What's a normal heart rate?

[FUZO]

TweetWhat's a normal heart rate?

If you're an adult, your heart beats somewhere between 50 and 90 times per minute at rest, regardless of your age or sex. Superfit athletes usually have lower heart rates -- as low as 40 or 50 beats per minute -- and smokers, overweight people, and people with high blood pressure often have heart rates that are higher than the norm.



How can I measure my heart rate?

The easiest way to measure your heart rate, or pulse, is with a heart-rate monitor, which senses your heartbeat with a band that goes around your chest and displays a number on a wristwatch-like gadget. You can find these monitors, which cost $50 to $200, at most sporting-goods stores and many specialized Web sites that sell sports equipment.



If you don't have a heart-rate monitor, you can measure your pulse the old-fashioned way. First, find your pulse in your wrist or neck.



Wrist: Hold one hand (preferably the one without a watch) in front of you, with your palm turned upward. Press the first two fingertips (index and middle) of your other hand on the outer edge of your upturned wrist (under the thumb, just below the place where your hand meets your wrist), until you can feel a strong beat. Don't use your thumb to feel for your pulse, because you can often feel a pulse in it as well. Neck: Press your first two fingertips against the side of your neck, just below your jawbone and about halfway between your ear and your chin, until you feel a strong beat. Make sure you press gently; some experts believe that pressing hard on your neck can slow down your pulse.



Once you know how to take your pulse, look at your watch or put a clock in clear view and wait for the second hand (or the second display on a digital watch) to reach the next quarter-minute. Count your pulse beats for 15 seconds; then take that number and multiply by four to get your heart rate (the number of times your heart beats in a minute).



Can you push your heart too hard?

You can. Your maximum heart rate is a guideline that tells you how hard your heart can possibly beat. The rule of thumb: Subtract your age from 220. If you're a 35-year-old, for example, your maximum heart rate is about 185. This is an estimate of how fast your heart is capable of going.



How fast should my heart beat when I'm exercising?

If you're beginning an exercise program, try to stay within your target heart-rate zone so that you get a good cardiovascular workout without overexerting yourself. The zone is ordinarily 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Keep to the lower end of this range for a few weeks if you're starting a new fitness routine and gradually ramp up to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Only very fit people should aim for more than 70 percent of their maximum heart rates while exercising. Remember, a heart rate table can only give you a rough estimate of your heart rate while exercising. If you feel that the heart rate in the table is too hard or too easy for you, use the "talk test." If you're at the lower end of your target zone you should be able to talk easily but still feel like you're putting in some effort into your workout. At the upper end of your zone it should start to become difficult to carry on a conversation or sing a song. To doublecheck, take a short break halfway through your workout and measure your pulse as described above.



This table can give you a rough idea of what to shoot for. It assumes that you are upright and your feet are touching a level surface while you work out (that is, that you're walking, running, or using a treadmill or similar machine). If you're bicycling or spinning, subtract five beats from the target number; if you're swimming, subtract 10.






50% of Max (beginner) 70% of Max (intermediate) 85% of Max

AGE

20-29 100 140 170


30-39 95 133 162


40-49 90 126 153

50-59 85 119 145

60-69 80 112 136

70-79 75 105 128


It's best to tailor your exercise heart rate to how you feel while exercising. If you're a smoker or if you have hypertension or heart disease, talk to your doctor or a certified trainer about a target heart rate that's right for you.

[exphys88]

TweetI like this post. i see a lot of guys who have a HR of 95 and think it's normal because the text books say normal sinus rhythmn is 60-100. If you have a resting HR of 90, it's not normal! As an athlete, it should be much lower.

[BABY1]

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[RockShawn]

TweetCrap I may be in trouble. First thing in the morning mine is 80-85 from then on its rarely under 100 during the day. I max out in cardio at 182-185 - I'm 38. I do cardio everyday at least 30 min at an avg HR of 150-155. I take a ton of fish oil - like 10 triple strength GNC brand a day. My family has a history of Heart related probs. I'm on AAS now and am a TRT patient. Am I ok?

[exphys88]

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Crap I may be in trouble. First thing in the morning mine is 80-85 from then on its rarely under 100 during the day. I max out in cardio at 182-185 - I'm 38. I do cardio everyday at least 30 min at an avg HR of 150-155. I take a ton of fish oil - like 10 triple strength GNC brand a day. My family has a history of Heart related probs. I'm on AAS now and am a TRT patient. Am I ok?

Take it before you get out of bed and check it for a whole minute, and do this several times and average them out.
It never hurts to get a complete check up. I'm 32 and I've had stress and echo tests already, but I work in cardiology so I'm a bit paranoid about heart health.
Do you have any risk factors?

[RockShawn]

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Take it before you get out of bed and check it for a whole minute, and do this several times and average them out.
It never hurts to get a complete check up. I'm 32 and I've had stress and echo tests already, but I work in cardiology so I'm a bit paranoid about heart health.
Do you have any risk factors?

Low hdl is a hereditary problem. My cholesterol seems to be all I've the place. It's better than it was. HDL is still low but prolly cause of AAS. Other than that not really. I never have chest pains or feel any kind of heart trouble at all. My BP just a lil high and my pulse rate is pretty quick

[exphys88]

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Low hdl is a hereditary problem. My cholesterol seems to be all I've the place. It's better than it was. HDL is still low but prolly cause of AAS. Other than that not really. I never have chest pains or feel any kind of heart trouble at all. My BP just a lil high and my pulse rate is pretty quick

I've got the same cholesterol probs, as well as family history. But my hr is low from all of my cardio.
We should've chosen our parents better.

[FUZO]

TweetIVE BEEN TOLD MY HEART IS BIGGER THEN USUAL AND WHEN I REALLY GO HARD I FEEL LIKE I CANT BREATHE AND START TO PANIC I CANT CATCH MY BREATHE.

[exphys88]

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IVE BEEN TOLD MY HEART IS BIGGER THEN USUAL AND WHEN I REALLY GO HARD I FEEL LIKE I CANT BREATHE AND START TO PANIC I CANT CATCH MY BREATHE.

Hypertrophy of the heart can be a serious issue and can lead to congestive heart failure. Have you had an echo?

[rnixon]

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[6p6]

TweetMy resting heart rate has always been 75 from when I was young and playing multiple sports/running etc and still the same at 35...

[exphys88]

Tweet75 is very normal

[6p6]

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75 is very normal

Obviously normal for me but anytime I've taken stress test or METS dam people doing the test say for my workout production it should be better...