Heart rate 259 - good or bad?
It depends on who was measured and what they were doing. Here is the short answer for 259 beats per minute:
Adult at rest
Very highA resting heart rate of 259 bpm is very high. During hard exercise it can be expected (see the training table below) — at rest, a pulse this fast needs urgent medical attention.
Adult details →Child at rest
Outside normal rangesA heart rate of 259 bpm is above the normal resting range for every age group. In a calm child it needs prompt medical assessment; crying, fever and activity can push the pulse this high only briefly.
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 70 to 190 bpm; 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.
259 bpm during exercise
During exercise a higher pulse is expected. This table shows which training zone 259 bpm corresponds to, based on the common estimate of maximum heart rate (220 minus age). Individual maximums can differ by 10–20 bpm.
| Age | Est. max (220 − age) | 259 bpm is | Training zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 200 bpm | 130% | above estimated max |
| 30 | 190 bpm | 136% | above estimated max |
| 40 | 180 bpm | 144% | above estimated max |
| 50 | 170 bpm | 152% | above estimated max |
| 60 | 160 bpm | 162% | above estimated max |
| 70 | 150 bpm | 173% | above estimated max |
How the zones work: Heart Rate Zones: The 5 Training Zones by Age.
Check another reading
Nearby values
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.