The fitness test that predicts your risk of death

How quickly your heart rate returns to normal after exercise can reveal a surprising amount about your underlying health.

If your heart hammers in your chest when you walk up the stairs, or you need to gasp for air while jogging to catch a bus, it may be a sign that you are not in peak physical shape.

Yet what happens after you stop exercising can be just as revealing about the inner workings of your body. Enter the heart rate recovery (HRR) test. This is the difference between your pulse when your heart is pumping hard during exercise, and how fast it beats about a minute after you have finished. 

Nieca Golderberg, a cardiologist at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, explains that HRR is a good indicator of your cardiovascular health. It can predict high blood pressure and cardiac events.

But your HRR is also so much more than that. A poor result can act as an early warning sign, helping to uncover hidden problems with the rest of the body. Crucially, that includes your overall risk of death.

Back in 1999, scientists from the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, published some striking results. They had tested the HRRs of 2,400 adults, then followed them for six years. The team found that people with low heart rate recovery were around four times more likely to die during the study period. 

Other teams around the world have since found similar results. HRR has emerged as a surprisingly strong predictor of death from any cause, whether there seems to be anything wrong with your heart or not. In young adults and the middle aged, HRR is even more closely linked to your risk of death than high blood pressure. 

Here's a quick, simple way to calculate your HRR using materials you're already likely to have at home. 

*It's important to consult your doctor before starting a new exercise regime. If you experience dizziness, chest pain or tightness, or shortness of breath that's out of proportion to the exercise you're doing, stop immediately. This test is not suitable for people with pre-existing heart conditions without medical supervision.

The first step is to make sure you have a way of writing down your data and a timer (most phones have one). If you have a smartwatch or other wearable activity tracker, this will be useful.

Then you need to calculate your maximum heart rate. If you have a smartwatch or other wearable device, this will be able to tell you what yours is. If not, this is usually around 220 minus your age.

Next, it's time to do some exercise. This should be intense enough to raise your heart rate to between 70 and 85% of its maximum. It could include running, cycling, or rowing,........

© BBC