Heart rate 67 on an adult - what does it mean?

Where 67 bpm sits on the adult scale

What a resting pulse of 67 means

That is a healthy resting value. Within the normal range, lower resting rates generally go with better aerobic fitness; very fit adults often sit in the 50s or lower.

Your resting rate varies by several beats from day to day. Measure at the same time — ideally in the morning before getting up — and look at the average over a week rather than a single number.

Ranges apply to adults and children aged 10 and older, measured at rest (American Heart Association). By the numbers: at 67 bpm the heart beats about every 0.90 seconds — roughly 96,480 beats a day.

Can you trust a 67 from your smartwatch?

Most smartwatches and fitness bands measure pulse with an optical sensor on the back of the case. Green LEDs shine into the skin and a light detector picks up tiny changes in how much light is absorbed as blood pulses through the small vessels of the wrist. Software turns that wave into beats per minute.

At rest, this method is fairly accurate. When you sit still, a watch reading of 67 will usually be within a few beats of what a chest strap or a careful manual count would show. Accuracy drops during movement, especially with quick arm swings, weight lifting or bumpy cycling, because motion creates its own light signal that the software can confuse with the pulse.

What weakens the optical signal

Several everyday things can throw off a wrist reading even when you are still:

• a loose band that lets light leak in or lets the case slide
• wearing the watch right on the wrist bone instead of a finger’s width above it
• cold hands, which narrow the small vessels and weaken the pulse wave
• dark tattoo ink under the sensor
• an irregular rhythm, which the software may smooth out or miss

If the number seems odd, tighten the strap slightly, keep the arm relaxed at heart level for a minute and look again.

Watches also differ in how often they sample. Some take a reading every few minutes in the background and others only when you open the heart rate app, so the “resting heart rate” in a daily summary may be an estimate built from many short samples rather than one careful measurement.

Checking your device against your own fingers

An easy way to test a watch is to compare it with a manual count. Sit quietly for a few minutes, place two fingers on the inside of the opposite wrist or at the side of the neck, and count beats for a full 60 seconds while the watch measures at the same time. If the two numbers agree within a few beats on several occasions, you can rely on the device for resting checks.

For training, a chest strap that reads the heart’s electrical signal is still the reference, and it reacts faster to sudden changes in effort. The comparison of heart rate monitors explains the differences between sensor types.

For a reliable resting value, sit quietly for five minutes first and average a few mornings: Resting Heart Rate: What It Says About Your Health. You can also measure by tapping along on the start page.

Nearby values

• 62 bpm
• 63 bpm
• 64 bpm
• 65 bpm
• 66 bpm
• 68 bpm
• 69 bpm
• 70 bpm
• 71 bpm
• 72 bpm

Measured on a child instead? See heart rate 67 in a child.

Sources: American Heart Association: All About Heart Rate · MedlinePlus: Pulse · 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.