Resting heart rate

Overview Heart rate is a measurement of how many times your heart beats in one minute. Resting heart rate is how many heart beats you have per minute when you aren’t exercising or otherwise under stress. Resting heart rate can be an important measure of the It’s helpful to be able to check your own heart rate for your general health, when exercising, or if you experience symptoms such as You may also need to check your child’s pulse or check someone’s pulse in an emergency situation after you’ve called 911 in order to determine if Your age and fitness level have a big impact on your resting heart rate. All of the following can also affect your heart rate: • temperature • body position, such as lying, sitting, or standing • emotional state • • certain • underlying There are a number of ways to check your pulse. Here are some of the most common methods: To check your pulse using this method, you’ll be finding the • Place your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist just below the thumb. • Don’t use your thumb to check your pulse, as the artery in your thumb can make it harder to count accurately. • Once you can feel your pulse, count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds. • Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate. For instance, 20 beats in 15 seconds equals a heart rate of 80 beats per minute (bpm). To check your pulse using this method, you’ll be finding the • Place your pointer and middle fingers on the side of your windpipe just below the ...

ECG strip showing a normal heartbeat ECG strip showing bradycardia Bradycardia is a In general, for adults, a resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute (BPM) qualifies as bradycardia. There are exceptions. Your heart rate may fall below 60 BPM during deep sleep. Physically active adults (and athletes) often have a resting heart rate slower than 60 BPM. Causes of bradycardia Causes for bradycardia include: • Problems with the sinoatrial (SA) node, the heart’s natural pacemaker • Problems in the conduction pathways of the heart that don’t allow electrical impulses to pass properly from the atria to the ventricles • Metabolic problems such as hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone) • Damage to the heart from aging, • Certain • • Infection of heart tissue, known as • Complications from heart surgery • Chemical imbalances in the blood, such as potassium or calcium • Repeated breathing disruptions during sleep, known as obstructive • Inflammatory disease, such as rheumatic fever or lupus Symptoms of bradycardia A heart rate that’s too slow can cause insufficient blood flow to the brain. Symptoms of bradycardia include: • Fatigue or feeling weak • Dizziness or lightheadedness • Confusion • Fainting (or near-fainting) • Shortness of breath • Tires easily during exercise • Chest pain Complications of bradycardia Possible complications of bradycardia can include: • • • Treatment of bradycardia Borderline or occasional bradycardia may not require treatment. Severe or prolonge...

Talk to your doctor if you do not actively exercise but you have a low RHR with symptoms of dizziness or shortness of breath. When someone who is not an athlete or at a high level of fitness has a low resting heart rate (especially with other symptoms), it can be a sign of a medical or health problem. Men Age 18-25 Athlete: 49-55 Excellent: 56-61 Good: 61-65 Average: 70-73 Poor: Over 82 Age 26-35 Athlete: 49-54 Excellent: 55-61 Good: 62-65 Average: 71-74 Poor: Over 82 Age 36-45 Athlete: 50-56 Excellent: 57-62 Good: 63-66 Average: 71-75 Poor: Over 83 Age 46-55 Athlete: 50-57 Excellent: 58-63 Good: 64-67 Average: 72-76 Poor: Over 84 Age 56-65 Athlete: 51-56 Excellent: 57-61 Good: 62-67 Average: 72-75 Poor: Over 82 Over Age 65 Athlete: 50-55 Excellent: 56-61 Good: 62-65 Average: 70-73 Poor: Over 80 Average resting heart rate for men by age. Women Age 18-25 Athlete: 54-60 Excellent: 61-65 Good: 66-69 Average: 74-78 Poor: Over 85 Age 26-35 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 73-76 Poor: Over 83 Age 36-45 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-69 Average: 74-78 Poor: Over 85 Age 46-55: Athlete: 54-60 Excellent: 61-65 Good: 66-69 Average: 74-77 Poor: Over 84 Age 56-65 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 74-77 Poor: Over 84 Over Age 65 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 73-76 Poor: Over 84 Average resting heart rate for women by age. • Newborn to 1 month: 70-190 • 1 to 11 months: 80-160 (average 128 for males, 130 for females) ...

