The heart rate is a measure of how many times the heart contracts or beats in one minute. The ideal resting heart rate for most adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
A healthy heart ensures that the body receives the appropriate amount of blood at the correct rate, depending on the body’s activities. For instance, when you feel scared or surprised, your body automatically releases a hormone called adrenaline, which causes your heart rate to increase. This helps the body to prepare itself to use more oxygen and energy in order to either escape from or confront potential danger.
A resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are not active. However, a person’s resting heart rate can be influenced by factors such as age, activity levels, physical fitness, and other variables. A normal heart rate is helpful for identifying a variety of health issues, although it doesn’t guarantee that a person is completely healthy.
What is Resting Heart Rate (RHR)?
Resting heart rate (RHR), also known as basal heart rate, is a measurement of how many times your heart beats per minute (bpm) when your body is at rest in a comfortable environment and hasn’t been under stress recently. The metric is a helpful tool for keeping track of your fitness level and the health of your heart.
A lower resting heart rate is generally considered to be a positive indicator. According to the American Heart Association, the average resting heart rate (RHR) is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). Usually, when your heart rate goes down, it means that each beat is more powerful.
A low resting heart rate (RHR) indicates that the heart muscle is strong and can efficiently pump enough blood to provide the body with oxygen without working too hard. When your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through your body and supply oxygen to your muscles, your fitness level improves.
What is Normal Resting Heart Rate?
The normal resting heart rate for an average adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). When the number is higher, there is a greater chance of having health problems like metabolic syndrome.
Adults who are very fit can have a resting heart rate that is less than 60 beats per minute. Some highly trained endurance athletes, like marathon runners or professional cyclists, have a resting heart rate that is less than 40 beats per minute.
If your resting heart rate is 80 beats per minute or higher, it may mean that you have a higher risk of cardiovascular problems and a higher risk of dying from any cause. The risk is highest when the resting heart rate goes above 90 beats per minute.
The resting heart rate can be different for males and females. Women generally have smaller hearts and lower blood volume and haemoglobin levels. This means that their hearts need to beat more often in order to provide enough nourishment to the body’s tissues.
A person’s average resting heart rate changes as they grow older. It is faster in infants and slows down as they reach adulthood. The average ranges also vary slightly as you get older.
Medications can also affect your resting heart rate. Some medications like beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers can make your resting heart rate go below 60. On the other hand, medications used for asthma, depression, and attention deficit disorder might increase your heart rate.
If someone who is not an athlete or very fit has a low resting heart rate, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, it could indicate a medical or health issue.
Bradycardia can be caused by many things, but it usually gets better when the underlying condition is identified and treated. A low resting heart rate can sometimes be caused by an abnormal heart rhythm, which may need to be treated with a pacemaker.
Resting Heart Rate Charts by Age and Gender
The charts below show heart rate information categorised by gender, age, and fitness level. The information is sourced from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can use it to find out where your resting heart rate falls on the fitness scale.
| Men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 18-25 | Athlete: 49-55 | Excellent: 56-61 | Good: 61-65 | Average: 70-73 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Age 26-35 | Athlete: 49-54 | Excellent: 55-61 | Good: 62-65 | Average: 71-74 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Age 36-45 | Athlete: 50-56 | Excellent: 57-62 | Good: 63-66 | Average: 71-75 | Poor: Over 83 |
| Age 46-55 | Athlete: 50-57 | Excellent: 58-63 | Good: 64-67 | Average: 72-76 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Age 56-65 | Athlete: 51-56 | Excellent: 57-61 | Good: 62-67 | Average: 72-75 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Over Age 65 | Athlete: 50-55 | Excellent: 56-61 | Good: 62-65 | Average: 70-73 | Poor: Over 80 |
| Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 18-25 | Athlete: 54-60 | Excellent: 61-65 | Good: 66-69 | Average: 74-78 | Poor: Over 85 |
| Age 26-35 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 73-76 | Poor: Over 83 |
| Age 36-45 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-69 | Average: 74-78 | Poor: Over 85 |
| Age 46-55: | Athlete: 54-60 | Excellent: 61-65 | Good: 66-69 | Average: 74-77 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Age 56-65 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 74-77 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Over Age 65 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 73-76 | Poor: Over 84 |
Why Does Resting Heart Rate Matter?
In general, having a lower resting heart rate is linked to better health and functioning.
Studies show that having a higher resting heart rate is linked to a higher chance of experiencing negative cardiovascular events, heart problems, and overall mortality. A lower resting heart rate is generally considered better than a higher resting heart rate because it suggests better cardiovascular efficiency and overall health.
Keep in mind that the heart has to provide enough oxygen to all the various cells, tissues, and organs in the body. Oxygen is carried by the blood through the circulatory system.
Cardiac output is the term used to describe how much blood the heart pumps throughout the body in one minute. The heart needs to pump a specific amount of blood to meet the needs of your body tissues. It does this by beating a certain number of times per minute and pushing a certain amount of blood out of the heart’s ventricles with each beat.
If your heart muscle is stronger, it can pump more blood with each beat. This means it doesn’t have to beat as often to provide enough oxygen to the cells.
