Have you noticed that everyone is always talking about their “steps,” race, or marathon? But far less attention is paid to the steady beats in our chests. Even though it varies by age and gender, maybe you didn’t know that a healthy resting heart rate says a lot about your overall well-being.
So, it’s high time we showed some love to that constant rhythm in our chests. It turns out there are several things your resting heart rate might reveal about your general fitness and health.
Furthermore, it’s not a universal situation. What’s deemed “normal” actually depends a lot on your age and whether you have XX or XY chromosomes. Thus, your age and gender also determine your resting heart rate.
And checking your resting heart rate is pretty simple, as there are manual ways to do this at home. But if you notice a constant increase in your heart rate, do well to see your doctor.
By the end of this read, you should understand what a healthy resting heart rate is, what your average resting rate should be according to the CDC report, and how it differs by age and gender, alongside the factors that affect it and how to measure your pulse.
Table of Contents
What is Resting Heart Rate?
Your resting heart rate refers to how many times your heart beats each minute (bpm) when at rest. It shows your physical fitness, making it a good way to check the efficiency of your heart. While a good heart rate varies by age and gender, it can differ from person to person.
Engaging in aerobic exercises will decrease your heart rate as your heart gets stronger. If you’re in a workout routine or athletic training, a low resting heart rate is equivalent to better fitness.
However, if you’re not physically fit, a low resting heart rate could mean something different healthwise (known as bradycardia).
What is a Good or Normal Resting Heart Rate?
The average resting heart rate for an adult who’s completely relaxed and not sick is between 60 and 100 bpm. However, if yours is less than 60 beats per minute, it doesn’t indicate a medical challenge.
It only becomes a problem when you constantly have an upper normal or higher than normal heart rate. Even though 60 to 100 bpm is the standard heart resting rate in adults, in most healthy adults, it’s usually between 55 to 85 bpm.
At the same time, a well-trained athlete may have a resting heart rate within the 40s. However, this might be too low for others who aren’t athletes, particularly if it comes with chest discomfort or dizziness. You should see a doctor immediately if you experience this.
Then, if your resting heart rate is constantly at 90 or upwards, even though it’s still within the normal range, consider getting checked by a physician.
While healthy resting heart rate differs by age, it also differs by gender. Because women’s hearts are typically smaller and have lesser blood volume and hemoglobin, the heart must beat more frequently to pump blood to the body’s tissues.
Additionally, your resting heart rate changes as you grow. In infants, it’s faster but slows down as you grow into adulthood. And it keeps changing as you age.
Furthermore, medications can influence your resting heart rate. For instance, drugs for asthma, depression, and attention deficit disorder may increase your resting heart rate, but beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers can drop it below 60.
What is a Bad Resting Heart Rate?
It’s not bad if you have a resting heart rate of 80 bpm or less because it’s still within the normal range. But if yours is frequently higher than 90, it shows there could be an underlying medical challenge you should look into.
Average Healthy Resting Heart Rate By Age And Gender
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the charts below express the healthy resting heart rate by age, gender, and fitness level. You can use it as a guide to know where your heart rate falls.
| Age | Normal heart resting rate |
| Newborns ages 0 to 1 month | 70 to 190 bpm 70-190 |
| Infants 1 to 11 months old | 80 to 160 bpm (average 128 for males, 130 for females) |
| Children 1 to 2 years old | 80 to 130 bpm (average 116 for males, 119 for females) |
| Children 3 to 4 years old | 80 to 120 bpm (average 100 for males, 99 for females) |
| Children 5 to 6 years old | 75 to 115 bpm (average 96 for males, 94 for females) |
| Children 7 to 9 years old | 70 to 110 bpm (average 87 for males, 86 for females) |
| Children 10 years and older and adults (including seniors) | 60 to 100 bpm (average 78 for males, 83 for females) |
| Athletes in top condition | 40 to 60 bpm |
Average Resting Heart Rate For Women by Age
| Age 18-25 | Athlete: 54-60 | Excellent: 61-65 | Good: 66-69 | Average: 74-78 | Poor: Over 85 |
| Age 26-35 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 73-76 | Poor: Over 83 |
| Age 36-45 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-69 | Average: 74-78 | Poor: Over 85 |
| Age 46-55: | Athlete: 54-60 | Excellent: 61-65 | Good: 66-69 | Average: 74-77 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Age 56-65 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 74-77 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Over Age 65 | Athlete: 54-59 | Excellent: 60-64 | Good: 65-68 | Average: 73-76 | Poor: Over 84 |
Average Healthy Resting Heart Rate For Men by Age
| Age 18-25 | Athlete: 49-55 | Excellent: 56-61 | Good: 61-65 | Average: 70-73 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Age 26-35 | Athlete: 49-54 | Excellent: 55-61 | Good: 62-65 | Average: 71-74 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Age 36-45 | Athlete: 50-56 | Excellent: 57-62 | Good: 63-66 | Average: 71-75 | Poor: Over 83 |
| Age 46-55 | Athlete: 50-57 | Excellent: 58-63 | Good: 64-67 | Average: 72-76 | Poor: Over 84 |
| Age 56-65 | Athlete: 51-56 | Excellent: 57-61 | Good: 62-67 | Average: 72-75 | Poor: Over 82 |
| Over Age 65 | Athlete: 50-55 | Excellent: 56-61 | Good: 62-65 | Average: 70-73 | Poor: Over 80 |
Factors That Can Affect Your Resting Heart Rate
In addition to gender, age, and fitness level, the following factors can also influence your resting heart rate.
