What should my heart rate be at

Your resting heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest — such as when you are relaxed, sitting or lying down.

Table of Contents Show

What is a normal resting heart rate?
How do I check my resting heart rate?
Which factors can influence heart rate?
If my resting heart rate is normal, is my blood pressure normal?
If my resting heart rate is slow, is it dangerous?
If my resting heart rate is fast, is it dangerous?
Resources and support
How To Lower Your Resting Heart Rate
When to See a Doctor About Your Heart Rate
What is a good heart rate for my age?
What is a alarming heart rate?
What heart rate is too high?
Is 72 a good resting heart rate?

Resting heart rate varies from person to person. Knowing yours can give you an important sign of your heart health.

What is a normal resting heart rate?

For adults, a normal resting heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats a minute.

Usually, a lower resting heart rate means your heart is working more efficiently and is more fit.

For example, an athlete might have a resting heart rate of around 40 beats a minute.

How do I check my resting heart rate?

To check your heart rate:

Sit down and rest for 5 minutes.
Turn your wrist so your palm is facing up.
Feel for a pulse at thumb side of your wrist.
Once you feel it, count how many times you feel a beat in 30 seconds. Then double it.

If you can't find your pulse at your wrist, put 2 fingers on the side of your neck, next to your windpipe.

If you still can’t find a pulse, ask someone else to feel it for you.

To check your heart rate manually, feel for your pulse at the thumb side of your wrist.

Many people now monitor their heart rate with a wearable heart rate monitor, activity tracker or smart watch.

Which factors can influence heart rate?

Many things can affect your heart rate.

Age — as you get older the rate and regularity of your pulse can change. This can be a sign of a heart problem.
Sex — heart rate is generally higher in females than males.
Physical activity — if you've been moving around a lot, your heart rate will increase.
Fitness level — your resting heart rate may be lower if you're very fit.
Air and body temperature — on hot days, your heart needs to pump more quickly.
Emotions — when you feel stressed or overly excited your heart beats faster.
Medicines — some medicines can decrease your resting heart rate (for example, beta blockers), While other medicines can increase it (for example, thyroid medicines).
Substance use — alcohol, caffeine and smoking can all affect your heart rate.
Time of day — your heart rate tends to be lower at night.
Body position — for example, whether you are sitting up or lying down.

If my resting heart rate is normal, is my blood pressure normal?

Your resting heart rate is not an indication of your blood pressure. The only way to check blood pressure is to measure it directly.

If my resting heart rate is slow, is it dangerous?

People can have a resting heart rate of 40 if they are very fit. But a slow pulse could also be a sign of problems. If you are not sure, or if you have been feeling faint, dizzy or short of breath, see your doctor.

If my resting heart rate is fast, is it dangerous?

A fast-resting heart rate (higher than 100 beats per minute) can be a sign of problems. See your doctor for advice.

Seek urgent medical attention if:

your heart is racing, and the rhythm is irregular
you feel short of breath
you have chest pain

Resources and support

You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

FIND A HEALTH SERVICE — The Service Finder can help you find doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and other health services.

One of the vital signs a nurse checks when you visit the doctor is your heart rate, along with temperature, blood pressure and respiratory rate. Your heart rate, which is measured by your pulse, is an important indicator of your overall health and fitness level. It can signal certain medical conditions or a need to adjust lifestyle habits that elevate your heart rate above the normal range determined by your age.

The normal resting heart rate (when not exercising) for people age 15 and up is 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm).

However, your heart rate may vary slightly from the norm due to several factors, including regular exercise, a medical condition, stress and use of some over-the-counter medications.

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How To Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

When your resting heart rate is in the normal heart rate range for your age, your heart muscle doesn’t have to work as hard to pump enough blood to keep a steady beat.

If someone notices an increase in their heart rate within a certain period—after not being physically active for a year or two, for example—but other things haven’t changed much with their health, the elevated heart rate could indicate they may need to be more active to lower the heart rate, says Dr. Tilahun.

If your resting heart rate is higher than the normal adult heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute, regular activity is key to bringing the heart rate down. “That activity could be exercise, but it doesn’t have to be dedicated exercise. It could be walking, gardening, mowing the lawn or other regular activities,” says Tilahun.

“When you’re doing the activity, the heart rate is going to be higher, and people sometimes get worried. But that’s not an issue—it’s what’s supposed to happen. Over time, regular activity will lower the heart rate for most people,” he adds.

When to See a Doctor About Your Heart Rate

If a higher heart rate is a result of being under stress or consuming a lot of alcohol or caffeine, that’s not typically a cause for alarm. However, these situations still warrant a discussion with your clinician, as they can discuss with you how to best address any necessary lifestyle changes.

Meanwhile, adults without an acute condition that might cause an elevated heart rate may also want to contact their doctor if their resting heart rate remains above 100 beats per minute for a few days, says Dr. Tilahun.

“If the heart rate is persistently elevated for more than a few days and there is absence of a clear thing that can explain it, that should be a time to talk to your doctor,” he says.

What is a good heart rate for my age?

To estimate your maximum age-related heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 – 50 years = 170 beats per minute (bpm). The 64% and 76% levels would be: 64% level: 170 x 0.64 = 109 bpm, and.

What is a alarming heart rate?

You may want to start with a visit to your health care provider if your heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute or below 60 beats per minute (and you're not an athlete), or if you're also experiencing shortness of breath, fainting spells, lightheadedness or feeling fluttering or palpitations in your chest ...

What heart rate is too high?

Tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-dee-uh) is the medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats a minute. Many types of irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) can cause tachycardia.

Is 72 a good resting heart rate?

The normal range is between 50 and 100 beats per minute. If your resting heart rate is above 100, it's called tachycardia; below 60, and it's called bradycardia. Increasingly, experts pin an ideal resting heart rate at between 50 to 70 beats per minute.