How Do I Measure Resting Heart Rate?

Resting pulse should be measured first thing in the morning with your fingers and a
stopwatch. Put your middle and index finger to either your radial artery on your wrist or
your carotid artery in your neck. Once you find your pulse, count how many beats occur
in 20 seconds, and multiply this number by 3. This is your resting pulse.

irst Things First

Before you learn how to calculate and monitor your target training heart rate, you have to know your resting heart
rate. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while it’s at rest. You can check it in
the morning after you’ve had a good night’s sleep and before you get out of bed.

According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate:

 for children 10 years and older, and adults (including seniors) is 60 - 100 beats per minute
 for well-trained athletes is 40 - 60 beats per minute.

Hittin’ the Target

Now you’re ready to determine your target training heart rate. As you exercise, periodically:

 Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side.
 Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist.
 Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to find your beats per minute. You want to stay between
50 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is your target heart rate. 

Know Your Numbers

This table shows estimated target heart rates for different ages. Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your
age.

In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rate. Heart rate during moderately intense
activities is about 50-69% of your maximum heart rate, whereas heart rate during hard physical activity is about 70%
to less than 90% of the maximum heart rate.

The figures are averages, so use them as general guidelines.

Age Target HR Zone 50-85% Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100%

20 years 100-170 beats per minute 200 beats per minute

30 years 95-162 beats per minute 190 beats per minute

35 years 93-157 beats per minute 185 beats per minute

 40 years 90-153 beats per minute 180 beats per minute

45 years 88-149 beats per minute 175 beats per minute

50 years 85-145 beats per minute 170 beats per minute

55 years 83-140 beats per minute 165 beats per minute

60 years 80-136 beats per minute 160 beats per minute

65 years 78-132 beats per minute 155 beats per minute

70 years 75-128 beats per minute 150 beats per minute

Important Note: A few high blood pressure medications lower the maximum heart rate and thus the target zone rate.
If you're taking such medicine, call your physician to find out if you need to use a lower target heart rate.

So what’s in a number?
If your heart rate is too high, you’re straining. So slow down. If it’s too low, and the intensity feels “light” or
“moderate/brisk,” you may want to push yourself to exercise a little harder.

During the first few weeks of working out, aim for the lower ranger of your target zone (50 percent) and gradually
build up to the higher range (85 percent). After six months or more, you may be able to exercise comfortably at up to
85 percent of your maximum heart rate.

“It’s not an absolute, but it’s a good tool to have,” says Fletcher, who is also an American Heart Association volunteer.
“And if you don’t know it, remember, if you’re not able to carry on a conversation (while exercising), that may be a bit
too much.”

If you have a heart condition or you’re in cardiac rehab, talk to a healthcare professional about what exercises you
can engage in, what your target heart rate should be and whether you need to be monitored during physical activity. 
This will also help you to choose the types of physical activity that are appropriate for your current fitness level and
health goals, because some activities are safer than others.

Learn more:

1. Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate

The easiest way to do this is a simple paper-and-pencil calculation. Subtract your age
from 220. The result is an age-predicted maximum beats per minute.
 This method does not take into account your fitness level or inherited genes, which can
make your true maximum heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute higher or lower than the
age-predicted number.

A second method to calculate your maximum heart rate is to have an exercise tolerance
or stress test. This usually is supervised by a physician and performed in a hospital or
clinical setting in three-minute stages, during which the speed and incline continue to
increase in an effort to elevate your heart rate until it climbs to its highest level.

2. Determine Your Resting Heart Rate

Take your pulse before you get out of bed in the morning. Do this for several days in a
row to get consistent readings.

3. Calculate Your Heart-Rate Reserve

Subtract your heart's resting rate from your maximum rate.

For example, if you are 40 years old, subtract that number from 220; your maximum rate
is 180. Next, subtract your resting rate, 80 in this example. Your heart-rate reserve is
100 beats per minute.

This heart-rate reserve represents the cushion heartbeats available for exercise.

4. Calculate Your Aerobic Training Heart-Rate Range for Fat

Burning
This fat-burning range will lie between 50 and 75 percent of your heart-rate reserve.

Using the example above, 50 percent of 100 beats per minute is 50. And 75 percent of
100 is 75. Next, add your resting heart rate to both numbers: 50 + 80 = 130 and 75 + 80
= 155. Your heart rate during aerobic training that will most efficiently burn fat is 130 to
155 beats per minute.

Check your resting heart rate (RHR). The Karvonen method takes into account your
resting heart rate, which varies from person to person, and therefore provides more
reliable calculations for each person. Before getting out of bed in the morning, check
your pulse by placing the tips of your index and middle finger against your inner wrist, or
on your throat to either side of your windpipe.[4] Watch a clock with a second hand and
count the number of heart beats in 30 seconds, starting with "zero" on the first
heartbeat.[5] Multiply the count by 2 to get your resting heart rate in beats per minute.
 For greater accuracy, find the average from three different mornings. For
example, if you measure 62, 65, and 63 bpm, the average is (62 + 65 + 63) / 3, or
about 63 bpm RHR.
 Smoking, caffeine, stress, hot weather, hormone fluctuations, and many
medications all affect your heart rate. Do your best to minimize these factors before
measuring your RHR.