Written by: Dr Ranjan Shetty
5 min readMar 17, 2026 08:00 AM IST
A 20-year-old student came to me with his parents, as the neighbourhood doctor felt that his pulse rate was a bit too high for comfort. He had no fever, illness, infection or dehydration. But his pulse rate, which is the number of times a human heart beats per minute (BPM), at rest, was unusually high. Typically measured at the wrist or neck with your index finger pressing down to feel the beat, the normal range is 60–100 BPM, though 50-70 BPM is considered ideal. Our boy’s was 110 BPM. For comparison, tennis legend Boris Becker’s resting heart rate was 31 BPM.
This means that Becker’s cardiovascular fitness was in top gear as his heart could endure that much more. The boy’s parents feared a problem in his heart as he felt exhausted all the time. So, what could have caused his pulse to race so?
He was overweight, he suffered from bad sleep hygiene and he had zero to little exercise. So much so that his heart would pound with even minimal exercise and his pulse or heart rate would easily climb to 130 to 140 BPM. This is what we call cardiac deconditioning, when the heart begins to lose efficiency because of no exercise and needs to work extra to do simple activities in life. Luckily, it can be reversed with a strict exercise regimen.
What is cardiac deconditioning?
Cardiac deconditioning is a temporary decline in cardiovascular efficiency caused by physical inactivity, prolonged bed rest or sedentary lifestyle, resulting in a weakened, smaller heart. This causes a high pulse rate because the inefficient heart must beat faster at rest and during mild activity to meet the body’s blood demand. Inactivity reduces heart and blood volume as well as diminishes maximum oxygen uptake. A resting heart rate consistently over 100 bpm is considered high. In deconditioned individuals, even minor physical exertion can cause a significant rise in pulse.
Common symptoms are rapid palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue and light-headedness.
The science of pulse rate
A high pulse rate means the body is working in fourth or fifth gear all the time, the heart is in overdrive and needs to rev up and exert itself more for regular, normal activities. With regular exercise, the heart becomes efficient and can carry out normal functions at a much lower heart rate. So, if you are walking suddenly without keeping a regular routine, your heart rate would climb to 110 BPM once you have crossed 100 metres. With exercise, you can walk for an hour at a much lower heart rate.
Regular exercise also increases the body’s ability to use oxygen and distribute it uniformly, requiring fewer beats per minute. A healthy heart returns to its resting rate faster after exercise. It then helps lower blood pressure and reduce stress hormones that can put an extra burden on the heart. That’s why we need to reduce the pulse rate.
Story continues below this ad
Potential causes of 100 BPM in a young adult
Other than zero exercise, a heart rate of 100 while sitting quietly can be caused by stress or anxiety, dehydration, which means the heart must work harder to pump blood when fluids are low, caffeine or stimulant intake, fever, allergy or cold medications.
How to reduce a high pulse rate
I introduced my 20-year-old patient to a graded exercise plan that would help him lose weight and also calm down his racing pulse. We began by gradual walking, then brisk walking or marching at the same spot. Others can begin with seated exercises, leg extensions and arm circles. A stationary bike is safe as is swimming if you have joint pains.
Then we introduced him to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regime which alternates short bursts of intense, near-maximum effort exercises of 20–40 seconds with brief recovery periods. It is a highly efficient 10–30 minute workout that maximizes fat burning, cardiovascular health and endurance. I recommended two minutes of walk, alternated by one minute of jogging and repeating the pattern for six or seven cycles.
Along with this, we set a sleep hygiene routine, yoga and meditation sessions for him. In a short time, my patient’s heart rate came down to 66 BPM and his energy level increased. The pulse rate should never be reduced using tablets. The best thing you can do for your heart is exercise.
Story continues below this ad
(Dr Shetty is lead cardiologist and medical director, Sparsh Hospital, Bengaluru)
Expand
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
