If you are looking for more information on your average heart rate or resting heart rate then, you’ve come to the right place.
Introduction To Average Heart Rate
A Heart
I think most would agree that our heart is ‘the most’ important part of our body. It is the heart that pumps oxygen and blood circulating throughout our body. If the brain stops getting the oxygen it needs, we would stop living.
A resting heart rate (RHR) or average heart rate is the number of beats per one minute (bpm) when a person is at complete rest (awake but lying or sitting down).
For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats a minute. For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be closer to 40 beats a minute. For healthy adults, a lower heart rate at rest generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.
It is a basic indicator of one’s fitness level. Generally, the fitter the body is, the lower the average beats per minute will be because a strong and healthy heart would require fewer pumps to complete each cycle of the blood circulation (efficient heart function). This is especially true among athletes. But if you are not athletic and your average/resting heart rate is lower than 60 bpm, then you may have a cardiac arrhythmia called Bradycardia.
How Do You Measure Your Heart Rate
Neck Pulse Point
Heart rate is measured by finding the pulse of the body. This pulse rate can be measured at any point on the body where an artery’s pulsation is transmitted to the surface – often as it is compressed against an underlying structure like your bones, by pressuring it with your index and middle finger. It is not advisable to use the thumb to measure a person’s heart rate because its strong pulse may interfere with discriminating the site of pulsation.
A more precise method of determining pulse is by using an electrocardiograph or ECG. Continuous electrocardiograph monitoring of the heart is commonly done in clinical settings.
Or you can also measure your heart rate using a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) which is widely available on the market today.
Pulse Points
There are many points in a person’s body where the pulse rate can be measured. Some pulse rates can be measured in the ventral aspect of the wrist on the side of the thumb (radial artery); the ulnar artery; the neck (carotid artery); the inside of the elbow, or under the biceps muscle (brachial artery); the groin (femoral artery); behind the medial malleolus on the feet (posterior tibial artery); middle of dorsum of the foot (dorsalis pedis); behind the knee (popliteal artery); over the abdomen (abdominal aorta); the chest (aorta), which can be felt with one’s hand or fingers; and the temple. The heart rates can be felt and measured by pressuring the part of the body with the index and the middle finger. It is important to note that the thumb should never be used for measuring, as its strong pulse may interfere with discriminating the site of pulsation, causing a miscount.
How To Measure Your Pulse Manually
Wrist Pulse Point
To easiest way to measure your heart rate is to simply check your pulse on your wrist. With your palm facing upward, place two fingers on the thumb side of your wrist – or place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. When you feel your pulse, count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Time yourself with a timer or the second hand on a clock or watch. Multiply this number by 6 to determine how many times your heart beats in one minute.
Keep in mind that many factors can influence heart rate, including:
- Activity Level
- Fitness Level
- Air Temperature
- Body Position (standing up, sitting or lying down)
- Emotions
- Body Size
- Medication Use
Although there’s a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats a minute (tachycardia) or below 60 beats a minute (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.
Average Heart Rate For Men And Women (Tables)
Average Heart Rate For Men
Average Heart Rate For Women
The Best Time To Measure Your Heart Rate
The best time to measure one’s resting heart rate is after waking up in the morning. Other activities, like getting up or walking will just increase the rate, as do smoking and drinking coffee. To get the average heart rate of a person, measure it once a day for three days and get the average. For example, if on day one the record is 72 beats per minute, day two is 72 beats per minute, and day three is 78 beats per minute then the average resting heart rate of that person is 74 beats per minute.
Remember to take your resting heart rate over at least 3 days so that you can get an average reading.
For example if on day one you record 72 bpm (beats per minute) day two you record 78 bpm and on day three you record 72 bpm, then your average is 74 bpm.
Look at recording your time for a full minute to make the test as accurate as possible.
As you become fitter through aerobic exercise, your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood around the body, especially if combined with a reduction of the plaque (fatty deposits) within your arteries.
As a result you will find your resting heart rate gets lower so you will need to check your RHR on a regular basis and recalculate any target zones you have, especially if working with a heart rate monitor.
Drugs found in cold medications raise the heart rate and do not give a true indication of your resting heart rate.
