Have you ever wondered why your doctor checks your resting heart rate (pulse) at every visit? Your resting heart rate is the number of times that your heart beats within one full minute and it can actually tell you a great deal about your cardiovascular health and how your body responds to different stressors.
Generally speaking, the average resting heart rate range is 40-100 beats per minute (BPM). More specifically, healthy adults will likely be between 60-100 bpm while athletes and more trained individuals may have values as low as 40-60 bpm. Why is this? Your heart is a muscle and the more physically fit that you are, the stronger and more efficient your heart will become.
Take for example two individuals, one with a resting rate of 105 bpm and one with a resting rate of 50 bpm. In order to provide the body with the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the individual with the 105 bpm rate has to work more than twice as hard as the 50 bpm rate individual. Over time, this can become a problem for the 105 bpm individual in that if the muscle is constantly working at a high rate, it will likely wear out quicker.
Think of the heart like you would the engine in your car—if you are constantly in overdrive and pushing the engine, chances are you are going to wind up at the shop for some repairs. In this case the cardiologist is your mechanic.
How do you work on your heart rate and health?
Exercise is key! The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that individuals aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise most days of the week (at least 5) to reach a total of 150 minutes. The same benefits can also be seen with 20 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise at least three days per week. Want a silver lining of these recommendations? Research has shown that even if you break up this time into 10 minute segments throughout the day, you will still gain the same benefits as doing a longer workout.
How do you know if you are exercising moderately or intensely?
Start by figuring out your age predicted maximum heart rate (HR). In order to get an estimate of your maximum heart rate (MHR), we will start with the traditional and simple formula of 220 minus your age. So, if you are 45 years old: 220 – 45 = 175 bpm. While this is a simple method, it does provide some variability and may underestimate for individuals under 40 and overestimate for individuals over 40 years of age. This number can be used to figure out how hard you should push yourself during a workout to improve your fitness level without going too hard.
If you are just beginning an exercise program, you should aim for a range of approximately 50 to 75 percent of your max HR value. (E.g. max HR is 175 so 175 x .5 = 87.5 and 175 x .75 = 131; your range would be 88-131 bpm).
Here is a scale from ACSM that provides you with intensity recommendations based off of your current fitness level. This is for healthy individuals so keep in mind that if you have a condition and/or are on medication, consult with your physician before beginning a program. Keep in mind that the chart below provides slightly more conservative ranges to ensure you do not start out too hard.
| Exercise Level |
Frequency |
Intensity |
Perception of Effort |
Total Daily Duration |
Sedentary / No regular or
minimal exercise |
3-5 days / week |
50-75 % max HR |
Light to moderate (3-4 out of 10) |
20-30 minutes |
| Occasional exercise / 2-3 times per week |
3-5 days / week |
74-84 % max HR |
Light to moderate (3-5 out of 10) |
30-90 minutes |
| Regular exercise / 3-5 times per week |
3-5 days / week |
80-91 % max HR |
Moderate to hard (5-7 out of 10) |
30-90 minutes |
| High amounts / at least 5 days per week / often vigorous |
3-5 days / week |
84-94 % max HR |
Somewhat hard to hard (6-8 out of 10) |
30-90 minutes |
How to take your resting heart rate.
- A true resting rate would be right when you wake up before you get out of bed. Otherwise, try to sit for a few minutes before taking it.
- Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side. Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist.
- Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to find your beats per minute. You can also count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 or count for a full minute.
Karvonen (Heart Rate Reserve) Method
This method takes into account your resting heart rate and can be more accurate for training zones for very active individuals of any age and athletes since they often have low resting heart rates.
Target Heart Rate = ((max HR − resting HR) × %Intensity) + resting HR
Example: ((175-50) x %80) + 50 = (125 x .8) + 50 = (100) + 50 = 150
Quick Tip
As you become more physically active, you may notice that your resting heart rate begins to lower. As this occurs and you find that the training zone you are using is not as difficult as it was in the beginning, you can bump up to the next training zones listed. Congratulations if this is the case, your heart is in better shape!
Sources: ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th Ed, http://www.heart.org, American Council on Exercise http://www.acefitness.org/
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