4 key metrics runners should track for a healthy heart — and exactly how to measure and improve them

Nancy Wells crossed the finish line of the 2025 Mercy Health Glass City Half Marathon, in Ohio, feeling exhilarated. He is now 55 years old and has crossed 60 years of age Marathons and Half marathon At 2:41:26, it was her slowest run ever — but her finish was special, because it was the race during which she had a heart attack a year ago.

On race morning in 2024, something felt wrong. Wells blamed Wet weather I was more afraid in the race than usual. But it took all her energy to get through the first two miles. Then she felt a strange pressure on her chest. She walked slowly, then called her husband to tell him she was not feeling well. The last thing you remember is turning around for about four miles. She woke up in hospital with a tube down her throat telling her her heart had stopped beating.

Fortunately for Wales, a retired nurse who worked nearby was able to perform CPR on the field shortly after she collapsed. What followed were four days in the hospital, a procedure to place an arterial stent — a flexible tube that helps open the narrowed vessel and increase blood flow — and a supervised cardiovascular rehabilitation program. Once her heart’s ability to pump blood improved to normal, she started thinking about running again — and finishing the race.

For most heart patients, exercise is a crucial component of ongoing rehabilitation, helping to strengthen the heart and improve circulation. While heart disease is the second leading cause of death in the UK, and the leading cause in British men, running can help reduce the risk of heart problems in the future.

the NHS She recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as running, each week to improve heart and respiratory health.

So, you’re already reducing your risk of heart disease just by being a runner — but why stop there when you can improve your heart to be stronger and healthier? Not all cardiovascular disease can be prevented – genetics, sudden triggers, and sometimes simple chance play a role. But there’s still a lot you can do to keep your heart fit and give it the best care possible, so you can enjoy running for as long as you want.

Your heart is on the run

Your heart is an organ about the size of a fist and represents about 0.5% of your body weight. It’s the hardest muscle in the body, beating more than 100,000 times – and usually faster in women than in men. It’s an involuntary muscle, meaning it works without your conscious control and contracts in response to its electrical impulses. It is the only muscle in your body that works all the time without fatigue, because it is made up of special cells – cardiac muscle cells – that resist fatigue.

With each beat, your heart sends oxygen and nutrients to your cells while carrying waste away. It helps maintain healthy blood pressure, works alongside your blood vessels, and adjusts how fast and where blood flows based on your body’s needs.

Once you start running, your circulation changes within seconds, and your sympathetic nervous system triggers the fight-or-flight response, releasing hormones like adrenaline. Your circulation and musculoskeletal system work together to send oxygen-rich blood to your muscles. “All he has in mind is, ‘How do we get the oxygen where it needs to go as quickly as possible?’” says Tamana Singh, MD, director of the Center for Sports Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic.

“There is a period of adjustment from comfort to stress,” she says. “When you start running, it takes a minute or two to get into the flow — that’s the recruiting process.” Your heart pumps faster and contracts more forcefully to send more blood to oxygen-starved muscles, while also removing heat and metabolic byproducts. Skeletal muscles and skin see an increase in blood flow, while non-essential body organs, such as the kidneys or stomach, see a decrease. Once your body adapts, it moves into a “steady state.”

This is within one round. In the long term, running causes structural changes in the heart. Just as skeletal muscle grows when we grow Lifting weightsThe heart grows when we need it to pump blood faster to support the demands of muscle exercise. Continuous running can also lower your blood pressure – in response to your muscles’ need for more oxygen and blood flow, your body allows your vessels to dilate. The more efficient your heart becomes, the more efficient your heart will become Resting heart rate Decreases.

4 important health metrics to measure

for you Fitness tracker – If you wear one – it analyzes your health data, providing you with a wide range of metrics. Here are the four key statistics to focus on and how to measure them without A wearable or lab test and how you can train your heart to improve it.

What is this?

The highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during all-out effort.

How do you measure that?

Run for 30 minutes in Threshold frequencyThen, average your heart rate over the last 10 to 15 minutes.

How can you train him?

Focus on improving efficiency by training your heart to pump more blood per beat.

What is this?

The time between hits is in milliseconds. It reflects how well your body balances stress and recovery.

How do you measure that?

A wearable device can determine your baseline. Track them regularly and focus on trends rather than one reading.

How can you train him?

runs pressure-Give your priority He sleepsHe spends moist And allow restoration Between your workouts.

What is this?

The number of heartbeats per minute at rest. It is an essential marker of cardiovascular fitness.

How do you measure that?

Count your pulse for 60 seconds. Stress, lack of sleep, caffeine and other factors increase the heart rate.

How can you train him?

Running regularly will lower your heart rate by strengthening the heart, so it pumps more blood per beat.

What is this?

The maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. It reflects the efficiency of the heart.

How do you measure that?

Try the Cooper test: Run as far as you can in 12 minutes, then use 35.97 x distance (miles) minus 11.29.

How can you train him?

Improve with high intensity exercise e.g Play time lapse And HIIT sessions with strength movements.

Your smart watch is not a doctor

The wealth of data from wearable technology can be useful, but as Garmin notes, “its watches are not medical devices and the data provided by them is not intended to be used for medical purposes or to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease.” You can protect your heart and improve your fitness using tried-and-true methods like: Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)It measures how exercise makes you feel on a subjective scale from one to 10.

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