Normal Heart Rate
The normal heart rate of an individual differs due to certain aspects, such as age, gender, activity level and overall fitness. This article highlights on the normal heart rate range for fetus, children and adults.
Heart rate can be measured when a person is at resting state or while performing exercise. The former is referred to as resting heart rate while the latter measurement is called working heart rate. Resting heart rate (RHR) is best measured in the early morning, just after waking up, while working heart rate can be measured during exercise or immediately within 5 minutes after performing rigorous exercise.
Heart Rate Considered Normal
Heart rate is estimated either manually or with the help of heart rate monitors, both of which involve monitoring the pulse. Manual measurement of heart rate is mostly done by determining the radial pulse (ventral side of hand) and carotid pulse (side of the neck). Besides these methods, a more accurate alternative is by means of an electrocardiograph that records the electrical impulses of the heart. The following is a brief discussion on the normal heart rate for specified groups of people.
Fetus: Fetal heart rate is monitored during pregnancy in order to check for any abnormalities of the developing fetus. During the first trimester heart rate of a fetus is low. The normal heart rate for fetus is 110 to 180 beats per minute (BPM). It may fluctuate during different times of the day and may increase to about 190 bpm.
Children: The normal heart rate for children, ranging from 1-10 years is 70-120 bpm. Heart rate gradually decreases with an increase in age. For example, for children below 5 years is 95 to 140 bpm is normal, while those above 5 years is 80 to 120 bpm. The normal heartbeats for children is higher than adults.
Men: The normal heart rate for an adult man is about 70 beats per minute. Nevertheless, heart rate measuring between 60 to 100 bpm is considered healthy. In comparison to this, the normal heart rate for well-trained athletes is low, usually between 40 to 60 depending upon the fitness level.
Women: The normal heart rate for women is somewhere around 70 to 80 beats per minute. For a pregnant woman, heart rate may increase up to 85-90 beats per minute. Similar to men, resting heart rate falling within the range of 60 to 90 beats per minute is considered to be normal for women.
Heart Rate During Exercise: In order to gain the full benefits of physical activities and weight training exercises, it is important to have higher stamina. Or in brief, you should not get tired very quickly while performing exercises. The effective method for determining the exercise intensity and fitness level is using heart rate monitors. The normal heart rate during exercise is 55-85 percent higher than the maximum heart rate.
Normal Heart Rate Chart
In order to get a quick glance for normal heart rate with respect to your age, you can refer to the normal heart rate chart, which can be represented either in pulse rate chart or resting heart rate chart.
Normal heart rate table:
| Age Group | Normal Beats Per Minute (BPM) |
| Babies (under 1 year) | 100 to 160 |
| Children (1 to 10 years) | 60 to 140 |
| Children (above 10 years) and Adults | 60 to 100 |
| Well-trained athletes | 40 to 60 |
Doctors monitor resting heart rate to examine the risk of heart attacks and stroke. As per medical experts, abnormal heart rates, either too low or too high is a sign of underlying medical problems. For an adult, immediate medical attention should be taken, if the resting heart rate consistently exceeds 100 bpm (tachycardia) or measures below 60 bpm (bradycardia). Overall, maintaining the heart rate to the recommended normal range is crucial for healthy and disease-free living.
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