Heart rate, also known as pulse rate, refers to the number of heartbeats per minute (bpm). The heart can pump oxygen-rich blood to the body’s tissues through regular contractions. Your heart rate varies due to many factors. It is usually at its lowest during sleep and at its highest during periods of exercise. Age, gender, or physical condition can also cause different heart rates.
Heart rate is the primary indicator of overall heart health and fitness. It is essential for those who love fitness or care about health to pay attention to their heart rate. To take full advantage of workouts, it is best to keep your heart rate between 60% and 85% of your maximum heart rate, called aerobic heart rate.
However, how to track the heart rate when working out? How to know whether the heart rate is in the normal range? This article provides you with various heart rate charts that can help determine the normal resting and maximum heart rates.
5 Heart Rate Charts Help Monitor Your Pulse Rate
How to know what is resting heart rate and maximum heart rate? How to determine the target heart rate? Let’s discuss it below.
1. Normal Heart Rate Chart When Resting By age
Resting heart rate refers to the number of heartbeats per minute when your body is calm or at complete rest. It represents the work that your heart must do when your body is not active. This indicator can well measure the health level of your heart.
The best time to measure your resting heart rate is before any activity in the early morning. Generally speaking, fewer heartbeats per minute and a lower resting heart rate indicate a better health level of the heart. This means that the heart does not have to work hard to pump blood throughout the body.
| Age | 18-25 years | 26-35 years | 36-45 years | 46-55 years | 56-65 years | 65+years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Well-conditioned Athlete | 49-55 | 49-54 | 50-56 | 50-57 | 51-56 | 50-55 |
| Good | 56-65 | 55-65 | 57-66 | 58-67 | 57-67 | 56-65 |
| Normal | 70-73 | 71-74 | 71-75 | 72-76 | 72-75 | 70-73 |
| Bad | 82+ | 82+ | 83+ | 84+ | 82+ | 80+ |
2. Resting Heart Rate Chart For Children
The resting heart rate of children is very different from adults, and the heart rate is often faster than adults. This is a child’s resting heart rate chart.
| Age | Heart Rate |
|---|---|
| Newborn(0-3months) | 100-150 bpm |
| Infants(3-12months) | 90-150 bpm |
| Childeren(ages 1-10) | 70-130 bpm |
| Childeren(Over ages 10) | 60-90 bpm |
3. Maximum Heart Rate Chart
Maximum heart rate refers to the maximum number of heartbeats in one minute during strenuous exercise. It can be used to measure training intensity and fitness level.
You can measure your maximum heart rate to assess whether physical exercise is sufficient to increase your heart rate. And to ensure that the heart rate remains within an acceptable range during exercise.
The maximum heart rate can be measured after completing the exercise test. It can also be determined by standard formulas based on age and gender. The common formula for calculating the maximum heart rate is as follows:
- Maximum HR for men = 220-your current age
- Maximum HR for women = 226-your current age
For example, the maximum heart rate of a 32-year-old man is 220-32 = 188 beats per minute.
| Age | Maximum Heart Rate For Men | Maximum Heart Rate For Women |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 200 bpm | 206 bpm |
| 25 years | 195 bpm | 201 bpm |
| 30 years | 190 bpm | 196 bpm |
| 35 years | 185 bpm | 191 bpm |
| 40 years | 180 bpm | 186 bpm |
| 45 years | 175 bpm | 181 bpm |
| 50 years | 170 bpm | 176 bpm |
| 55 years | 165 bpm | 171 bpm |
| 60 years | 160 bpm | 166 bpm |
| 65 years | 155 bpm | 161 bpm |
| 70 years | 150 bpm | 156 bpm |
4. Target Heart Rate Chart
What is the target heart rate? The target heart rate refers to the heart rate zone to maximize the benefit and reduce the risk. During exercise, the ideal target heart rate is usually 50-85% of the maximum heart rate.
The ideal target heart rate for moderately strenuous exercise is usually about 50-69% of the maximum heart rate. The target heart rate for vigorous physical exercise should be controlled at 70% to 85% of the maximum heart rate. It is recommended not to exceed 85% of the maximum heart rate, which will increase the risk of cardiovascular and orthopedic injuries.
