Your heart rate, or pulse, is the amount of times your heart beats in one minute. You can measure your own heart rate by placing your second and third fingers next to your windpipe on the side of your neck, then the beats for 15 seconds and multiplying that number by four, says the Mayo Clinic. Calculating your heart rate can give you crucial information about your overall health and help you assess your fitness level.
Influencing Factors
No single heart rate is considered healthy for all people under all circumstances. Your age, size, level of activity, physical fitness and emotions may alter your heart rate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other factors that may influence your heart rate are your body position---whether you're standing, sitting or lying down---and use of medications.
Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate is how many times your heart beats in a minute when you're resting. Infants typically have a resting heart rate of 100 to 160 beats per minute and children between ages 1 and 10 typically have a resting heart beat of 70 to 120 beats per minute, according to MedlinePlus. Although children over age 10 and adults generally have a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute, well-trained athletes may have an even lower resting heart rate of 40 to 60 beats per minute, according to MedlinePlus.
Maximum Heart Rate
Your maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate you can achieve through intense physical activity. Although your physician would need to give you a formal exercise test to determine your maximum heart rate, you can generally estimate your maximum heart rate through a simple formula. According to The Cleveland Clinic, your predicted maximum heart rate is the number 220 minus your age. Therefore, if you are currently 30 years old, your predicted maximum heart rate is 190 beats per minute.
Target Heart Rate
You don't want to reach your maximum heart rate during exercise because you will tire too soon and potentially put your body in too much danger to reap the most benefits from a workout. According to the American Heart Association, your target heart rate---50 to 85 percent of your maximum---is a heart rate that allows you to get the most benefits while pacing yourself. A 35-year-old, for example, would have a target heart rate of 93 to 157 beats per minute because her maximum is 185 beats per minute. Starting at the low end and working your way up is the safest way to exercise if you've generally been sedentary.
Abnormal Heart Rate
See your doctor if you consistently have a resting heart rate higher than 100 beats per minute or if you're not an avid athlete and it's consistently lower than 60 beats per minute, says the Mayo Clinic. Be especially diligent in getting medical advice if you notice other symptoms such as dizziness and shortness of breath, says the Mayo Clinic. Also see your doctor if you notice a firm pulse that lasts over a few minutes, if your heart rate seems irregular or if you have trouble feeling your pulse, says MedlinePlus.
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