• Normal Pulse Per Minute For Pregnant Women
• Normal Pulse Per Minute For Men
• Normal Pulse Rate Per Minute After Exercise
• Normal Pulse Per Minute
• Normal Pulse Per Minute Health Rate
• Normal Pulse Per Minute For Women

The heart is an organ located just behind and slightly to the left of the breastbone, and pumps blood through a network of veins and arteries known as the circulatory system. The right atrium is sent blood from the veins, and delivers it to the right ventricle. It's then pumped into the lungs where it is oxygenated. The left atrium is sent oxygen enriched blood from the lungs and delivers it to the left ventricle, where it's then pumped throughout the body, and the ventricular contractions create blood pressure.

A pulse is the beating of the heart as it's felt through the walls of an artery, such as the radial artery at the wrist. Pulse rates can also be felt and measured at the carotid artery located on the side of the neck, the temporal artery at the temple, or the femoral artery on the anterior side of the hip, and a chart showing normal heart rate can be used to check on your heart rate.

Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because you’re not exercising. If you’re sitting or lying and you’re calm, relaxed and aren’t ill, your heart rate is normally between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute). A child's pulse rate can be normal, fast (tachycardia), or slow (bradycardia). In some forms of tachycardia, like supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), the heart rate can rise above 220 beats per minute. In contrast, a child with bradycardia may have a heart rate of less than 50 beats per minute.

A resting heart rate is defined as a pulse that is taken when you are calm, sitting or lying down, and the best time to measure a resting heart rate is in the morning before you leave the bed. Generally speaking, a lower heart rate functions more effectively and efficiently.

How to Take Your Heart Rate

Check your own pulse by placing the tips of your first three fingers lightly on the inside of your wrist below your thumb. You can also check your pulse by placing two fingers on your neck beside the windpipe. You may have to feel around until you feel the pulse beneath your fingers. Once you feel a pulse, use the second hand of a watch or clock to time 10 seconds while simultaneously counting your heart beats. Then multiply the number of heartbeats by 6 to get your heart rate per minute, or number of beats = ______ x 6 = ______beats/min.

Then compare it to the normal heart rate chart below:

Chart. 1

Chart. 2

Factors That May Affect Your Heart Rate

Normally, your heart rate should have a strong steady rhythm. However, various factors may affect your heart rate and make it different to the ranges in the normal heart rate chart above. You can seek the advice of your health care provider for any health conditions you may have that can affect your pulse. Conditions may include:

Fast Pulse:

• Exercise or activity
• Medication
• Illness or fever
• Anemia
• Heart disease
• Stimulants such as amphetamines, diet pills, caffeine, and tobacco
• Alcohol consumption
• An overactive thyroid
• Stress

Slow Pulse:

• High levels of fitness
• Heart disease and medication for treatment
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
• Body is at rest

Weak Pulse:

• Peripheral arterial disease (diseases of the blood vessels)
• Chronic heart disease/failure
• Possible blood clot

Your maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate that is achieved during strenuous exercise. One method to calculate your approximate maximum heart rate is the formula: 220 - (your age) = approximate maximum heart rate. For example, a 30 year old's approximate maximum heart rate is 220 - 30 = 190 beats/min.

Target heart rate: You can maximize the benefits and reduce the risks when you are exercising within your target heart rate zone. Your target heart rate when exercising is normally 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. This may be increased or decreased depending on your health factors, and your health care provider may want you to limit the target heart rate zone to 50 percent. However, it is not recommended to exceed 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Anything above 85 percent increase risks to the orthopedic and cardiovascular system, with minimal added benefits from the exercise.

Normal Maximum and Target Heart Rate Chart

Besides a normal heart rate chart when resting, there're also normal ranges for heart rate during exercising. The following table shows the approximate target heart rates for various age groups.Find the age group closest to your age and find your target heart rate. The guidelines for moderately intense activities is about 50-69% of your maximum heart rate, and hard physical activity is about 70% to less than 90% of the maximum heart rate.

How Do You Know If You're in the Normal Zone of Target Heart Rate?

The following guideline will help you measure your heart rate to determine if you are in your target heart rate zone when you exercise.

Stop Momentarily: Measure the number of heartbeats you have for 15 seconds. Then multiply the number of beats by 4 to calculate beats per minute. For example, if you get 40 beats over 15 seconds, take 40 x 4 = 160, and if you are 30 years old, this puts you at the high end of your target heart rate. You can adjust your exercise if you are outside of the high/low target heart rate.

