• Healthy Heart Beats Per Minute Chart
• Healthy Heart Beats Per Minute For Women

If you’re sitting or lying and you’re calm, relaxed and aren’t ill, your heart rate is normally between 60 (beats per minute) and 100 (beats per minute). But a heart rate lower than 60 doesn’t necessarily signal a medical problem. It could be the result of taking a drug such as a beta blocker. The normal resting heart rate range for all adults and children 10 and over is between 60 and 100 beats per minute 3. 90% of 21 year olds resting pulses fall within the range of 54 to 92 bpm. In general, an adult's resting heart rate will be lower for those in better athletic condition. See also: Exercising heart rates for 21 year olds. Healthy Heartbeat. A normal resting heartbeat generally ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association. A heartbeat at the lower end of this range indicates better heart function and physical fitness than a faster heartbeat.

• Normal healthy resting pulse rates for 40 year olds. The average resting heart rate (HRrest) for a 40 year old is 72 beats per minute 2.40 year old males average heart rates of 71 bpm while females average slightly higher at 73 bpm 2.The normal resting heart rate range for all adults and children 10 and over is between 60 and 100 beats per minute 3.90% of 40 year olds resting pulses fall.
• Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm). A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 bpm while you’re resting. However, it will vary depending on when it’s measured and what you were doing immediately before the reading. How do I measure my heart rate? You can measure your heart rate manually, by checking your pulse. However, you may find it useful to buy a heart rate monitor.

The average resting heart rate (HRrest) for a 40 year old is 72 beats per minute². 40 year old males average heart rates of 71 bpm while females average slightly higher at 73 bpm². The normal resting heart rate range for all adults and children 10 and over is between 60 and 100 beats per minute³. 90% of 40 year olds resting pulses fall within the range of 54 to 91 bpm. In general, an adult's resting heart rate will be lower for those in better athletic condition. See also: Exercising heart rates for 40 year olds

Resting Heart Rate Chart 40 Year Olds

Source Citations

1. American Heart Association Target Heart Rates
2. Yechiam Ostchega, Ph.D. et al., U.S. Department OF Health and Human Services National Center for Health Statistics Resting Pulse Rate Reference Data for Children, Adolescents, and Adults: United States,1999-2008

You can check your heart rate by taking your pulse and counting how many times your heart beats in a minute.

Your heart rate varies depending on what you're doing – for example, it will be slower if you're sleeping and faster if you're exercising.

To get your resting heart rate, you need to have been resting for at least 5 minutes before checking your pulse.

Finding your pulse

You can find your pulse in your wrist or neck.

To find your pulse in your wrist:

• hold out one of your hands, with your palm facing upwards
• press the first (index) finger and middle finger of your other hand on the inside of your wrist, at the base of your thumb – don't use your thumb as it has its own pulse
• press your skin lightly until you can feel your pulse – if you can't find it, try pressing a little harder or move your fingers around

To find your pulse in your neck:

• press your first finger and middle finger to the side of your neck, just under your jaw and beside your windpipe – don't use your thumb
• press your skin lightly to feel your pulse – if you can't find it, try pressing a bit harder or move your fingers around

Checking your pulse

When you find your pulse, either:

• count the number of beats you feel for 60 seconds
• count the number for 30 seconds and multiply by 2

This gives you your heart rate – the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm).

You can also check if your pulse is regular or irregular by feeling its rhythm for about 30 seconds. It's very common to have occasional irregular heartbeats, such as missed beats.

But if your pulse continues to be irregular, it can be a sign of atrial fibrillation – an irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. This is more likely if you're 65 or older.

See a GP if you're worried about your pulse.

What's a normal heart rate?

Most adults have a resting heart rate between 60 and 100bpm.

Healthy Heart Beats Per Minute Chart

The fitter you are, the lower your resting heart rate is likely to be. For example, athletes may have a resting heart rate of 40 to 60bpm, or lower.

See a GP to get checked if you think your heart rate is continuously above 120bpm or below 40bpm, although it may simply be that this is normal for you.

Visit the British Heart Foundation for more information on checking your pulse.

Exercise and your pulse

If you check your pulse during or immediately after exercise, it may give an indication of your fitness level. A heart rate monitor is also useful for recording your heart rate when resting and during exercise.

Aerobic activities such as walking, running and swimming are good types of exercise because they increase your heart and breathing rates.

Read more from the British Heart Foundation on what your heart rate should be while exercising (PDF, 200kb).

If you haven't exercised before, or haven't for some time, see our Live Well section to read about the benefits of exercise and how much exercise you should be doing.

Further information:

Healthy Heart Beats Per Minute For Women

Page last reviewed: 22 February 2018
Next review due: 22 February 2021