Heart rate: What’s normal?

A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute for adults.

Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats each minute while you are awake, calm and not moving. A lower resting heart rate usually means the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. You may be more fit if you have a lower resting heart rate. For example, very fit athletes may have a resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute.

To find your heart rate, you can count your pulse on your wrist or neck. The best time to check your resting heart rate is when you get up in the morning.

Follow one of these ways to check your pulse:

• To check the pulse at the wrist, gently place the index and middle fingers on the inside of the wrist below the thumb. When you check the pulse at the wrist, you feel the radial artery.
• To check the pulse at the neck, gently place the index and middle fingers on the side of the neck, next to the windpipe. When you check the pulse at the neck, you feel the carotid artery.

As you feel your pulse beat under your fingers, count the number of times it beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to calculate the beats per minute. Or count the number of beats in 30 seconds and multiply it by two. You can try the option that works best for you as long as you find the number of beats per minute.

Wearable devices typically show your resting heart rate and make it easy to track, but they may not always be accurate. Some devices are better than others.

While the typical resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute, heart rates can vary at different times. But a heart rate that’s often too high or too low may signal a health issue.

Keep in mind that many factors can affect heart rate, such as:

• Age.
• Fitness and activity levels.
• Sleep health.
• Smoking.
• Heart and blood vessel disease, called cardiovascular disease.
• High cholesterol.
• Diabetes.
• Emotions.
• Body type and posture.
• Medicine.

Talk with your healthcare professional if your resting heart rate is regularly above 100 beats per minute. Also, talk with your health professional if you’re not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is often below 60 beats per minute. It’s especially important to see a healthcare professional if you also have symptoms such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.