Average Resting Heart Rate

The average resting heart rate is defined as the number of times your heartbeats per minute (bpm). A normal heart rate for an adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. In case of a well-trained athlete, heartbeat rate may be as low as 40 to 60 bpm. This is the reason many are envious of Lance Armstrong, whose normal resting heart rate is 32 bpm on paper. That's one really healthy heart! If your average heart rate is low, it means you have a really good cardiovascular health and efficient heart functioning.

An average resting heart rate should be measured while lying down and breathing normally. It is best to check your average heart rate in the morning after taking a good nights sleep. It is affected by age, sex, physical health, drugs, genetics and anxiety. The average heart rate is the best thing that will help you determine your physical fitness level.

If you are measuring your heart rate at home, you need to check your pulse. You should place two fingers on the thumb side of your wrist, or you can even place your index and third finger on your neck at the side of the windpipe. You should feel the pulse and look at the watch, and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. You should multiply this number with 4 and the result is the heart rate per minute. The level of activity, fitness, air temperature, body position, emotions, body size and medication use (if any), may influence the heart rate. The average resting heart rate of women is generally greater than that of men. The following table will help you determine what should be your average heart rate.

Average Resting Heart Rate for Women

WOMEN
AGE	18 - 25	26 - 35	36 - 45	46 - 55	56 - 65	65+
Athlete	54 - 60	54 - 59	54 - 59	54 - 60	54 - 59	54 - 59
Excellent	61 - 65	60 - 64	60 - 64	61 - 65	60 - 64	60 - 64
Good	66 - 69	65 - 68	65 - 69	66 - 69	65 - 68	65 - 68
Above Average	70 - 73	69 - 72	70 - 73	70 - 73	69 - 73	69 - 72
Average	74 - 78	73 - 76	74 - 78	74 - 77	74 - 77	73 - 76
Below Average	79 - 84	77 - 82	79 - 84	78 - 83	78 - 83	77 - 84
Poor	85+	83+	85+	84+	84+	84+

Average Resting Heart Rate for Men

MEN
AGE	18 - 25	26 - 35	36 - 45	46 - 55	56 - 65	65+
Athlete	49 - 55	49 - 54	50 - 56	50 - 57	51 - 56	50 - 55
Excellent	56 - 61	55 - 61	57 - 62	58 - 63	57 - 61	56 - 61
Good	62 - 65	62 - 65	63 - 66	64 - 67	62 - 67	62 - 65
Above Average	66 - 69	66 - 70	67 - 70	68 - 71	68 - 71	66 - 69
Average	70 - 73	71 - 74	71 - 75	72 - 76	72 - 75	70 - 73
Below Average	74 - 81	75 - 81	76 - 82	77 - 83	76 - 81	74 - 79
Poor	82+	82+	83+	84+	82+	80+

Average Resting Heart Rate for Children

CHILDREN
Babies to age 1	100 - 160
Children from age 1 to 10	60 - 140
Children from age 11 to 17	60 - 100

These were a few tables that you can refer to know your heart health. If your heart rate is more than normal, you should visit the doctor for a physical check-up. The human heart is one of the most important organs of the human body system, as your life depends on the beating heart. You can exercise and eat right to reach the target according to your age.