Learn how to accurately take your pulse and find the target heart rate zones to help you optimize your fitness and monitor your heart health.

Heart rate is a measurement of how many times your heart beats in 1 minute.

Resting heart rate is how many heartbeats you have per minute when you aren’t exercising or otherwise under stress. Resting heart rate can be an important measure of the health of your heart muscle.

It’s helpful to be able to check your own heart rate for your general health, when exercising, or if you experience symptoms such as dizziness.

You may also need to check your child’s pulse or check someone’s pulse in an emergency situation after you’ve called 911 to determine if your child or someone needs CPR.

Your age and fitness level greatly affect your resting heart rate. All of the following can also affect your heart rate:

You can check your pulse in a number of ways. Here are some of the most common methods:

To check your pulse using this method, you’ll need to find the radial artery:

  1. Place your pointer and middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist just below the thumb.
  2. Don’t use your thumb to check your pulse, as the artery in your thumb can make it harder to count accurately.
  3. Once you can feel your pulse, count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds.
  4. Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate. For instance, 20 beats in 15 seconds equals a heart rate of 80 beats per minute (bpm).

To check your pulse using this method, you’ll need to find the carotid artery:

  1. Place your pointer and middle fingers on the side of your windpipe just below the jawbone. You may need to shift your fingers until you can easily feel your heart beating.
  2. Count the pulses you feel for 15 seconds.
  3. Multiply this number by 4 to obtain your heart rate.

You can also find your pulse on the top of your foot. This is called the pedal pulse:

  1. Place your index and middle fingers above the highest point of the bone that runs along the top of your foot. You may have to move your fingers along the bone or slightly to either side to feel the pulse.
  2. Once you have found your pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds.
  3. Multiply by 4 to obtain your heart rate.

Another location for checking your pulse is the brachial artery. In young children, this is the most common method used:

  1. Turn your arm so it’s slightly bent and your inner arm is facing up toward the ceiling.
  2. Place your index and middle fingers along the side of your arm between the crook of your elbow on the top and the pointy part of your elbow bone on the bottom. Then move your fingers an inch up your arm. You may have to press quite firmly to feel your pulse.
  3. Once you can feel the pulse, count how many beats occur in 15 seconds.
  4. Multiply this number by 4 to obtain your heart rate.

A number of devices are available that can determine your heart rate, such as:

The most accurate device for checking your heart rate is a wireless monitor that’s strapped around your chest. It reads out to a fitness tracker worn on your wrist.

Digital fitness trackers worn on the wrist, at-home blood pressure machines, and smartphone apps are less accurate than manually checking your heart rate. Having said that, these devices are fairly accurate and very useful when exercising.

Exercise machines may have metal hand grips that read your heart rate, but these are often inaccurate. It’s most effective to check your heart rate manually or using a digital fitness tracker.

Heart rate norms are based primarily on age rather than gender, although men tend to have slightly lower heart rates than women.

According to experts, the target resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 bpmTrusted Source. Vey fit individuals like athletes may have resting heart rates below 60 bpm.

To keep you safe and maximize the efficiency of your workouts, you can use target heart rates. Typically, exercising at 50% to 70%Trusted Source of your maximum heart rate is ideal for moderate-intensity activities, while 70% to 85% is best for vigorous exercise.

Exercising at the lower end of this percentage or doing interval training (where your heart rate goes up and down) is suitable for fat burning. Exercising at the higher end of this percentage helps build cardiovascular strength.

To calculate your estimated maximum heart rate, you can use the equation of subtracting your age from 220. For example, if your age is 45 years, then your approximate maximum heart rate is 175 bpm (220 – 45 = 175).

You can then use your maximum heart rate to determine what your target heart rate is while exercising.

The following chart shows estimated maximum and target heart rates for various age groups:

AgeEstimated maximum heart rateTarget heart rate (60% to 85% of max)
20200120 to 170
25195117 to 166
30190114 to 162
35185111 to 157
40180108 to 153
45175105 to 149
50170102 to 145
5516599 to 140
6016096 to 136
6515593 to 132
7015090 to 128

The most accurate way to determine your true maximum heart rate and target heart rate is to participate in a doctor-graded exercise test.

It’s always best to talk with a doctor before beginning a new exercise program, especially if you are a complete beginner or have a history of heart or lung issues.

A consistently low heart rate is called bradycardia. In healthy young adults or trained athletes, a low heart rate with no other symptoms is usually the sign of a very healthy heart muscle.

However, a low heart rate can be a sign of a serious underlying problem. If your heart rate is lower than 60 bpm and you’re experiencing chest pain, call 911. If you’re experiencing dizziness, weakness, fainting, or other concerning symptoms, call a doctor.

A consistently high heart rate (over 100 bpm when resting) is known as tachycardia. It’s expected to have an elevated heart rate when you’re exercising, stressed, anxious, sick, or have consumed caffeine.

However, a heart rate over 100 bpm when you’re resting is an indication of serious medical concern, if you’re also experiencing:

  • dizziness
  • weakness
  • headache
  • palpitations
  • sudden anxiety
  • chest pain

If you’re having any of these symptoms, call a doctor.

Simple methods for checking your heart rate at home are available. It may be useful to know your resting heart rate as an indicator of your heart health.

You can also maximize your workout routine by knowing your target heart rates and checking your heart rate when exercising.

There are times when a high or low heart rate accompanied by other symptoms is a sign of a serious underlying issue. Call your doctor immediately if you experience this.