Your heart has the all important function of pumping nutrients and oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body – and it works long hours – never stopping to take a break. This remarkable organ keeps up the rhythmic pace of moving blood and oxygen throughout the body day after day – year after year. As you’re probably aware, your heart doesn’t always beat at the same rate, but speeds up with anxiety and after eating, and slows down with sleep and during times of relaxation. So, how do you know if it’s normal? What is a normal resting heart rate and how do you measure it?
What’s a Normal Resting Heart Rate?
For an adult, the normal resting heart rate range is between sixty and one-hundred beats per minute – and this rate falls slightly with age. Babies and young children have significantly faster heart rates than adults – with a newborn baby having an average pulse rate of 125 which will fall to around 70 or 75 by the time he or she grows up and graduates from high school.
People who exercise vigorously have a resting pulse rate that’s slower than your average couch potato – with some adult athletes having a resting heart rate as low as forty beats per minute. In fact, regular aerobic exercise causes the heart muscle to make adaptations that allow it to pump a greater amount of blood with each heartbeat. This means it doesn’t have to work as hard.
How to Measure Resting Heart Rate
The two best places to measure resting heart rate are on the side of your wrist or the side of your neck. Place your middle three fingers at the side of your neck and feel for the pulsation, or put the first two fingers of your hand against the edge of your wrist to start counting. Count the number of beats you feel for fifteen seconds and multiply by four. This is your resting pulse rate.
What If Your Resting Pulse Rate is Out of Range?
Keep in mind there are a lot of factors that can cause your heart rate to be outside the normal range for short periods of time. Exercise, anxiety, temperature changes, a fever or infection, and certain medications cause the heart rate to speed up – so it’s best to check your pulse rate when you’re feeling calm and relaxed. Some medications can slow down the heart rate such as some blood pressure medications, antidepressants, heart medications, and mood altering drugs.
The Bottom Line?
If your resting heart rate consistently falls out of the 60 to 100 beats per minute range, see your doctor. This could be due to a heart problem, but other medical problems such as anemia, thyroid disease, or an infection can alter the resting heart rate too. Your heart is a remarkable organ – so take good care of it.
References:
Merck Manual. 18th edition.
