Medically Reviewed By: Dr Paul Lim – MBBS, M.Med (Int Med), MRCP (UK), FAMS (Cardiology)
Normal Resting Heart Rate (What’s Healthy, by Age)
Your resting heart rate is how fast your heart beats when you are calm and at rest. For most adults a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, and a lower rate often reflects better fitness — well-trained athletes can sit at 40 to 60 bpm, and highly conditioned endurance athletes can be lower still without it being a problem. Check where your own resting rate falls below.
What Is a Resting Heart Rate (Pulse Rate)?
Your resting heart rate — also called your resting pulse rate — is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are awake, calm and have not recently been active. “Pulse rate” and “heart rate” mean the same thing: your pulse is simply the heartbeat you can feel in an artery. It is lowest while you sleep and rises with activity and stress, and it is one of the simplest windows on your heart and your fitness — a fitter heart pumps more blood with each beat, so it does not need to beat as often to do the same job.
It is different from your maximum heart rate during exercise, and from the exercise heart rate zones you might train in. Resting heart rate is measured at rest, and it is most reliable first thing in the morning before you get up.
Resting Heart Rate Checker
Drag the slider or type your resting heart rate to see where it falls. This is general educational information, not a diagnosis.
Type a value between 30 and 140, or drag the slider.
This is the typical healthy resting heart rate for most adults (60–100 bpm). A lower rate within or just below this range often reflects good fitness.
For educational purposes only. One reading is only a snapshot — caffeine, stress, a recent walk or a poor night’s sleep can all nudge it up. If your resting heart rate is regularly outside the normal range, or you have symptoms, speak with a doctor.
What Is a Normal Resting Heart Rate?
For most adults, a normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. A lower rate within this range generally reflects better fitness, and a persistently high resting rate is associated with higher cardiovascular risk.
The average adult resting heart rate is around 70 beats per minute. Women tend to run a few beats higher than men on average, and everyone’s rate varies a little from day to day — so your usual range matters more than any single reading.
Children’s hearts beat faster and slow down as they grow, reaching the adult range through the teenage years. The chart below is a general guide to typical resting heart rate by age. It is educational information — a child’s heart rate is assessed by their own doctor or paediatrician, and this clinic provides cardiology care for adults.
| Age | Typical resting heart rate |
|---|---|
| Newborn (0–1 month) | 70–190 bpm |
| Infant (1–11 months) | 80–160 bpm |
| Toddler (1–2 years) | 80–130 bpm |
| Young child (3–4 years) | 80–120 bpm |
| Child (5–6 years) | 75–115 bpm |
| Child (7–9 years) | 70–110 bpm |
| 10+ years, teens & adults | 60–100 bpm |
| Well-trained adult athletes | 40–60 bpm |
Approximate ranges and a general guide only; individuals vary. The adult range stays 60–100 bpm whether you are in your 20s or your 70s — a change in your usual resting rate is more often explained by fitness, medicines or health than by age.
Figures from MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. How children’s resting rates change with age follows Fleming et al. (2011), The Lancet.
How to Measure Your Resting Heart Rate
It takes under a minute, and the timing matters more than the method.
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1
Pick a calm moment
Measure when you are rested and relaxed — first thing in the morning before you get out of bed is ideal, or sit quietly for about five minutes first. Avoid taking it soon after exercise, caffeine, a meal or stress, all of which raise the rate temporarily.
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2
Find your pulse
Use the tips of your first two fingers — not your thumb — on the thumb side of your wrist, or press gently at the side of your neck until you feel a steady beat. The wrist is the simplest spot; if you use the neck, press only lightly.
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3
Count for 30 seconds
Count the beats for 30 seconds — counting the first beat as “one” — and multiply by 2 to get beats per minute. Taking it on a few different mornings gives a more reliable picture than a single reading.
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4
Or use a wearable
A wrist or chest-strap heart-rate monitor records your resting rate automatically, often overnight; chest straps tend to be more accurate than wrist devices. Treat the numbers as a helpful guide rather than a precise medical measurement.
What Affects Your Resting Heart Rate
Fitness is the biggest everyday influence — regular aerobic exercise lowers your resting rate over time. It also moves with sleep and time of day (it is at its lowest while you sleep), emotion and stress, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, body temperature and fever, dehydration, and body position (it is lowest lying down).
