Listen to Your Heart Courtesy of INTERNATIONAL FITNESS ASSOC. www.ifafitness.com Fitness Training Manual version 5.9, written by Chuck Krautblatt Copyright 1995, 1998, 2000 by IFA Recovery Heart Rate Your heart rate should be below 120 bpm after two to five minutes after exercise stops depending on your fitness level. If the heart rate is higher, insufficient cool-down or a low fitness level may be the cause. Slow heart rate recovery can also be due to illness or exercising too strongly. If this is the case, reduce the intensity of the exercise, which will result in an adjustment to your heart rate. A final heart rate check at the end of the aerobic workout should be below 100 bpm.