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Monitoring Your Heart Rate: What's Normal and When to Worry
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# Your Heart Rate: What Does It Say?

10 min read

## What Is a Heart Rate?

Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats in 1 minute. Heart rates vary from person to person. It’s lower when you’re at rest and higher when you exercise.

Knowing how to find your pulse can help you figure out your best exercise program. If you’re taking heart medications, recording your pulse daily and reporting the results to your doctor can help them learn if your treatment is working.

Blood pressure vs. heart rate

Your heart rate is different from your blood pressure, which is the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels.

A faster pulse doesn’t necessarily mean higher blood pressure. When your heart speeds up, like when you exercise, your blood vessels should expand to let more blood pass through.

Heart rate vs. pulse rate

While the two go hand in hand, they are different. Your heart rate is a measure of the number of times your heart beats in a minute. With each beat, your heart squeezes. That creates enough pressure to push blood out of your heart to the rest of your body through a network of arteries. And that brief rise in pressure creates your pulse, which allows you to feel and count your heart rate. Pulse is a way to measure your heart rate.

You can feel your pulse on certain parts of your body where there’s an artery close to your skin. Two easy spots are:

- Your radial artery, located near where your wrist bone meets your thumb muscle
- Your carotid artery, located on the side of your neck just below your jawbone (Don’t check your pulse here if you have carotid artery disease, in which plaque builds up on the walls of the carotid artery.)

## How to Check Your Heart Rate

There are a few places on your body where it’s easier to take your pulse:

- The insides of your wrists
- The insides of your elbows
- The sides of your neck
- The tops of your feet

photo of woman checking her pulse

Infants and children have much higher heart rates than adults. During your teens, heart rates tend to settle into the range of 60-100 beats per minute, which is normal for adults. (Photo Credit: iStock/Getty Images)

Put the tips of your index and middle fingers on your skin. Press lightly until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. You may need to move your fingers around until you feel it. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by six to get your heartbeats per minute.

## Normal Heart Rate

A healthy heart rate for adults over 18 is usually between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). Your number may vary.

The best time to measure your resting heart rate is just after you wake up in the morning before you start moving around or have any caffeine.

Children tend to have higher resting heart rates than adults.

Normal heart rate by age (when awake):

Newborns (birth to 4 weeks)100-205 beats per minute (bpm)Infants (4 weeks to 1 year)100-180 bpmToddlers (1 to 3 years)98-140 bpmPreschoolers (3 to 5 years)80-120 bpmSchool-aged (5 to 12 years) 75-118 bpmTeens (13 to 18 years)60-100 bpm

Tachycardia

Tachycardia means your heart beats faster than normal, usually more than 100 bpm. Tachycardia is only a concern if your resting heart rate is higher than 100 bpm.

You may not feel symptoms of tachycardia. But it can mean there's a heart issue you need to be aware of. Certain heart conditions that cause tachycardia can lead to stroke, heart failure, or even sudden death. Your doctor will prescribe the best treatment for the cause of your tachycardia.

Bradycardia

Bradycardia is a slow heart rate -- fewer than 60 bpm. Your resting heart rate typically drops below 60 bpm when you're sleeping. Some athletes and young adults can have heart rates of 40-60 bpm as well. More seriously, bradycardia results from your heart being unable to pump well enough to send oxygenated blood throughout your body. Bradycardia can make you dizzy, tired, weak, or short of breath, or you may feel no symptoms at all. Severe cases of bradycardia may require a pacemaker.

## Heart Rate and Gender

There’s a myth that you can predict your child’s sex by listening to its heartbeat in the womb. The notion is that male and female fetuses have different heart rates. Female fetuses, the myth holds, have heart rates of 140 bpm or higher, while male fetuses’ have heart rates below 140 bpm.

However, studies have been debunking this myth for at least the past 60 years. Fetal heart rates can vary (some are faster than average, while some are slower), but they can't be used to predict your future baby’s sex.

## What Affects Your Heart Rate?

Other than exercise, things that can affect your heart rate include:

- Weather. Your pulse may go up a bit in higher temperatures and humidity.
- Standing up. It might spike for about 20 seconds when you stand up after sitting for a while.
- Emotions. Stress and anxiety can raise your heart rate. It may also go up when you’re very happy or sad.
- Body size. People with obesity can have a slightly faster pulse.
- Medications. Beta-blockers slow your heart rate. Too much thyroid medicine can speed it up.
- Caffeine and nicotine. Coffee, tea, and soda raise your heart rate. So does tobacco.
- Pain. Sudden or chronic pain may trigger a stress hormone response that makes your heart beat faster.
- Hormones. There may be a link between the postmenopausal decline of estrogen and your heart rate.
- Aging. As you age, your heart rate won't rise as much during exercise or stress.

