What is a normal resting heart rate?
Usually 60 to 100 beats a minute, for adults. But the number alone can’t say if yours is fine. Two people at 55 can need very different next steps.
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What is a normal heart rate?
For adults, a normal resting heart rate is usually 60 to 100 beats a minute (bpm). Some people sit outside that range, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says.
Heart rate and pulse rate mean the same thing: how many times your heart beats in a minute. Resting means after sitting or lying still for 5 minutes.
- Below 60 bpmSlow (bradycardia). Can be fine if you feel well.
- 60 up to 100 bpmUsual resting range for adults.
- Above 100 bpmFast (tachycardia). BHF: see a GP.
Sources: BHF; BHF: checking your pulse
Under 60 or over 100 at rest is too slow or too fast for most people. Not for everyone, though.
Back to those two people at 55. One is very fit and feels well, while the other feels dizzy and faint. By the BHF’s advice, the second should see a GP.
What tells them apart is how you feel. Check your pulse with the steps further down, then note any symptoms alongside it.
Normal heart rate chart by age
No UK body publishes a chart by age. The largest one comes from a US survey of 35,302 healthy people with no condition or medicine that affects heart rate.
| Age | Average (bpm) | 9 in 10 healthy people (bpm) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 129 | 103 to 156 |
| 2 to 3 years | 107 | 86 to 124 |
| 6 to 8 years | 87 | 68 to 105 |
| 12 to 15 years | 78 | 58 to 98 |
| 16 to 19 years | 75 | 54 to 95 |
| 20 to 39 years | 73 | 54 to 92 |
| 40 to 59 years | 72 | 54 to 91 |
| 60 to 79 years | 72 | 54 to 91 |
| 80 and over | 72 | 54 to 93 |
These are US averages, not targets. If you have a heart condition, the BHF says your doctor can tell you what your normal rate should be.
Women’s resting rate is slightly higher than men’s. Their hearts tend to be a bit smaller and pump less blood per beat, so they beat more often.
| Age | Women (average bpm) | Men (average bpm) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 to 39 years | 76 | 71 |
| 40 to 59 years | 73 | 71 |
| 60 to 79 years | 73 | 70 |
| 80 and over | 73 | 71 |
Sources: US national survey (NHANES 1999 to 2008); BHF
Under 60 was common too. In the same survey, about 15 in 100 men and 7 in 100 women had a resting rate under 60.
So compare yourself with your own usual number, not the average. Check it a few days running with the steps below.
Why does my heart rate go up and down?
Your heart rate can change every minute. Not every change means something is wrong, the BHF says.
| Reason | Up or down | What the BHF says |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Up | Normal. Over 100 during exercise is fine. |
| Infection, fever or a virus | Up | Common, the BHF says. |
| Being dehydrated | Up | Normal to rise when your body needs water. |
| Alcohol | Up | Can raise it for a while and feel like pounding. |
| Some asthma medicines | Up | Can speed it up. |
| Anxiety, stress, anaemia, overactive thyroid | Up | Conditions that can cause a fast heart rate. |
| Beta blockers | Down | Slow it down to help control it. |
| Being very fit, or asleep | Down | Under 60 can be OK. |
Sources: BHF; BHF: checking your pulse
On a medicine and noticed a change in your heart rate? Speak to your doctor. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
One reading is a photo, not a film. A fast pulse straight after a run tells you little. A rate that stays fast, slow or irregular at rest, day after day, is the one to show a GP.
Racing when you’re stressed? See stress, anxiety and heart rate.
An overactive thyroid can also cause a fast heart rate. Read overactive thyroid symptoms.
Is a lower resting heart rate better?
On average, a lower rate is linked to a lower risk. A review of 46 studies found each 10 beats higher was linked to a 9% higher risk of death.
That’s a link, not proof the heart rate caused it. The studies also gave quite different results.
Exercise does lower it. In a review of 191 trials in healthy people, endurance training (like running, cycling or swimming) and yoga lowered resting heart rate in both sexes. The authors say this may be part of how exercise cuts the risk of death.
Want to start? See zone 2 training and exercise heart rate zones.
Lower isn’t always better, though. A slow pulse with dizziness or fainting needs a GP. See low resting heart rate and heart rate while sleeping.
How do I check my heart rate?
Check your resting pulse in four steps
- 1
Rest first
Sit or lie down for 5 minutes. No caffeine or smoking before.
- 2
Find it
Two fingers on the inside of your wrist, at the base of your thumb.
- 3
Count
Count for 30 seconds and double it. Irregular? Count a full 60.
- 4
Repeat
Check at the same time every day.
Source: BHF: checking your pulse
Can’t feel it at the wrist? Try the side of your neck, just below your jaw. A missed beat here and there is nothing to worry about, the BHF says.
Using a watch? Heart rate monitors can help you track your health, but they cannot diagnose a condition. See how accurate smartwatches are.
Your resting heart rate checklist
- Sit or lie down for 5 minutes before you check, with no caffeine or smoking first.
- Count your pulse for 30 seconds and double it, at the same time each day.
- If your pulse feels irregular, count for a full 60 seconds.
- Note whether you feel faint, dizzy or very tired.
- Noticed a change in your heart rate on a medicine? Speak to your doctor.
- Fast at rest for no obvious reason, or slow with symptoms? Book a GP appointment.
Sources: BHF: checking your pulse; BHF
When to speak to a GP
Book an appointment if:
- Your heart rate is fast at rest, or fast for no obvious reason. The BHF says see your GP.
- Your pulse is slow and you feel faint, dizzy or very tired, or you have fainted.
- Your heart rate is consistently fast, slow or irregular, especially if you feel faint or dizzy too.
- Your pulse feels irregular. This could be a heart rhythm problem such as atrial fibrillation (AF), which is more likely if you’re 65 or older.
- Palpitations (when your heartbeat suddenly feels pounding, fluttering or irregular) keep coming back, happen more often or last longer than a few minutes. Or you get them and have a heart condition or a family history of heart problems.
Your GP may suggest an ECG. Small pads are stuck to your skin to check the electrical signals from your heart.
Call 999 or go to A&E if palpitations don’t go away, or come with chest pain, shortness of breath, or feeling faint or fainting. Don’t drive yourself to A&E.
If those symptoms have stopped, ask your GP surgery for an urgent appointment or call 111. See also heart palpitations and blood tests.