Your Healthy Heart Rate is a TreasureA normal healthy heart rate is measured at rest Children (ages 6-15) have a heart rate of 70-100 beats per minute.Adults (18 and over) have a heart rate of 60-100 bpm. What is your pulse? Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Pulse rates vary from person to person. Your pulse is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise (because more oxygen-rich blood is needed by the body when you exercise). The best time to measure resting heart rate is in the morning before getting out of bed and while wearing a heart rate monitor. Measuring Heart Rate The measurement of heart rate, or pulse, is represented in beats per minute (bpm). To determine your heart rate, place your fingertips on either the wrist or throat pulse point. To find the number of beats per minute (bpm), take your pulse rate for 10 seconds and then multiply by six. Well-conditioned athletes may have a healthy pulse rate much lower than 60 BPM. Bradycardia occurs when the pulse rate is below 60 per minute but is only usually symptomatic when below 50BPM, whereas tachycardia occurs when the rate is above 100 BPM. This is also known as arrhythmia. During sleep, the pulse can drop to as low as 40 BPM; during strenuous exercise, it can rise as high as 150-200 BPM. A resting heart rate is generally lower in individuals who exercise consistently because exercise trains the heart to pump more blood per stroke. Exercise also trains the muscles to utilize oxygen more efficiently, taking even more stress off the heart. A resting heart rate above averages means the heart is weak or the body is not using oxygen efficiently. Heart Rhythm Meditation is proven to lower your resting heart rate as well. This can be demonstrated on a heart rate variability bio-feedback device. Other forms of meditation may also lower one's heart rate. Warning A higher-than-normal resting heart rate may be a sign that something is wrong. For athletes it can be an indicator of over training. A higher-than-normal healthy heart rate can also indicate high stress levels. Individuals with resting heart rates higher than the averages have been shown to be at a greater risk of heart attacks. These individuals may be in a danger zone if the resting heart rate is over 100 beats per minute. Usually a resting heart rate below average is a sign of good health and not a warning. You can make your heart stronger You DO have some control over how healthy your heart is. What you do, what you eat and how you live can actually change how your heart works. You can make your heart stronger with some changes in your lifestyle. Healthy heart rate is affected by: * age * sex * physical fitness * some drugs/medication * genetics * anxiety Additional Articles about Heart RateTarget Heart Rate
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