What is a good resting heart rate?

What is a good resting heart rate?

A normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 BPM. Learn the importance of tracking your heart rate and how to check it on FitTrack.com!

What is a normal resting heart rate?

good resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 BPM (beats per minute) for adults (18 and over). For children ages 6-15, the normal heart rate at rest ranges from 70 to 100 BPM However, if you are an athlete, it can range between 40 and 50 beats per minute, which is normal. Research suggests that individuals with a low resting heart rate have lower chances of experiencing heart attacks. On the contrary, if you are not a trained athlete and your heart rate is below 60 BPM, or your resting heart rate is consistently clocking 100+ beats per minute, making you dizzy or ill, it is an indicator that your heart isn’t functioning quite well.

To make it simpler for you, below is the table showing the average resting rate by age.

NOTE: the heart rate is shown in Beats Per Minute (BPM)

How to Check Your Heart Rate?

There are a number of ways to check your heart rate. The process simply involves measuring how many times your heart beats in one minute. The most common ways to check your pulse are:

• ManuallyYou can check your radial pulse, carotid pulse, pedal pulse, or brachial pulse to check your heart rate.
• Medical Devices Medical devices like a chest strap heart monitor are considered to be the most accurate way to measure the heart rate.
• Free Apps You don’t necessarily need to invest in medical devices to check your heart rate. There are free mobile applications that leverage your phone’s flash and camera to give you a precise reading.
• Smartwatches Smartwatches or activity trackers are the most convenient way to measure your pulse. They are relatively inexpensive, and you can wear them like a wristwatch all day long.
• Smart Scales Smart scales are wi-fi-enabled devices that can give you a complete report on heart health and body composition. They can be easily synchronized with your smartphone.

How to measure your pulse

To manually check your pulse, the most effective way is to find your radial artery.

1. Place your middle and pointer fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist
2. Avoid using your thumb to check the pulse
3. Once your fingers can feel the pulse, note down how many beats you can feel in 15 seconds
4. Multiply the number of beats by 4 to get your resting heart rate.
5. For example, if you feel 19 beats in 15 seconds, multiple 19 by 4, which equals 76 beats per minute

What Can Influence Your Heart Rate?

Surprisingly, there are many factors that can influence your heart rate.

• Age: Your age can certainly influence your heart rate. Aging causes changes in the blood vessels and heart. As you get older, your heart cannot beat as fast in times of stress or during physical as it did when you were younger. Nevertheless, the number of BPM does not change significantly with normal aging.
• Fitness and activity levels: It is true that the heart muscle becomes more efficient with exercise. When you exercise, the circulation will increase, and your heart will contract faster. As the demand for blood increases, your heart rate will go high up to meet the demand.
• Being a smoker: Smoking results in a high resting heart rate and causes an irregular heart rhythm. Apart from that, it makes the arteries tighten up, which increases the blood pressure.
• Having cardiovascular disease: Having a cardiovascular disease or high cholesterol can increase the heart rate by at least 10 beats per minute.
• Air temperature: Heat is hard on the heart. If the air around you is cooler than your body temperature, you will radiate heat to the air. However, if the air temperature is equal to or greater than your body temperature, this transfer stops, making your heart beat faster and pump harder.
• Body position: When you are standing, your heart rate will be higher as compared to when you are lying down.
• Emotions: Certain emotions can raise your heart rate. Feeling happy, excited, anxious, nervous, sad, stressed, etc., has an influence on your pulse.
• Body size: Extra weight puts stress on your heart. The fat around the arteries restricts the flow of blood, causing the heart to beat at a higher rate.
• Medications: Medicines and drugs can affect the electrical signals in your heart, making it beat faster than usual. If you have a high resting heart rate due to medications, you may feel lightheaded.

What causes a low heart rate?

Bradycardia is the primary cause of low resting heart rate. When you have bradycardia, your heartbeat is slower than the normal resting heart rate. In some cases, a slow heart rate is an indication of a healthy heart. However, if it is accompanied by symptoms, then it is a serious sign. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:

• Shortness of breath
• Fainting
• Confusion
• Chest pain
• Dizziness

What causes a high heart rate?

High heart rate or tachycardia is caused by heart-related conditions like poor blood supply to the heart, high blood pressure, heart failure, heart valve disease, infections, or tumors. It is when your heart usually beats faster than the normal resting heart rate. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:

• Fainting
• Lightheadedness
• Fluttering in chest
• Sudden weakness
• Dizziness

What Your Resting Heart Rate is Telling You?

As said, a good resting heart rate lies between 60 and 100 BPM. If you have an RHR of 60 or below, it indicates that you are more physically fit and resembles a healthy heart function. On the other hand, if your heart rate is above 100 BPM, it may be associated with stress and anxiety, any illness, or excessive caffeine or alcohol consumption.

How to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate?

You don’t need any medications to keep your heart rate low. By incorporating some lifestyle changes and leveraging technology, you can ensure that your heart is healthy and properly functioning.

• Exercise more to make your heart muscles stronger. Cycling, jogging, or even a brisk walk can gradually slow down your resting heart rate
• Maintain a healthy weight by eating healthy. Obesity or excessive weight can put pressure on your heart, causing it to pump faster
• Avoid tobacco products and limit alcohol consumption
• Engage in activities that make you calm. The goal is to reduce stress

How Often Should You Check Your Resting Heart Rate?

Always check your pulse when you are at rest. Avoid measuring it after exercise or after a stressful event. The ideal time to check your heart rate is in the morning. Or you can check your RHR before you go to bed.

Bottom Line

It is critically important to keep track of your heart rate so that you can make an informed decision. You don’t necessarily need to visit a doctor to measure your resting heart rate. With the likes of smartwatches, activity trackers, and smart scales, you can easily measure your RHR anytime and anywhere. Also, it is vital to keep the heart rate low in order to prevent any diseases. Engage in physical activities, eat heart-friendly foods, and try to improve your lifestyle. This will only improve your heart health and prevent you from any diseases. Also, visiting your doctor for a regular checkup is advisable.

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