How to See Your Heart Rate Recovery on the iPhone- The Mac Observer

The Apple Watch is an excellent tool that tracks your activities and provides health insights. Out of the many useful features, Heart Rate Recovery (renamed to Cardio Recovery after the watchOS 9 and iOS 16 update) is one of the best of many useful features. However, it is often overlooked by many. 

In this guide, we’ll help you track and see your Heart Rate Recovery on your iPhone and Apple Watch. And also help you understand the benefits of using Heart Rate Recovery/ Cardio Recovery. 

Understanding and Measuring Heart Rate Recovery

Let’s address the first question everyone might have, “What is Heart Rate Recovery or Cardio Recovery?” All of us are aware that our heart rate increases when we are exercising or undergoing highly intensive physical activity. Once you stop exercising, your heart rate comes back to normal. We know this because we can feel it in our bodies. 

Now, the Heart Rate Recovery feature tracks how much your heart rate decreases in the first minute after you finish your exercise. It takes into account your peak heart rate during exercise and then how much it drops in the first minute after you’re done exercising. You can check the “Beats Per Minute” dropped in the first minute and the second minute in the Health app on your iPhone. 

If your Heart Rate Recovery is quick and if the recovery span decreases over some time, it means that you’re physically fit and constantly improving. However, if your heart rate recovery is very low, it might be an indicator of poor cardiovascular health. It would be a great idea to get checked to avoid any cardiovascular diseases.  

We suggest you refer to this page that offers in-depth insight into Heart Rate Recovery on the Apple Watch. Moreover, you should not rely on the Apple Watch statistics and conclude. It is recommended to visit and consult a professional. Just treat the Apple Watch metrics as indicators. Furthermore, use set and use Apple Watch heart rate alarms feature.

Viewing Heart Rate Recovery/ Cardio Recovery on iPhone

Heart Rate Recovery has been renamed to Cardio Recovery. Earlier, HRR was in the Fitness app. However, since it was renamed to Cardio Recovery with iOS 16 and watchOS 9 update, it has been moved to the Health app. So, here’s how to View your Heart Rate Recovery/ Cardio Recovery on your iPhone. 

In case you’re on iOS 15 or below, follow the steps mentioned below to check Heart Rate Recovery on your iPhone. 

1. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone.

2. Head to the Summary tab. 

3. Select any workout from the Summary screen. Or, you can even tap the Activity rings, select a day, and swipe down to find your workout. 

4. On the next screen, you will find the Heart Rate Recovery. You can swipe left on the Heart Rate section for more details. 

You might also be interested in learning how to fix your Apple Watch if the heart sensor stops working.

Viewing Cardio Recovery on Apple Watch

If you want your Apple Watch to track your Heart Rate Recovery/ Cardio Recovery accurately, you need to end the workout recording on your Apple Watch as soon as you end it in real life. Because, if you wait for a few minutes and stretch and relax and then end the workout, the measurements won’t be accurate. And, you would’ve already recovered from your peak heart rate. 

With that said, here’s how you can view Cardio Recovery on Apple Watch in the Heart Rate app. 

1. Open the Heart Rate app on your Apple Watch. 

2. Scroll down and tap the Post-Workout (watchOS 9) or Recovery (watchOS 8) option. 

3. Here you can check the details of Heart Rate Recovery/ Cardio Recovery. It’ll display the number of BPM (Beats Per Minute) and the recovery rate for one-minute intervals. 

The Importance of Consistent Heart Rate Recovery Tracking

As mentioned earlier, it isn’t a good sign if your Heart Rate Recovery is very slow. There are factors like age, intensity of exercises, etc., that contribute towards Heart Rate Recovery. However, if these numbers are consistently low, you should consider visiting a doctor. It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Here are some general tips to improve Heart Rate Recovery / Cardio Recovery. 

• Get quality sleep every night. 
• Drink enough water.
• Avoid Alcohol and other intoxicants. 
• Meditate daily as it will help reduce stress. 
• Focus on your diet and eat healthy food. 

In case you have any doubts regarding Heart Rate Recovery or Cardio Recovery, please let us know in the comments. Also, if you notice that your recovery rate is very poor, please consult a doctor. 

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