Medicines matter too: beta-blockers and some other drugs slow the heart, while others can speed it up. Medical conditions such as an overactive or underactive thyroid and anaemia can shift your resting rate as well — which is one reason a resting rate that has changed for no clear reason is worth discussing with a doctor.
When a Resting Heart Rate Is Too High or Too Low
A resting heart rate that stays above 100 beats per minute is called tachycardia. It is often harmless and temporary — after caffeine, stress or exertion — but a persistently fast resting rate, or one that comes with palpitations, breathlessness, chest discomfort or dizziness, should be assessed.
A resting rate below 60 is, by definition, called bradycardia — but in fit people and during sleep it is normal and healthy, so a rate in the 50s on its own is rarely a concern. It is more likely to matter when it drops below about 50 in someone who is not an athlete, or when any low rate is too slow to meet your body’s needs and brings on tiredness, dizziness or fainting.
If your resting heart rate is regularly outside the normal range, has changed noticeably, or comes with symptoms, it is worth having checked — see when to see a cardiologist. If you feel a very fast or irregular heartbeat with chest pain, severe breathlessness or fainting, treat it as an emergency and call 995.
Clinical Experience
Reviewed by Dr Paul Lim
Senior Consultant Cardiologist & Cardiac Electrophysiologist
Dr Paul Lim is a Senior Consultant Cardiologist who subspecialises in heart rhythm disorders. If your resting heart rate is too fast, too slow, or irregular — or has changed without explanation — he can find out why, using ECG, a Holter monitor, echocardiography and more. He completed advanced fellowship training at Barts Heart Centre, London under Singapore’s HMDP award.
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Resting Heart Rate: FAQ
Answers to common questions about what is normal, what is good, and what affects your resting heart rate.
What is a normal resting heart rate?
For most adults a normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, measured when you are sitting or lying quietly. Well-trained athletes often have a lower resting rate, sometimes 40 to 60 bpm, because a fitter heart pumps more blood with each beat. Children have faster resting rates that gradually settle into the adult range through the teenage years.
What is a good resting heart rate?
A lower resting heart rate within the normal range generally reflects better cardiovascular fitness and a more efficient heart. For many healthy adults a resting rate in the 50s or 60s is a good sign. There is no single ideal number, and very low rates can also be normal in athletes — what matters is that your rate is steady and you feel well.
Is a normal resting heart rate different for men and women?
The normal range of 60 to 100 beats per minute applies to both men and women. On average, women have a slightly higher resting heart rate than men, often by a few beats per minute, partly because of differences in heart size and how the heart’s natural pacemaker is regulated. The difference is small, and what matters more is your own usual rate and how you feel.
Does resting heart rate change with age?
The healthy resting range of 60 to 100 beats per minute applies throughout adulthood and does not change dramatically with age on its own. Children are different — a newborn’s heart beats much faster and the rate falls steadily through childhood, reaching the adult range by the teenage years. Changes in an adult’s usual resting rate are more often explained by fitness, medicines, stress or a health condition than by age alone.
Is a low resting heart rate good or bad?
A resting heart rate below 60 is often completely normal and healthy, especially in physically fit people and during sleep, and athletes can be lower still. It is more likely to matter when it drops below about 50 in someone who is not an athlete, or when a slow rate causes symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness or fainting, which can point to bradycardia. A slow rate with no symptoms in a fit person is usually nothing to worry about.
What causes a high resting heart rate?
Common causes of a temporarily higher resting heart rate include caffeine, nicotine, stress or anxiety, pain, fever, dehydration, and recent exercise. A resting rate that stays above 100 (tachycardia) can also be driven by an overactive thyroid, anaemia, some medicines, or a heart rhythm disorder. A persistently high resting rate, or one that comes with palpitations, breathlessness or dizziness, is worth having checked.
How do I measure my resting heart rate?
Measure it when you are calm and rested — first thing in the morning before getting up is ideal. Find your pulse at your wrist, on the thumb side, or gently at the side of your neck, using the tips of your first two fingers. Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. A wrist or chest-strap heart-rate monitor can also record your resting rate. Avoid measuring soon after exercise, caffeine or stress.
Where These Numbers Come From
The figures on this page follow established guidance. The main sources are below.
The by-age figures are approximate general guidance and individuals vary. This page is educational and is not a diagnosis — if your resting heart rate concerns you, or it comes with symptoms, discuss it with a doctor.