Normal heart rate: Ranges, danger, and more
What is a normal resting heart rate?
The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats in a minute. A resting heart rate refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute when at rest. However, age, activity levels, physical fitness, and other factors can affect a person’s resting heart rate.
The heart rate measures the number of times per minute that the heart contracts or beats. Most adults have a target resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
A healthy heart supplies the body with just the right amount of blood at the right rate for whatever the body is doing at that time. For example, experiencing fright or surprise will automatically release adrenaline, a hormone, to make the heart rate faster. This prepares the body to use more oxygen and energy to escape or confront potential danger.
While a typical heart rate does not guarantee that a person is free of health problems, it is a useful benchmark for identifying a range of health issues.
Identifying whether a person’s heart rate is within a typical range is important. If disease or injury weakens the heart, the organs will not receive enough blood to function properly.
The heart rate gets progressively slower as a person moves through childhood toward adolescence. The normal resting heart rate for adults over the age of 10 years, including older adults, is between 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm).
Highly trained athletes may have a resting heart rate below 60 bpm, sometimes reaching 40 bpm.
Read on to learn more about athletes and low resting heart rates.
What is a good heart rate by age?
The following is a table of typical resting heart rates at different ages:
| Age | Normal heart rate (bpm) |
| newborns | 100 to 205 |
| infants under 1 year | 100 to 180 |
| from 1 to 2 years | 98 to 140 |
| from 3 to 5 years | 80 to 120 |
| from 6 to 7 years | 75 to 118 |
| older children, teens, and adults | 60 to 100 |
The resting heart rate can vary within these ranges. It will increase in response to various changes, including exercise, body temperature, emotional triggers, and body position, such as for a short while after standing up quickly.
What is a dangerous rate?
If a person’s resting heart rate consistently falls outside of 60 to 100 bpm, it may indicate health problems.
A resting heart rate above 100 bpm is known as tachycardia. A person may experience tachycardia for many reasons, including infections, anemia, heart dysfunctions, and low blood pressure.
A resting heart rate below 60 bpm is known as bradycardia. However, it is not always essential to seek medical help for bradycardia. For example, some athletes without health issues may have a heart rate lower than 60 bpm.
However, bradycardia may indicate a lack of oxygen in the blood, damage to the heart muscles, and disturbances in the heart’s electrical signaling, among other causes.
Target heart rates during exercise
A person’s heart rate increases during exercise, as the heart beats more to pump more blood and oxygen throughout the body. However, when training for fitness, it is important not to put too much strain on the heart.
While the heart rate increases due to physical activity, an overall decrease in target heart rate is possible over time. This is because exercise strengthens the heart muscle. Due to this, the heart can pump a great volume of blood with each heartbeat. This means it can beat fewer times to get the necessary nutrients and oxygen to different parts of the body, making it more efficient.
The American Heart Association (AHA) states that the maximum heart rate during exercise should be roughly equal to 220 bpm minus the person’s age.
As each individual’s body reacts to exercise differently, health experts classify the target heart rate as a range known as the target heart rate zone. The following table shows the appropriate target heart rate zone for a range of ages. A person’s heart rate should fall within this range when exercising at 50% to 85% intensity, also known as exertion.
| Age (years) | Target heart rate zone at 50% to 85% exertion (bpm) | Average maximum heart rate at 100% exertion (bpm) |
| 20 | 100 to 170 | 200 |
| 30 | 95 to 162 | 190 |
| 35 | 93 to 157 | 185 |
| 40 | 90 to 153 | 180 |
| 45 | 88 to 149 | 175 |
| 50 | 85 to 145 | 170 |
| 55 | 83 to 140 | 165 |
| 60 | 80 to 136 | 160 |
| 65 | 78 to 132 | 155 |
| 70 | 75 to 128 | 150 |
| 75 | 73 to 123 | 145 |
| 80 | 70 to 119 | 140 |
| 85 | 68 to 113 | 135 |
| 90 | 65 to 111 | 130 |
Exercising for heart health
Health experts recommend exercising regularly to work toward a healthy heart rate. The CDC recommends the following amounts and levels of exercise per week:
| Exercise | Example | Regularity | Total minutes per week |
| moderate-intensity aerobic activity | brisk walking, aerobics class | 5 days per week | over 150 |
| vigorous aerobic activity | jogging, running, step-aerobics | 3 days per week | over 75 |
| an equivalent mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity | a combination of walking and running | 2 or more days per week | N/A |
In addition to aerobic activity, it is also advisable to add muscle-strengthening activities. On 2 or more days a week, a person can include exercises that work all major muscle groups, such as the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.
Is a heart rate of 120 normal?
A resting heart rate of 120 bpm is atypical. Doctors call it inappropriate sinus tachycardia, which requires medical assistance.
Takeaway
Heart rate describes the number of times the heart beats in the space of a minute. For most adults, the target range for a resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute.
To help maintain a healthy heart rate and protect the heart, it is advisable for a person to get regular exercise, have a nutritious dietary plan, manage stress, maintain a moderate weight, and avoid or quit smoking.
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