Normal Resting Heart Rate: How to Measure Resting Heart Rate

Resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest and not engaged in physical activity. By measuring your RHR, you can gauge how your heart muscle is working, which may provide some insight into your overall health and wellness.

Resting heart rate may potentially reflect some health and heart conditions, including:

• Bradycardia: Bradycardia refers to a heart rate under sixty beats per minute (BPM). Some trained athletes and individuals with a high fitness level may have a heart rate below sixty BPM due to their physical fitness. While bradycardia can be a sign of an underlying condition, such as obstructive sleep apnea, it may occur due to a change in sleeping patterns, genetic reasons, side effects from certain medications, or meditative breathing.
• High cholesterol: A regularly high resting heart rate may suggest high levels of cholesterol. When cholesterol is high, it can damage blood vessels by restricting the amount of blood flowing through the arteries, which causes the heart to beat faster.
• Tachycardia: Tachycardia refers to a fast heart rate of 100 BPM or above. Though age and external factors may influence tachycardia, it may also suggest an underlying health condition, such as anemia.

Consult a medical professional to discuss any noticeable changes in your resting heart rate. Many factors may impact resting heart, including:

1. 1. Environmental changes: Air temperature can affect resting heart rate. Temperature changes cause the body to send more blood to the skin, which requires the heart to pump faster. Heavy stimulant use—whether alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine—may also lead to a higher resting heart rate. Your body position can also affect your heart rate, whether you are standing up or lying down.
2. 2. Health issues: A fever impacts heart rate by causing the body to increase breathing rates and blood circulation to reduce temperature. Anxiety, fatigue, stress, and electrolyte imbalances may also cause a high heart rate.
3. 3. Medications: Both prescription and over-the-counter drugs can affect heart rate. Medication for colds and asthma, ADHD, and thyroid conditions, and some antidepressants and antibiotics may lead to a high resting heart rate. Beta-blockers, which treat blood pressure, may also lower your resting heart rate.

There is a general range for adult resting heart rate:

• Normal resting heart rate: A normal resting heart rate for adults is generally between sixty and one hundred BPM. According to medical experts, most healthy adults will have an RHR below ninety BPM. A lower resting heart rate may provide a positive snapshot of your heart health and fitness level. However, a medical professional who is knowledgeable about your medical history can give you the best indication of your overall health.
• Target heart rate zone: Your target heart rate is the minimum number of times your heart beats in a given period to gain the maximum benefit from cardiovascular (or aerobic) exercise. Your target heart rate zone should be between fifty and eight percent of your maximum heart rate, depending on the level of exercise intensity.
• Maximum heart rate: Your maximum heart rate is the faster number of times your heart beats per minute. You can use a heart rate monitor to determine your maximum heart rate, but there’s an even easier method: subtract your age from 220.

The American Heart Association suggests the following method for measuring your RHR:

1. 1. Measure your pulse rate on your wrist. The neck and wrists are the two most common sites for measuring pulse rate. To measure using your wrist, place your index and middle fingers on your radial artery located on the thumb side of your wrist. Press lightly to locate your pulse.
2. 2. Measure your pulse rate on your neck. You can also measure your pulse with the carotid artery, which runs through the neck. To measure your pulse rate here, place your index and third fingers on the side of your neck near your windpipe.
3. 3. Count and multiply the beats per minute. Count the number of beats for thirty seconds, then multiply that number to get your beats per minute. Repeat either version a few times to ensure an accurate reading.

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