Heart rate 20 - good or bad?
It depends on who was measured and what they were doing. Here is the short answer for 20 beats per minute:
Adult at rest
Very lowA resting heart rate of 20 bpm is very low for an adult. Outside of elite endurance athletes and deep sleep, a pulse under 40 is unusual: see a doctor promptly, and call 911 (US) or your local emergency number if you feel faint, have chest pain or are short of breath.
Adult details →Child at rest
Low for all child agesA heart rate of 20 bpm is below the normal resting range for every age group under 10. If the child seems unwell — pale, floppy, hard to wake or breathing poorly — call 911 (US) or your local emergency number; otherwise get a doctor's assessment promptly.
Child details →Who was measured?
Why the answer changes with age
Small hearts pump less blood per beat, so they have to beat faster. A newborn's normal resting pulse can be anywhere from 100 to 190 bpm (MedlinePlus lists 70–190, but in a newborn a rate below 100 needs prompt assessment); by age 10 it settles into the adult range of 60–100 bpm. A pulse of 150 can be perfectly normal for a three-month-old and worrying in an adult at rest. The same rule holds across mammals: a mouse's heart beats around 500 times a minute, an elephant's about 30.
20 bpm during exercise
20 bpm is below half of the estimated maximum heart rate at every adult age, so it is a resting-range value, not an exercise intensity. During light activity most adults are already above 90 bpm.
Check another reading
Nearby values
Sources: American Heart Association: All About Heart Rate · MedlinePlus: Pulse · AHA 2020 guidelines, neonatal resuscitation · ACSM position stand on exercise intensity (2011)
This page explains a single reading in general terms. It is not a diagnosis. Heart rate alone cannot tell whether the rhythm is regular or whether the heart is healthy — if you are worried, talk to a doctor.