When you exercise, your heart rate increases and can vary depending on the exercise intensity. Therefore, it is often more relevant to measure your resting heart rate - the number of times your heart beats during one minute while you are completely at rest.
Heart rate can be an indicator of heart function and cardiovascular fitness. This can be relevant for certain medications, such as beta-blockers, but also for gaining a better picture of your general health.
Heart rate can vary by age and sex, but a normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM). A lower heart rate, suggests better cardiovascular fitness, so a more athletic person may have a normal resting heart rate closer to 50 bpm. Use the charts below to see how you heart rate compares to the average heart rate for your age group.
Age | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 65 + |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Athlete | 49-55 | 49-54 | 50-56 | 50-57 | 51-56 | 50-55 |
Excellent | 56-61 | 55-61 | 57-62 | 58-63 | 57-61 | 56-61 |
Great | 62-65 | 62-65 | 63-66 | 64-67 | 62-67 | 62-65 |
Good | 66-69 | 66-70 | 67-70 | 68-71 | 68-71 | 66-69 |
Average | 70-73 | 71-74 | 71-75 | 72-76 | 72-75 | 70-73 |
Below Average | 74-81 | 75-81 | 76-82 | 77-83 | 76-81 | 74-79 |
Poor | 82 + | 82 + | 83 + | 84 + | 82 + | 80 + |
Age | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 65 + |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Athlete | 54-60 | 54-59 | 54-59 | 54-60 | 54-59 | 54-59 |
Excellent | 61-66 | 60-64 | 60-64 | 61-65 | 60-64 | 60-64 |
Great | 66-69 | 65-68 | 65-69 | 66-69 | 65-68 | 65-68 |
Good | 70-73 | 69-72 | 70-73 | 70-73 | 69-73 | 69-72 |
Average | 74-78 | 73-76 | 74-78 | 74-77 | 74-77 | 73-76 |
Below Average | 79-84 | 77-82 | 79-84 | 78-83 | 78-83 | 77-84 |
Poor | 85 + | 83 + | 85 + | 84 + | 84 + | 85 + |
There are several different methods for measuring your heart rate, we’ll outline some of them here:
The traditional method for finding your heart rate involves taking your pulse. There are several places where you can find your pulse, but one of the easiest is your wrist.
If you can’t find a pulse in your wrist, you could try finding it on your neck. To do this, place your first two fingers on the side of your neck, a few inches below the back of your jaw and in line with your ear. You should be able to feel a pulse here, but you might need to press harder or move your fingers around to find it. Once you’ve found it, follow steps 4 and 5 above.
Many smartwatches and fitness watches can now measure your heart rate. These use sensors to measure the amount of blood flowing through the blood vessels in your wrist at any given time. Different manufacturers may do things slightly differently, so we recommend that you refer to their instructions. Often there will be a heart icon or ‘BPM’ to show you which value is your heart rate.
Please note: These devices are not always very accurate when it comes to heart rate, therefore we recommend you use the pulse method for medical purposes. If you struggle to find your pulse, or if you want to check your heart rate regularly, smartwatches can be a great alternative, but we recommend that you check how reliable the reading is, by comparing it with your pulse.
How to measure your heart rate using an Apple Watch
How to measure your heart rate using a Fitbit
Different Fitbit models can work differently. The following instructions would apply to most Fitbit devices.
Home blood pressure monitors often also measure your heart rate. Simply use your blood pressure monitor, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Your heart rate should be shown on the display when the reading is complete. This can appear differently on each device, but it would usually be labeled as ‘Heart rate’, ‘HR’, ‘Pulse’ or ‘BPM’.
Basic stethoscopes can be purchased at a relatively low cost. This is a good way to measure your heart rate if you struggle to find your pulse.