Understanding Your Resting Heart Rate
Your pulse is the rate at which your heart beats. Your pulse is usually called your heart rate, which is the number of times your heart beats each minute (bpm). However, the rhythm and strength of the heartbeat can also be noted, as well as whether the blood vessel feels hard or soft. Changes in your heart rate or rhythm, a weak pulse, or a hard blood vessel may be caused by heart disease or another problem.
As your heart pumps blood through your body, you can feel a pulsing in some of the blood vessels close to the skin's surface, such as your wrist, neck, or upper arm. Counting your pulse rate is a simple way to find out how fast your heart is beating.
Why It Is Done?
Your pulse is checked to:
- See how well the heart is working. In an emergency situation, your pulse rate can help find out if the heart is pumping enough blood.
- Help find the cause of symptoms, such as an irregular or rapid heartbeat (palpitations), dizziness, fainting, chest pain, or shortness of breath.
- Check for blood flow after an injury or when a blood vessel may be blocked.
- Check on medicines or diseases that cause a slow heart rate. Your doctor may ask you to check your pulse every day if you have heart disease or if you are taking certain medicines that can slow your heart rate or beta-blockers.
- Check your general health and fitness level. Checking your pulse rate at rest, during exercise, or immediately after vigorous exercise can give you important information about your overall fitness level.
| Fitness Level | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | >65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | <57 | <57 | <60 | <59 | <59 | <58 |
| Good | 57-61 | 57-61 | 60-63 | 59-63 | 59-61 | 58-61 |
| Average | 62-68 | 62-68 | 64-69 | 64-69 | 62-69 | 62-69 |
| Fair | 69-75 | 69-75 | 70-76 | 70-76 | 70-75 | 70-73 |
| Poor | >75 | >75 | >76 | >76 | >75 | >73 |
| Fitness Level | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | >65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excellent | <61 | <60 | <62 | <61 | <61 | <60 |
| Good | 61-65 | 60-64 | 62-64 | 61-65 | 61-64 | 60-64 |
| Average | 66-72 | 65-70 | 65-71 | 66-72 | 65-72 | 65-71 |
| Fair | 73-78 | 71-76 | 72-78 | 73-77 | 73-77 | 72-76 |
| Poor | >78 | >76 | >78 | >77 | >77 | >76 |