Resting Heart Rates, Why Is It Important

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 The normal resting heart rate varies by age. In adults, a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) is generally considered normal.1 Babies and young children have higher resting heart rates than older kids, teens, and adults.

Resting heart rate is your heart rate while at rest. It serves as an indication of your general fitness. A lower resting heart rate generally indicates a higher degree of fitness. Even so, certain medical conditions can cause an abnormally low or high resting heart rate.

This article explains what the resting heart rate should be for different age groups, how it is measured, and what low or high resting heart rates say about your health.

From birth to adulthood, the resting heart rate varies. In babies and children, the rate is generally higher, mainly because their hearts are smaller. The rate will gradually decrease until age 10 when the expected range of values will stabilize through adulthood.

The resting heart rate range, measured in bpm, is the expected range of values seen in 95% of people in that age group.2

 Age Resting Heart Rate Range 

0–1 month 70-190 bpm

1–11 months 80-160 bpm

1-2 years 80-130 bpm

3–4 years 80-120 bpm

5–6 years 75-115 bpm

7–9 years 70-110 bpm

10 years and older 60-100 bpm

Well-trained athlete 40-60 bpm

How to Measure Your Heart Rate

Though there are smartwatches and heart rate monitors able to measure your heart rate automatically, all you really need is a watch with a second hand. To get an accurate resting heart rate reading, you need to be at rest.

To measure your heart rate, place a finger over your radial artery or carotid artery. The radial artery is found at the base of the wrist on the side of the thumb. The carotid artery is found on the neck to the side of the windpipe, just under the jaw.

Once you have located the artery, place your index and middle fingers over it and count the number of pulses you feel in one minute. (A quicker method is to count the number of beats over 15 seconds and multiply this by four to determine beats per minute.)1

Common Mistakes

Certain things can increase your resting heart rate and throw off your reading, including:

Having just exercised

Walking or doing physical activity

Smoking a cigarette

Eating a big meal

Drinking a lot of caffeine

Feeling stressed

If you're doing or feeling any of these things, it is best to wait an hour or two before measuring your heart rate to get the most accurate reading.

What Causes a Low Resting Heart Rate?

A lower-than-normal resting heart rate is called bradycardia. Having a low heart rate is not necessarily a bad thing. Performance athletes like long-distance runners, for example, can have a resting heart rate in the low 40s and still be considered healthy.

However, for most people, a low heart rate may be a sign of a problem, especially when accompanied by:

Lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting

Weakness

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

Confusion

There are many different causes of bradycardia, including:

A congenital heart defect

Heart block (caused by problems with the heart's electrical system)

Heart damage caused by a heart attack or heart disease

Hypercalcemia (abnormally high blood calcium)

Hyperkalemia (abnormally high blood potassium)

Hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid gland)

Hyponatremia (low blood sodium)

Hypothermia (low body temperature due to exposure to cold)

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

Intracranial pressure (increased pressure under the skull)

Lupus (an inflammatory autoimmune disease)

Myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation)

Obstructive sleep apnea (gaps in breathing during sleep)

Sick sinus syndrome (a heart rhythm problem common in adults over 70)

Certain medications like sedatives, opioid drugs, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers

What Causes a High Resting Heart Rate?

A heart rate higher than 100 bpm is called tachycardia. Aside from recent exercise, many medical conditions are associated with tachycardia, including:

Anemia (low red blood cells)

Being overweight or having obesity

Dehydration

Fever

Heavy alcohol use or alcohol withdrawal

Heart failure (where the heart is less able to pump blood)

High levels of anxiety

Hypocalcemia (abnormally low blood calcium)

Hypokalemia (abnormally low blood potassium)

Hypoparathyroidism (underactive parathyroid gland)

Hypotension (low blood pressure)

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)

Smoking tobacco

Stimulations like caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, and crystal methamphetamine

Serious Causes of Tachycardia

Some potentially life-threatening conditions can also cause a high resting heart rate, including:

Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in an artery of the lung)

Sepsis (a potentially life-threatening complication of an infection)

Ventricular tachycardia (rapid heartbeat in the lower chamber of the heart)

Seek immediate medical help if you have rapid heartbeats accompanied by chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or fainting.

How to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

You can lower your resting heart rate by improving your physical fitness and making some lifestyle changes. Regular cardio exercise (like running, swimming, or biking) trains the heart to become more efficient over time.

In addition to exercise, other lifestyle modifications may improve your resting heart rate, including:

Quitting cigarettes

Cutting back on alcohol

Reducing your caffeine intake

Getting plenty of sleep

Losing weight if you are obese

Managing stress with meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises

The aim is to improve what is known as your target heart rate zone. This is your heart rate during moderate-intensity activities (defined as 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate).1

The target heart rate zone and maximum heart rate vary by a person's age. 

Age (years) Target Heart Rate Zone (50-85%) Maximum Heart Rate (100%) 

20 100-170 bpm 200 bpm

30 95-162 bpm 190 bpm

35 93-157 bpm 185 bpm

40 90-153 bpm 180 bpm

45 88-149 bpm 175 bpm

50 85-145 bpm 170 bpm

55 83-140 bpm 165 bpm

60 80-136 bpm 160 bpm

65 78-132 bpm 155 bpm

70 75-128 bmp 150 bpm

 How to Lower Your Heart Rate

Summary

Your resting heart rate is an indicator of your general fitness, with lower values associated with better health outcomes. For most adults, the normal resting heart rate is 60–100 bpm. It can be even lower in athletes or people who regularly engage in strenuous physical activity.

People can improve their resting heart rate by routinely exercising, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol and caffeine intake, and managing stress.

Angela Ryan Lee, MD, is board-certified in cardiovascular diseases and internal medicine. She is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and holds board certifications from the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and the National Board of Echocardiography. She completed undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Biology, medical school at Jefferson Medical College, and internal medicine residency and cardiovascular diseases fellowship at the George Washington University Hospital. Her professional interests include preventive cardiology, medical journalism, and health policy.

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