Resting Heart Rate: What It Says About Your Health

Your resting heart rate is how often your heart beats per minute while you are calm, awake and have not been active for a while. In adults it is normally 60–100 bpm — and tracked over time it is one of the simplest health signals you can measure at home.

How to measure your resting heart rate

The most reliable time is in the morning, after waking up and before getting out of bed — before coffee, before checking your phone.

Stay lying or sitting still for a few minutes.
Find your pulse on the inside of your wrist below the thumb with two fingertips.
Count the beats for 30 seconds and double the number (or 60 seconds if the rhythm is irregular).
Repeat on three to five mornings and take the average.

Smartwatches and fitness rings often report a "resting heart rate" calculated from the whole day or night. These are useful for trends but can read lower than a morning measurement, because they include time asleep.

What counts as normal, low or high

Adult resting heart rate	What it usually means
Below 40 bpm	Very low. Only expected in elite endurance athletes or deep sleep; otherwise see a doctor promptly — call 911 (US) or your local emergency number if you feel faint, have chest pain or are short of breath.
40–59 bpm	Below 60 is called bradycardia. Common and healthy in fit people; check with a doctor if you have symptoms.
60–100 bpm	Normal.
101–120 bpm	Tachycardia. Often temporary (caffeine, stress, fever); persistent values need a check-up.
121–150 bpm	Too high for rest. If it is still above 120 after 10–15 minutes of rest, contact a doctor the same day; call 911 (US) or your local emergency number with chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness.
Above 150 bpm	Very high. At rest it needs urgent medical care; call 911 (US) or your local emergency number with chest pain, fainting, dizziness or breathlessness.

Look up any value — for example 58, 72 or 104 bpm — for a detailed explanation.

Lower is (usually) better

Within the normal range, a lower resting heart rate generally reflects better aerobic fitness. Large population studies have also linked a resting heart rate that stays in the upper part of the normal range — above about 80 bpm — with a higher long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. It is not a diagnosis, but it is a nudge: regular aerobic exercise is the most effective way to bring it down.

During sleep, almost everyone's heart rate falls 10–20 bpm below the daytime resting value, so night-time readings in the 40s or 50s are normal.

What a changing resting heart rate can mean

Falling over weeks: a typical training effect.
Rising by 5–10 bpm for a few days: often an early sign of infection, poor sleep, dehydration, stress, alcohol or overtraining. Many athletes take an easy day when their morning pulse is up.
Persistently higher than your usual: worth a check-up — causes include anemia, thyroid overactivity and heart rhythm disorders.

How to improve your resting heart rate

Steady aerobic exercise — brisk walking, cycling, swimming, running — on most days of the week, plus some interval training, lowers the resting heart rate over a few months. Good sleep, less alcohol, not smoking and managing stress all help too. If you have been inactive or have a heart condition, start slowly and talk to your doctor first. More ideas: how to lower your heart rate.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if your resting heart rate is regularly above 100, below 60 with symptoms (dizziness, fainting, fatigue, breathlessness), or if your pulse feels irregular. Call 911 (US) or your local emergency number for chest pain, fainting or severe shortness of breath.

This page offers general information, not medical advice. If your heart rate worries you, please talk to a doctor. In an emergency, call 911 (US) or your local emergency number.