The more fit you become, the better your heart becomes at contracting strongly, which leads to an increase in your stroke volume. Therefore, your heart rate can decrease even when you are doing the same level of activity that used to require a higher heartbeat.
Regular exercise has other positive effects on the cardiovascular system, including:
- An increase in blood plasma volume means that you have more blood available for a higher stroke volume.
- Your blood vessels can stretch more to accommodate a larger amount of blood without causing an increase in blood pressure.
- The chamber size is bigger, which means more blood can be pumped without needing to increase the ejection fraction (the percentage of blood that is pumped out of the heart chambers with each beat).
Furthermore, when you engage in aerobic training and improve your cardiovascular health, your muscles become better at getting oxygen from the blood and using it to produce the energy they require for physical activity.
Your body becomes more efficient at using oxygen, which means it needs less and your heart doesn’t have to work as hard. All of these changes combined lower your resting heart rate (as well as your heart rate during moderate exercise) and show improved cardiovascular health, performance, and well-being.
Factors Affecting the Resting Heart Rate
There are several things that can affect your resting heart rate, including:
- Age: Resting heart rate (RHR) can vary with age, as indicated by several studies.
- On average, women tend to have a resting heart rate (RHR) that is 2-7 beats per minute higher than men.
- The air temperature can cause your resting heart rate (RHR) to increase during hot weather, but typically not by more than 10 beats per minute (bpm).
- Emotions: Feeling stressed, anxious, or happy can increase the resting heart rate (RHR).
- When you are sitting, your resting heart rate (RHR) can be 3 beats per minute higher compared to when you are lying down. Similarly, your resting heart rate tends to increase slightly when you stand up.
- Medication: Prescription drugs, like antidepressants and beta-blockers, can make your resting heart rate lower than it would be without the medication.
- Meditation, yoga, and pranayama can help lower your resting heart rate (RHR) if practiced regularly.
How to Measure Your Resting Heart Rate?
To measure your resting heart rate, you should do it in the morning before getting out of bed. If you do any activity, such as getting up, eating, drinking, or smoking, your pulse rate will increase. In order to obtain an accurate resting heart rate measurement, it is important to remain completely still and calm. If you wake up suddenly because of something like an alarm, try to stay still for a few minutes before checking your pulse.
If you are unable to check your pulse as soon as you wake up, it is recommended to wait for one to two hours after consuming caffeine, exercising, or experiencing emotional stress before checking your pulse. Before checking your pulse, make sure to either lie down or sit quietly for at least 10 minutes.
In order to measure your pulse, you will need a device that can count seconds, such as a clock or watch that has a second hand or shows the seconds. If you have a smartphone, you can use the stopwatch or clock app on it as well.
You can determine your resting heart rate without doing any math by counting for a full 60 seconds. You can also calculate the intervals and perform the calculations:
- Count your heartbeats for 6 seconds and multiply by 10.
- Count your heartbeats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.
- Count your heartbeats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
- Count your heartbeats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
There are also apps, like Azumio Instant Heart Rate, that use the flash on your smartphone to measure your pulse. The app guides you step-by-step, making it simple to use. Additionally, apps are usually quite accurate.
Many fitness bands and running watches have LED heart rate sensors. These sensors can measure your resting heart rate or your heart rate when you want to check it. These sensors are more or less accurate depending on how tightly you wear them.
Maintaining a Normal Heart Rate
Having a healthy heartbeat is very important for keeping your heart healthy. Exercise is important for maintaining a low and healthy heart rate. However, there are also other things a person can do to protect their heart health. Some of these steps include:
- Managing stress: Stress can cause your heart rate and blood pressure to go up. There are several ways to reduce stress, such as taking deep breaths, practicing yoga, learning mindfulness techniques, and meditating.
- Avoiding tobacco: Smoking increases your heart rate, but quitting can bring it back to a normal level.
- Losing weight: When you have more body weight, your heart has to work harder to give oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body.
Conclusion
The heart rate is a measure of how many times the heart contracts or beats in one minute, with the ideal range for most adults being between 60 and 100 beats per minute. A healthy heart ensures the body receives the correct amount of blood at the correct rate, depending on the body’s activities. A normal resting heart rate is helpful for identifying health issues, but it doesn’t guarantee complete health. Factors such as age, activity levels, and physical fitness can influence a person’s resting heart rate.
The charts below show heart rate information by gender, age, and fitness level, sourced from the CDC. A lower resting heart rate is generally considered better than a higher one, as it suggests better cardiovascular efficiency and overall health. The heart pumps more blood with each beat, and stronger muscles can pump more blood with each beat. Regular exercise has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, including increased blood plasma volume, larger blood vessels, and better oxygen utilization. These changes, combined with lower resting heart rate, show improved cardiovascular health, performance, and well-being.
Resting heart rate (RHR) can be influenced by various factors, including age, air temperature, emotions, medication, and regular meditation. To measure RHR, it is recommended to remain calm and still before waking up. Devices that count seconds or use apps like Azumio Instant Heart Rate can be used. Fitness bands and running watches have LED heart rate sensors. Maintaining a normal heart rate involves managing stress, avoiding tobacco, and losing weight. Exercise, stress management, and regular exercise can help maintain a healthy heartbeat.