Several health conditions can cause tachycardia, including:

- Anemia
- Infection
- Hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland)
- Injury to the heart from a heart attack or heart failure
- Extremely low blood pressure
- Congenital heart disease
- Misfiring electrical signals in the heart (ventricular or supraventricular arrhythmias)

Health conditions that contribute to bradycardia include:

- Electrolyte imbalance
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
- Sick sinus syndrome and other heart problems due to atrial arrhythmias
- Cushing reflex (increased intracranial pressure in your skull)

## How to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

In general, people who are fitter and less stressed are more likely to have a good resting heart rate. A few lifestyle changes can help you slow it down:

- Exercise regularly. It raises your pulse for a while, but over time, exercise makes your heart stronger, so it works better.
- Eat right. Foods that are high in sodium, sugar, and carbs can sometimes cause a temporary spike in your heart rate. Studies have found lower heart rates in those assigned male at birth (AMAB) who eat more fish.
- Tackle stress. Set aside time to disconnect from electronic devices and relax each day. Meditation, tai chi, and breathing exercises can also help.
- Stop smoking. It’s one of the best things you can do for your overall health. Among its many harmful effects, smoking boosts your resting heart rate.
- Limit caffeine. Drinking too much coffee can increase your heart rate.
- Limit energy drinks. Energy drinks contain ingredients that magnify the heart-stimulating effects of caffeine.
- Drink enough water. Your blood gets sluggish when you're dehydrated, and your heart must use more force to pump it.
- Limit alcohol. It raises your heart rate, as does cannabis.
- Get enough sleep. Not getting a full night's sleep is unhealthy for your heart. Make sure to treat sleep apnea if you have it.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, your heart needs to work harder.

Heart rate medications

If you have a faster-than-normal heart rate (your heart beats more than 100 times per minute), you have what doctors call tachycardia. It’s not always a bad thing. Exercise, for example, can push your heart rate above 100 bpm. However, you may require medication to slow your heart rate if it’s fast due to a health condition such as atrial fibrillation or arrhythmia. These medications include:

- Beta-blockers. This class of blood pressure medication slows your heart rate. Some examples of beta-blockers are:
  - Atenolol (Tenormin)
  - Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
  - Carvedilol (Coreg)
  - Metoprolol (Lopressor)
- Calcium channel blockers. This class of blood pressure medication also slows your heart rate. These medications include:
  - Diltiazem (Cardizem)
  - Verapamil (Calan)
- Cardiac glycosides. This class of medication, which treats atrial fibrillation and heart failure, slows your heart rate. The most commonly prescribed drug in this class is digoxin (Cardoxin).

## Maximum Heart Rate

Your maximum heart rate is, on average, the highest your pulse can get. One way to get a rough estimate of your predicted maximum is to subtract your age from the number 220.

For example, a 40-year-old's predicted maximum heart rate is about 180 bpm.

You can learn your actual maximum heart rate with a graded exercise test. If you’re taking medicines or have a medical condition such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes, ask your doctor whether you should adjust your exercise plan to keep your heart rate under a specific number.

## What Is a Target Heart Rate?

You get the most benefits when you exercise in your “target heart rate zone.” Usually, this is when your heart rate is 60%-80% of your maximum. In some cases, your doctor may decrease your target heart rate zone to around 50%.

Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. They can help you find a routine and target heart rate zone that match your needs, goals, and overall health.

When you start an exercise program, you may need to slowly build up to your target heart rate zone, especially if you haven’t exercised regularly before. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You’ll lower your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise more if you don't try to overdo it.

When you exercise, take a break and check your pulse regularly to find out whether you’re in your target zone. If your pulse is below your target zone, make your workout more intense.

Age

Target Heart Rate (HR)

Zone (60%-80%)

Predicted Maximum Heart Rate

20

120-170

200

25

117-166

195

30

114-162

190

35

111-157

185

40

108-153

180

45

105-149

175

50

102-145

170

55

99-140

165

60

96-136

160

65

93-132

155

70

90-128

150

Your Actual Values:

Target HR:

Max. HR:

## Abnormal Heart Rate

If your heart rate is consistently above 100 bpm or below 60 bpm and you're not a competitive athlete, it may be cause for concern. Reach out to your doctor if you have symptoms such as:

- Chest pain or discomfort
- Fainting or feeling faint
- Persistent dizziness or lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness or fatigue
- A rapid heartbeat
- Fluttering or pounding in your chest

## Heart Rate and Anxiety

When you feel anxious or stressed, your heart rate goes up. Why? It’s part of what’s called our fight or flight response, in which a perceived danger triggers the release of stress hormones, such as adrenaline. This puts your body in high gear to allow you to face threats or make a swift escape. Your brain does this when you're facing physical danger, such as an armed robber. But this process can kick in for more mundane stressors, such as a fast-approaching work deadline.