• With your palm up, look at the area between your wrist bone and the tendon on the thumb side of your wrist. Your radial pulse can be taken on either wrist. • Use the tip of the index and third fingers of your other hand to feel the pulse in your radial artery between your wrist bone and the tendon on the thumb side of your wrist. • Apply just enough pressure so you can feel each beat. Do not push too hard or you will obstruct the blood flow. • Watch the second hand on your watch or a clock as you count how many times you feel your pulse. • Record your pulse rate. • Find the area on one side of your neck near your windpipe. Your carotid pulse can be taken on either side of your neck. Avoid this if you have been diagnosed with plaques in your neck arteries (carotid). • Put the tip of your index and long finger in the groove of your neck along your windpipe to feel the pulse in your carotid artery. Do not press on the carotid artery on both sides of your neck at the same time. This may cause you to feel lightheaded or dizzy, or possibly faint. • Apply just enough pressure so you can feel each beat. Do not push too hard or you will obstruct the blood flow. • Watch the second hand on your watch or a clock as you count how many times you feel your pulse. • Record your pulse rate. • All about heart rate (pulse). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse. Accessed Dec. 16,...

Share on Pinterest Heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. You can measure it while at rest (resting heart rate) and while exercising (training heart rate). Your heart rate is one of the most reliable indicators that you’re pushing yourself hard enough while exercising. If you’ve been diagnosed with a heart problem or if you have any other risk factors of It’s helpful to know some basics so you’re more informed when speaking with your doctor. Below are some important things to know about your heart rate. Measuring your heart rate is as simple as checking your pulse. You can find your pulse over your wrist or neck. Try measuring your To measure your heart rate, gently press the tips of your index and middle fingers over this blood vessel in your wrist. Make sure not to use your thumb, because it has its own pulse and may cause you to miscount. Count the beats you feel for a full minute. You can also count for 30 seconds and multiply the count by two, or count for 10 seconds and multiply by six. Alternatively, you can use a heart rate monitor, which determines your heart rate automatically. You can program it to tell you when you’re You should test your resting heart rate before measuring your training heart rate. The best time to test your resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, before you’ve gotten out of bed — ideally after a Using the technique described above, determine your resting heart rate and record this number to share with your do...

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. But eachmeasures distinctly different factors related to your heart health. Below, cardiologist 1. Blood pressure and heart rate are always linked False:It is true that blood pressure and heart rate often rise and fall together, Dr. Laffin says. When you face danger, for example, your blood pressure and pulse may both jump upward at the same time. However, if your heart rate rises, that doesn’t automatically mean your blood pressure will rise — or vice versa. “When the two are disconnected, you may be looking at a specific problem,” Dr. Laffin says. “For example, if you are dehydrated, bleeding or have a severe infection, blood pressure typically decreases and heart rate increases.” 2. Blood pressure and heart rate have “normal” target numbers False:There areguidelines, but what’s normal varies from person to person. Optimal blood pressure typically is defined as 120 mm Hg systolic — which is the pressure as your heart beats — over 80 mm Hg diastolic — which is the pressure as your heart relaxes. For your resting heart rate, the target is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM). Keep in mind that heart rate and blood pressure are a customized fit. You need to work with your doctor to establish a baseline that’s normal for you. 3. A low pulse or blood pressurealways indicates a problem False: What’s healt...

Aiming for what’s called a “target heart rate” can help you do this, says Johns Hopkins cardiologist What is Target Heart Rate? Your target heart rate is a range of numbers that reflect how fast your heart should be beating when you exercise. “A higher heart rate is a good thing that leads to greater fitness,” says Johns Hopkins cardiologist How to Find Your Target Heart Rate First, it helps to know your resting heart rate, Martin says. Find your pulse (inside your wrist, on the thumb side, is a good place). Then count the number of beats in a minute—that’s your resting heart rate. (Alternately, you can take your pulse for 30 seconds and double it.) The average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100, he says. The more fit you are, the lower your resting heart rate; for very fit people, it’s in the range of 40 to 50 beats per minute. Target heart rate is generally expressed as a percentage (usually between 50 percent and 85 percent) of your maximum safe heart rate. The maximum rate is based on your age, as subtracted from 220. So for a 50-year-old, maximum heart rate is 220 minus 50, or 170 beats per minute. At a 50 percent exertion level, your target would be 50 percent of that maximum, or 85 beats per minute. At an 85 percent level of exertion, your target would be 145 beats per minute. Therefore, the target heart rate that a 50-year-old would want to aim for during exercise is 85 to 145 beats per minute. But there’s an easier way to figure it out if you want to skip th...

