What is a normal heart rate, what is a good resting heart rate by age and how can I check?

MONITORING your heart rate is one of many important ways of checking your body is healthy.

But how do you know what rate is normal and what method should you use to check?

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What is a normal heart rate?

Your heart rate measures the number of times that your heart beats per minute, and when you are relaxed this is known as your resting heart rate.

Most adults have a resting heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute, according to the NHS.

Anything lower than 60 beats per minute is considered a low resting heart rate.

An athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats a minute.

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What is a good resting heart rate by age?

Typically 60 and 100 bpm is considered normal, but this can increase if you are walking around, instead of sitting still.

To work out your maximum heart rate, you can take your age away from 220.

For example, the maximum rate for a 42-year-old is 220 – 42 = 178 bpm (beats per minute).

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This amount increases during exercise and the British Heart Foundation has revealed what your heart rate should be when you do.

For a 42-year-old exercising, you need to multiple the maximum bpm (178) by the intensity of your work out.

If you are working out at 50 per cent effort, this will be 89bpm, and if it is at 70 per cent this will be around 125bpm.

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How do I check my heart rate?

Checking your heart rate is as simple as counting your pulse.

You can find your pulse in places where an artery is close to the skin, such as your wrist or neck.

The easiest place is on your wrist:

1. Hold out one of your hands with your palm facing upwards
2. Place the first index finger and middle finger on the inside of your wrist at the base of your thumb
3. Press your skin lightly until you feel a pulse
4. Once you have found your pulse you can either count the number of beats you feel for a while minute or count the number of beats you feel for 15 seconds and multiply it by four.