These stress hormones also impact the parts of the brain that manage both your blood pressure and your heart rate. So, as a result of your anxiety (whatever the cause), your heart can start pounding, beating fast, or skipping beats. These are called heart palpitations.

If this happens often, such as if you have an anxiety disorder, the effect on your heart rate could contribute to heart disease. In very serious cases, the effect on your heart rate could lead to cardiac arrest, in which your heart suddenly becomes unable to pump blood. This can quickly result in death, if not treated promptly.

It works both ways, though. If you have palpitations due to an arrhythmia, for example, you may develop anxiety, which can then lead to more palpitations, creating a tough cycle.

If you feel anxious or experience heart palpitations occasionally, that’s probably normal. We all get stressed sometimes. But if it occurs frequently, see a doctor to determine what’s going on.

## Takeaways

For most healthy adults, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Children tend to have faster heart rates, while those of athletes might be lower. You can check your pulse most easily at your wrist or on the side of your neck. If you need to raise or lower your heart rate, talk with your health care provider about lifestyle changes and exercise programs that may be right for you.

## Heart Rate FAQs

What is a good heart rate by age?

After adolescence, a medically normal heart rate for any age adult is anywhere between 60 and 100 bpm. Most healthy adults have a heart rate of 55-85 bpm.

What's an unhealthy heart rate?

Trained athletes can have very low heart rates, and children typically have higher ones. If you are neither and have a heart rate that stays below 60 bpm or above 100 bpm along with worrisome symptoms, you should see a doctor.

What heart rate is considered too low?

Your heart rate slows to about 40 to 60 bpm when you sleep. If you aren't physically fit or are having unusual symptoms, a consistent heart rate under 60 bpm may be cause for concern.

Is a heart rate of 120 normal?

If you're exercising, stressed, or sick, your heart rate can rise to 120 bpm. If it stays at that rate at rest and you feel symptoms such as dizziness or palpitations, you should see a doctor.

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SOURCES:

American Heart Association: “Blood Pressure vs. Heart Rate (Pulse),” “Know Your Target Heart Rates for Exercise, Losing Weight and Health,” “All About Heart Rate (Pulse),” “ Tachycardia: Fast Heart Rate,” “Bradycardia: Slow Heart Rate,”“Atrial Fibrillation Medications,” “Medications for Arrhythmia.”

British Heart Foundation: “Heart Matters: What is a normal pulse rate?” “Effects of smoking and drugs on your heart condition,” “Your heart rate.”

Circulation: “Fish Consumption is Associated with Lower Heart Rates,” “Effect of Smoking on Blood Pressure and Resting Heart Rate.”

Colorado Pain Care: “Chronic Pain and Heart Disease.”

Hackensack Meridian Health: “6 Proven Ways to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate.”

Harvard Health Publishing: “Want to check your heart rate? Here’s how,” “Increase in resting heart rate is a signal worth watching,” “How to lower your resting heart rate,” “What is a normal heart rate?”

Healthdirect Australia: “ Bradycardia.”

Jefferson Health: “ Can Energy Drinks Hurt Your Heart?”

Journal of the American College of Cardiology: “Cardiac function in smokers and nonsmokers: The CARDIA study. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study.”

Mayo Clinic: “ Tachycardia," “ Bradycardia,” “ Arrhythmias in adult congenital heart disease," “How to take your pulse.”

National Institute on Aging: “ Heart Health and Aging.”

Neuropsychopharmacology: “ Dynamics of Heart Rate and Sleep Stages in Normals and Patients with Sleep Apnea.”

Penn Medicine: “ Sick Sinus Syndrome.”

StatPearls: “ Cushing Reflex.”

Cleveland Clinic: “What to Know about Your Heart Rate and Pulse,” “Does Baby’s Heart Rate Reveal Their Sex?” “Cardiac Glycosides,” “Heart Palpitations and Anxiety,” “Can Anxiety Cause Heart Palpitations?” “ Pulse & Heart Rate,” “ Women and Heart Rate.”

Unity Point Health: “Are You Listening? Your Baby's Heartbeat Speaks Volumes.”

Child Development: “Prediction from Human Fetal Measures.”

Harvard Medical School: “Calm your anxious heart.”

Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Anxiety and Heart Disease.”

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