You can increase your pulse rate quickly through physical activity, changes in body position, exposure to warmth, or controlled breathing techniques. The method that makes sense depends on why you want to raise it. A normal resting heart rate for adults falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), and a rate consistently below 60 bpm is called bradycardia. Some people need to raise their pulse for exercise goals, while others are dealing with a chronically low heart rate that causes symptoms like dizziness or fatigue.
Exercise: The Most Direct Method
Physical movement is the fastest and most reliable way to increase your pulse rate. Even a brisk walk can push your heart rate into a range that’s 50% to 70% of your maximum, which qualifies as moderate intensity. Picking up the pace to jogging, cycling uphill, or doing jumping jacks moves you into vigorous territory, around 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate.
Your maximum heart rate is often estimated with the formula “220 minus your age,” but research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found this formula can underestimate the true max by up to 40 beats per minute, especially as you get older. Their updated formula, based on testing over 3,300 healthy adults, is 211 minus 0.64 times your age. For a 40-year-old, that’s roughly 185 bpm instead of the 180 the old formula gives. The gap widens with age. Genetics play a bigger role in your maximum heart rate than your fitness level, so if you want to know your true ceiling, the most accurate approach is a supervised maximal exercise test.
If your goal is to raise your resting pulse over time because it tends to run low, consistent aerobic exercise actually has the opposite long-term effect. It strengthens the heart so it pumps more blood per beat and needs fewer beats at rest. Well-trained athletes often have resting rates between 40 and 60 bpm, which is perfectly healthy. The distinction matters: a low resting rate from fitness is a sign of efficiency, while a low rate accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, or fainting may signal a medical problem.
Body Position and Posture Changes
Simply standing up raises your pulse. When you move from lying down to standing, your heart rate typically increases by 10 to 15 beats per minute as your cardiovascular system adjusts to pump blood against gravity. This is a normal reflex, and the rate usually settles back down within a minute or two.
You can use this to your advantage if you feel lightheaded from a temporarily low heart rate. Standing up slowly, then shifting your weight or walking in place, gives your body a gentle cardiovascular nudge. Conversely, if standing causes your heart rate to spike by 30 or more beats per minute and doesn’t settle, that pattern points to a condition called postural tachycardia syndrome, which warrants medical evaluation.
Heat Exposure
Warm environments push your heart rate up because your body works harder to cool itself. For every degree your internal body temperature rises, your heart beats roughly 10 additional times per minute. That means spending time in a hot shower, sauna, or warm bath can meaningfully raise your pulse without any physical exertion.
This is also why your heart rate climbs during outdoor exercise on hot days. If you’re trying to raise your pulse temporarily, warmth is effective, but keep hydration in mind. Dehydration reduces the volume of blood circulating through your body, which forces the heart to beat even faster to compensate. That extra strain is not the healthy kind of heart rate increase. Drinking water before and during heat exposure keeps the effect manageable.
Caffeine and Stimulants
Caffeine raises your heart rate by blocking a chemical in your body that normally slows cardiac activity. A cup of coffee or strong tea can increase your pulse by 5 to 15 bpm, depending on your tolerance. The effect peaks about 30 to 60 minutes after consumption and tapers over several hours.
If you rarely consume caffeine, the effect will be more pronounced. Regular caffeine users develop tolerance, so the same cup of coffee produces a smaller bump. Energy drinks, which combine caffeine with other stimulants, can produce larger and less predictable increases, particularly if consumed on an empty stomach or before exercise.
Breathing Techniques
Your breathing pattern directly influences your pulse. Rapid, shallow breathing activates your body’s alert system (the sympathetic nervous system) and raises your heart rate. Techniques like “stimulating breath,” where you take quick inhales and exhales through the nose at a pace of two to three cycles per second for 15 to 30 seconds, can produce a noticeable increase.
The reverse also works as a diagnostic tool. If slow, deep breathing drops your pulse significantly, that suggests your nervous system is responsive and your baseline rate may simply reflect strong vagal tone, a sign that the nerve responsible for slowing the heart is particularly active. This is common in younger adults and athletes and is usually harmless.
When a Low Pulse Rate Needs Attention
Not every slow heart rate needs to be “fixed.” A resting rate in the 50s is common in fit individuals and causes no symptoms. The concern starts when bradycardia comes with warning signs: persistent fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest, dizziness or near-fainting episodes, confusion, or shortness of breath during activities that used to feel easy. These symptoms suggest the heart isn’t delivering enough blood to meet the body’s demands.
Certain medications are a frequent culprit. Beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and some antiarrhythmic drugs intentionally slow the heart. If your pulse has dropped since starting a new medication, that’s worth discussing with whoever prescribed it, since a dose adjustment often resolves the issue. Thyroid problems, particularly an underactive thyroid, can also slow the heart and are easily identified with a blood test.
For bradycardia that causes significant symptoms and doesn’t respond to medication changes, the standard treatment is a pacemaker. This is a small device implanted under the skin near the collarbone that sends electrical signals to the heart when it detects the rate dropping too low. The procedure typically takes one to two hours, and most people go home the same day or the next morning. Recovery involves limiting arm movement on the implant side for a few weeks, but most daily activities resume quickly.
Safe Ranges to Keep in Mind
Raising your pulse rate is safe as long as you stay within reasonable bounds. During exercise, aiming for 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate covers both moderate and vigorous intensity. For a 30-year-old using the updated formula, that means a target zone of roughly 96 to 163 bpm. For a 60-year-old, it’s about 87 to 148 bpm.
Keep in mind that maximum heart rate varies widely between individuals of the same age. Two healthy 45-year-olds might have max rates that differ by 20 or more bpm purely due to genetics. If you feel chest pain, extreme breathlessness, or dizziness while trying to elevate your heart rate through any method, stop and rest. A pulse that shoots above your expected maximum or feels erratic and irregular is worth getting checked out, especially if it happens repeatedly or without an obvious trigger like intense exercise.