Average Heart Rate

If you don't hear the constant rhythmic beat that your body makes, then you are probably already dead. No kidding here folks, the moment your heart stops pulsating at the 72 beats per minute rate, you are doomed. Heart rate is the number of times it beats in a minute. It is represented in the unit bpm, that is beats per minute. It is basically measured by observing and finding the pulse of the body. For common people, it is not a thing which is daily tended to or given a thought to. It only is consequential in case of an injury or a health problem. For athletes though, it is different. They are interested in monitoring it as they want to gain maximum efficiency while training and participating in a sports event.

Average Heart Rate for Humans

Which are the spots where you can feel the pulse to measure the heart rate?
The sites where you can find a pulse are - the wrist, the carotid artery (in the neck), inner side of the elbow, the groin, ankle, behind the knee, artery on the back side of the leg (going through the calf muscle), over the abdomen, the chest, lateral edge of the bone forming the lower jaw and the temple. Surely many of you must have experienced a kind of throbbing at the temple in a highly emotional state. That is nothing but increased pulse.

When and how is it measured?
Heart rate is measured generally during an exercise period. To measure the average value during and after exercise, you would first need to know the maximum heart rate (Max HR). The easiest way to do that is to subtract your age from 220. So if you are 30 years old, it would be 190. Now, when you are going to do aerobic exercises, the average and healthy value would be around 50 to 60% of your maximum heart rate. So, for a 30 year old individual it is going to be somewhere around 75 and 80. It will vary slightly depending upon the sex and the constitution of the individual. Bradycardia is a condition wherein the average heart rate of an individual is less than 75.

What are the other situations when it is calculated?
Heart rate is also calculated when we are not indulging in any activity. This is called resting heart rate. It is the number of beats in a minute while you are totally at rest. Again, it is a reflection of your health and fitness levels and your heart health. The lesser effort and fewer beats it takes for your heart to pump blood to your to your resting body, the better it is. Value of more than 100 beats per minute is actually reflective of a condition called tachycardia. Another situation where the heartbeat is crucial is typically measured when we stop doing a particular activity. This is a significant aspect of training regimes, where they want to identify problems like overheating and dehydration. This is also measured in per minute.

What is the heart rate for women and men?
The basic formula for calculating the value for men and women is the same. However, men tend to have slower heart rates than women. For adult men and women, it is normally 60 to100 bpm. Elderly women and infant girls have been observed to have faster heart beats than their male counterparts.

What is the value for children?
Those who are in the age group of 1 to 10, have a heart rate of 70 to 120 BPM. Children over 10 have more or less the same bpm as adults.

These were a few things related to heartbeat and rate. Other situations when the rate is noticeably increased is while running and after walking a mile. It all depends on your activity, your exercise and mental calm. Yes, even your mental peace can be a factor affecting your heart. Ensure that you keep it healthy. Take care!