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What is Respiratory Rate?

Your Respiratory Rate is a key health metric that measures the number of breaths you take per minute. Tracking this vital sign, especially during sleep, provides valuable insights into your body's overall wellness, fitness level, and recovery status.

What Respiratory Rate Is

Respiratory rate is the frequency of your breathing, typically measured in breaths per minute (br/min). For the most accurate baseline, your device measures this metric automatically while you sleep. A lower respiratory rate during rest is often a positive sign. Key characteristics include:

  • Typical Range: For a healthy adult at rest, a normal respiratory rate is typically between 12 and 20 breaths per minute.
  • Indicator of Fitness: Athletes and individuals with good cardiovascular health often have a lower resting respiratory rate.
  • Measurement: It is measured non-invasively by your smartwatch, which analyzes subtle changes in your heart rate and motion during sleep.

Why It Matters

Monitoring your respiratory rate trend helps you understand how your body is responding to training, stress, and overall health changes. A consistent rate within your normal range suggests your body is stable and functioning well. Significant deviations can be an early indicator of developing issues.

For example, a sustained increase in your breathing rate could signal that your body is under stress from overtraining, illness, or poor sleep. By paying attention to these trends, you can make informed decisions about whether to push harder in your next workout or prioritize rest and recovery.

How It Works

Your respiratory rate is calculated automatically from data collected by your wearable device during sleep. This provides a reliable estimate of your breaths per minute without requiring active measurement, giving you a clear baseline of your body's resting state.

Summary

This article explains what Respiratory Rate is, how it's measured in breaths per minute during sleep, and why tracking it is important. Monitoring this metric helps you understand your cardiovascular fitness, manage stress, and make better decisions about your training and recovery.

Related

  • What is Sleeping Heart Rate (SHR)?
  • What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)?
  • What is Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)?
  • Analyze your body metric trends over time
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