- Pain: Based on your stress response, pain can cause a rise in your resting heart rate.
- Temperature: Exposure to high temperatures may cause a slight spike in heart rate.
- Side effects from medication: Beta-blockers are among the medications that can decrease your resting heart rate.
- Emotions: Your heart rate may rise if you’re nervous or ecstatic.
- Weight: Obesity patients could have higher resting heart rates. This is because pumping blood throughout the body requires the heart to beat harder.
- Smoking: People who smoke typically have higher resting heart rates. Thus, stopping smoking can aid in its decline. Though it’s usually hard, a doctor can assist in creating a cessation plan that suits your needs.
- Body positioning: Your heart rate can spike momentarily when you stand up from a seated position.
- Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS): When this syndrome is present, standing or sitting up causes an abnormally high heart rate. PoTS is commonly accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness and fainting, together with heart palpitations.
- Endocrine or hormonal abnormalities: Heart rate can be influenced by hormones that are at abnormal levels. For instance, your heart rate can heighten if you have too much thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism) or lower if your thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) is too little.
- Anemia: Low red blood cell counts in anemia can make the heart beat more quickly to pump blood that is rich in oxygen to the body.
How To Measure Your Heart Resting Rate
The best time to check your resting heart rate at home is immediately after you wake up in the morning. Note that your pulse rate will spike if you do anything: smoke, drink, eat, alongside get up from bed.
To get an accurate resting heart rate, you must remain completely at rest and be calm. If something like your alarm jolted you awake, lay quietly for some minutes before taking your pulse.
If you are unable to take your pulse right away after you wake up, wait for an hour or two after consuming caffeine, working out, or handling an emotionally stressful situation. Before checking your pulse, lie down or sit in a quiet place for at least 10 minutes.
You’ll need a device that counts seconds, such as a watch or clock with a second hand showing the seconds, to take your pulse. Your phone’s clock or stopwatch app can also come in handy for this.
Using the stopwatch or clock, count for 60 seconds. If you do it this way, you can get your resting heart rate without performing any calculations.
On the flip side, you can use the following intervals to count and do the math:
- Count your heartbeats for 6 seconds and multiply by 10.
- Count your heartbeats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.
- Count your heartbeats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
- Count your heartbeats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
Check Your Pulse Manually
If you don’t want to use the aforementioned method, you can still check your pulse manually. To do this, position your middle and index fingers (on your wrist) beneath the base of your thumb.
Then put some pressure on it gently until you feel a pulse. You can also place the same fingers beside your Adam’s apple in the hollow spot. Then gently press until you find a pulse.
To find your beats per minute, count your heartbeats for 10 seconds and multiply the result by 6.
Bottom Line
Learning about your average resting heart rate and how it compares to individuals in your age and gender group can help you make important decisions about your general health.
Individual variances are common, but notable differences from the usual ranges may require talking with your healthcare practitioner. Note that your resting heart rate is just one aspect of your overall health.
To keep your heart in its optimum state, combine this knowledge with a healthy diet, frequent exercise, and regular checkups. Staying informed and proactive is a major step towards a happy, healthier you.