What is an ideal resting heart rate by age

A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute.

To measure your heart rate, simply check your pulse. Place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. To check your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery — which is located on the thumb side of your wrist.

When you feel your pulse, count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to calculate your beats per minute.

Keep in mind that many factors can influence heart rate, including:

  • Age
  • Fitness and activity levels
  • Being a smoker
  • Having cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or diabetes
  • Air temperature
  • Body position (standing up or lying down, for example)
  • Emotions
  • Body size
  • Medications

Although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or if you're not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

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Oct. 08, 2022

  1. Kenney WL, et al. Cardiorespiratory responses to acute exercise. In: Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 6th ed. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics; 2015.
  2. Know your target heart rates for exercise, losing weight and health. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates. Accessed July 31, 2018.
  3. Sauer WH. Normal sinus rhythm and sinus arrhythmia. https://www.uptodate.com/content/search. Accessed July 31, 2018.
  4. Fatisson J, et al. Influence diagram of physiological and environmental factors affecting heart rate variability: An extended literature overview. Heart International. 2016;11:e32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5056628. Accessed July 31, 2018.
  5. Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 1, 2018.
  6. Riebe D, et al., eds. Client fitness assessments. In: ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2018.

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What is an unhealthy resting heart rate?

Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or if you're not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

What is a good resting heart rate for a woman?

The average heart rate for adult women is 78 to 82 beats per minute, though the “normal” range is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Multiple factors such as hormones, exercise and lifestyle choices can affect your heart rate.

What is a good resting heart rate by age and gender?

Age 1-2: 80-130 (average 116 for males, 119 for females) Age 3-4: 80-120 (average 100 for males, 99 for females) Age 5-6: 75-115 (average 96 for males, 94 for females) Age 7-9: 70-110 (average 87 for males, 86 for females)

What is a good resting heart rate by age female?

An average 20-year-old woman has a RHR 74-81 bpm, while a woman in her 60s has an average RHR between 70-77 bpm, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Athletes on average have lower heart rates than people in their age brackets. Their RHR may dip to 40 bpm.

What is an excellent resting heart rate?

Increasingly, experts pin an ideal resting heart rate at between 50 to 70 beats per minute. If you want to find out your resting heart rate, pick a time when you're not active, find your pulse, count how many times it beats in 30 seconds, and then double that number.