With the target heart rate Chart, you can determine whether you should increase or decrease your exercise intensity. An exercise that exceeds the target heart rate is often not beneficial to the body.
In addition, you need to know that the target heart rate varies from person to person, and this value may increase or decrease depending on your health. Moreover, the target heart rate is only one factor, and you also need to consider your feelings during exercises, such as muscle fatigue and difficulty breathing.
| Age | Heart Rate Zone For Men | Heart Rate Zone For women |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 100-170 bpm | 103-175 bpm |
| 25 years | 98-166 bpm | 100-171 bpm |
| 30 years | 95-162 bpm | 98-167 bpm |
| 35 years | 93-157 bpm | 95-162 bpm |
| 40 years | 90-153 bpm | 93-158 bpm |
| 45 years | 88-149 bpm | 90-154 bpm |
| 50 years | 85-145 bpm | 88-150 bpm |
| 55 years | 83-140 bpm | 85-145 bpm |
| 60 years | 80-136 bpm | 83-141 bpm |
| 65 years | 78-132 bpm | 80-137 bpm |
| 70 years | 75-128 bpm | 78-133 bpm |
5. Heart Rate Chart by Training Intensity
This chart can determine your heart rate in different exercise intensity zones. This chart includes age, low intensity, moderate intensity, vigorous intensity, and the aerobic zone.
| Age | Low Intensity (57-63%) | Moderate Intensity (64-76%) | Aerobic Zone (70-80%) | Vigorous Intensity (77-95%) | Maximum Intensity (96-100%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Years | 97-116 | 116-135 | 135-155 | 145-164 | 194 |
| 25 Years | 95-114 | 114-134 | 133-152 | 143-162 | 190 |
| 30 Years | 93-112 | 112-131 | 131-149 | 140-159 | 187 |
| 35 Years | 92-110 | 110-128 | 128-147 | 138-156 | 183 |
| 40 Years | 90-108 | 108-126 | 126-144 | 135-153 | 180 |
| 45 Years | 88-106 | 106-124 | 124-141 | 133-150 | 177 |
| 50 Years | 87-104 | 104-121 | 121-139 | 130-147 | 173 |
| 55 Years | 95-102 | 102-119 | 119-136 | 128-145 | 170 |
| 60 Years | 83-100 | 100-117 | 117-133 | 125-142 | 167 |
| 65 Years | 82-98 | 98-114 | 114-131 | 123-139 | 163 |
| 70 Years | 80-96 | 96-112 | 112-128 | 120-136 | 160 |
How to Take Your Heart Rate or Pulse Rate?
Pulse is the heartbeat felt through the arterial wall of the wrist. It is commonly used to measure heart rate, expressed as beats per minute (BPM).
How to take your pulse with a radial pulse? It would help if you placed your middle fingers on the inside of your opposite wrist. Once you feel the pulse, you can calculate the pulse within one minute.
You can also measure the pulse at the carotid artery on the side of the neck, the femoral artery on the front of the hip joint, or the temporal artery at the temple.
In addition, you can use a home sphygmomanometer or a digital fitness tracker on a smartphone for measurement. However, they are not as accurate as checking your heart rate manually.
Factors That May Affect Your Heart Rate
Typically, your heart rate is relatively stable, but some factors may disturb your heart rate. This will make the measured number differ from the range in the normal heart rate chart above. These factors include:
Fast heart rate:
- Exercise or workout
- Certain medication
- Caffeine or alcohol intake
- Taking stimulants or smoking
- Anemia, thyroid, or heart disease
- Fever caused by a cold
- Nervousness or excitement
Slow heart rate:
- Take certain medication
- Chronic heart disease or Hypothyroidism
- The body is at rest, such as sleeping
- Certain quiet activities such as meditation
- High-level fitness
- Peripheral arterial disease
Conclusion
Through the above heart rate charts, you can get an insight into the health level of your heart. By comparing the maximum rate with the target heart rate, you can effectively determine your exercise intensity. If your heart rate is out of the normal range during exercise, you should stop immediately. If the condition does not improve after some time, seek medical help as soon as possible.