Talk to your doctor if you do not actively exercise but you have a low RHR with symptoms of dizziness or shortness of breath. When someone who is not an athlete or at a high level of fitness has a low resting heart rate (especially with other symptoms), it can be a sign of a medical or health problem. Men Age 18-25 Athlete: 49-55 Excellent: 56-61 Good: 61-65 Average: 70-73 Poor: Over 82 Age 26-35 Athlete: 49-54 Excellent: 55-61 Good: 62-65 Average: 71-74 Poor: Over 82 Age 36-45 Athlete: 50-56 Excellent: 57-62 Good: 63-66 Average: 71-75 Poor: Over 83 Age 46-55 Athlete: 50-57 Excellent: 58-63 Good: 64-67 Average: 72-76 Poor: Over 84 Age 56-65 Athlete: 51-56 Excellent: 57-61 Good: 62-67 Average: 72-75 Poor: Over 82 Over Age 65 Athlete: 50-55 Excellent: 56-61 Good: 62-65 Average: 70-73 Poor: Over 80 Average resting heart rate for men by age. Women Age 18-25 Athlete: 54-60 Excellent: 61-65 Good: 66-69 Average: 74-78 Poor: Over 85 Age 26-35 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 73-76 Poor: Over 83 Age 36-45 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-69 Average: 74-78 Poor: Over 85 Age 46-55: Athlete: 54-60 Excellent: 61-65 Good: 66-69 Average: 74-77 Poor: Over 84 Age 56-65 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 74-77 Poor: Over 84 Over Age 65 Athlete: 54-59 Excellent: 60-64 Good: 65-68 Average: 73-76 Poor: Over 84 Average resting heart rate for women by age. • Newborn to 1 month: 70-190 • 1 to 11 months: 80-160 (average 128 for males, 130 for females) ...

• With your palm up, look at the area between your wrist bone and the tendon on the thumb side of your wrist. Your radial pulse can be taken on either wrist. • Use the tip of the index and third fingers of your other hand to feel the pulse in your radial artery between your wrist bone and the tendon on the thumb side of your wrist. • Apply just enough pressure so you can feel each beat. Do not push too hard or you will obstruct the blood flow. • Watch the second hand on your watch or a clock as you count how many times you feel your pulse. • Record your pulse rate. • Find the area on one side of your neck near your windpipe. Your carotid pulse can be taken on either side of your neck. Avoid this if you have been diagnosed with plaques in your neck arteries (carotid). • Put the tip of your index and long finger in the groove of your neck along your windpipe to feel the pulse in your carotid artery. Do not press on the carotid artery on both sides of your neck at the same time. This may cause you to feel lightheaded or dizzy, or possibly faint. • Apply just enough pressure so you can feel each beat. Do not push too hard or you will obstruct the blood flow. • Watch the second hand on your watch or a clock as you count how many times you feel your pulse. • Record your pulse rate. • All about heart rate (pulse). American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/the-facts-about-high-blood-pressure/all-about-heart-rate-pulse. Accessed Dec. 16,...

Overview Heart rate is a measurement of how many times your heart beats in one minute. Resting heart rate is how many heart beats you have per minute when you aren’t exercising or otherwise under stress. Resting heart rate can be an important measure of the It’s helpful to be able to check your own heart rate for your general health, when exercising, or if you experience symptoms such as You may also need to check your child’s pulse or check someone’s pulse in an emergency situation after you’ve called 911 in order to determine if Your age and fitness level have a big impact on your resting heart rate. All of the following can also affect your heart rate: • temperature • body position, such as lying, sitting, or standing • emotional state • • certain • underlying There are a number of ways to check your pulse. Here are some of the most common methods: To check your pulse using this method, you’ll be finding the • Place your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist just below the thumb. • Don’t use your thumb to check your pulse, as the artery in your thumb can make it harder to count accurately. • Once you can feel your pulse, count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds. • Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate. For instance, 20 beats in 15 seconds equals a heart rate of 80 beats per minute (bpm). To check your pulse using this method, you’ll be finding the • Place your pointer and middle fingers on the side of your windpipe just below the ...