Normal Pulse Per Minute For Pregnant Women

Overview

What is your pulse?

Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Pulse rates vary from person to person. Your pulse is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise (more oxygen-rich blood is needed by the body when you exercise). Knowing how to take your pulse can help you evaluate your exercise program.

How to take your pulse

1. Place the tips of your index, second and third fingers on the palm side of your other wrist below the base of the thumb. Or, place the tips of your index and second fingers on your lower neck on either side of your windpipe.
2. Press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. You may need to move your fingers around slightly up or down until you feel the pulsing.
3. Use a watch with a second hand, or look at a clock with a second hand.
4. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by six to get your heart rate (pulse) per minute.

Count your pulse: _____ beats in 10 seconds x 6 = _____ beats/minute

What is a normal pulse?

Normal heart rates at rest:

• Children (ages 6 - 15) 70 – 100 beats per minute
• Adults (age 18 and over) 60 – 100 beats per minute

Test Details

What is maximum heart rate?

The maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate achieved during maximal exercise. One simple method to calculate your predicted maximum heart rate, uses this formula:

220 - your age = predicted maximum heart rate

Normal Pulse Per Minute For Men

Example: a 40-year-old's predicted maximum heart rate is 180 beats/minute.

There are other formulas that take into account the variations in maximal heart rate with age and gender. If you are interested in learning more about these more accurate but slightly more complicated formulas please see these resources:

• Gellish RL, Goslin BR, Olson RE, McDonald A, Russi GD, Moudgil VK. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 May;39(5):822-9. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17468581
• Gulati M, Shaw LJ, Thisted RA, Black HR, Bairey Merz CN, Arnsdorf MF. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the st. James women take heart project. Circulation. 2010 Jul 13;122(2):130-7. Epub 2010 Jun 28. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20585008

Your actual maximum heart rate is most accurately determined by a medically supervised maximal graded exercise test.

Please note that some medications and medical conditions may affect your heart rate. If you are taking medications or have a medical condition (such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes), always ask your doctor if your maximum heart rate/target heart rate will be affected. If so, your heart rate ranges for exercise should be prescribed by your doctor or an exercise specialist.

What is target heart rate?

• You gain the most benefits and lessen the risks when you exercise in your target heart rate zone. Usually this is when your exercise heart rate (pulse) is 60 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. In some cases, your health care provider may decrease your target heart rate zone to begin with 50% .
• In some cases, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) may be beneficial. This should be discussed with a healthcare professional before beginning. With HIIT exercise, heart rates zones may exceed 85%.
• Always check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. Your provider can help you find a program and target heart rate zone that matches your needs, goals and physical condition.
• When beginning an exercise program, you may need to gradually build up to a level that's within your target heart rate zone, especially if you haven't exercised regularly before. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise more if you don't try to over-do it!
• To find out if you are exercising in your target zone (between 60 and 80% of your maximum heart rate), stop exercising and check your 10-second pulse. If your pulse is below your target zone (see below), increase your rate of exercise. If your pulse is above your target zone, decrease your rate of exercise.

What is your target zone?

Target Heart Rate Zones by Age *

• Age: 20
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): ** 120 – 170
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 200
• Age: 25
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 117 – 166
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 195
• Age: 30
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 114 – 162
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 190
• Age:35
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): ** 111 – 157
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 185
• Age: 40
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 108 – 153
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 180
• Age: 45
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 105 – 149
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 175
• Age: 50
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 102 – 145
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 170
• Age:55
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 99 – 140
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 165
• Age:60
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 96 – 136
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 160
• Age:65
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 93 – 132
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 155
• Age:70
  • Target Heart Rate (HR) Zone (60-85%): 90 – 123
  • Predicted Maximum HR: 150

Normal Pulse Rate Per Minute After Exercise

Your Actual Values (Actual Values are determined from a graded exercise test)

• Target HR
• Max. HR

* This chart is based on the formula: 220 - your age = predicted maximum heart rate.

Normal Pulse Per Minute

Resources

Normal Pulse Per Minute Health Rate

For more information about exercise

Normal Pulse Per Minute For Women

• Exercise for Your Heart Health.
• Exercise: Make Your Program a Success.
• To make an appointment with an exercise specialist or to join a cardiac rehabilitation program, contact the Cleveland Clinic Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation Program at 216.444.9353 or 800.223.2273, ext. 9353
• To find a cardiac rehabilitation program in your area, contact the American Association of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.
• American Heart Association.
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.