. With age, under the influence of genetic factors, diseases and injuries, its work can weaken. However, proper self-care can significantly extend the life of the heart. Healthy sleep, a balanced diet and regular exercise can significantly reduce the load on the heart and keep it healthy as long as possible.
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If you want to read about a diet that improves heart health, you can check out our article “This Diet Improves Heart Health in 8 Weeks, But It Has One Drawback.”