The resting heart rate for an adult normally ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute. To benefit from any exercise program, you should monitor your heart rate frequently during exercise and stay between 50 and 85 percent of your target heart rate, which varies based on your age and fitness level. Know your heart rate and how to take it when beginning any exercise program. This can help you identify when you have reached your target rate and help identify any potential issues. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
Step 1
Turn either arm over to where your wrist faces up. You will use your index and middle fingers from your opposite hand to feel for your pulse.
Step 2
Move the two fingers over your up-turned wrist beneath your thumb until you feel your pulse. Don't press too hard or use your thumb to find your pulse. The thumb can give a false pulse reading because of the vein carrying blood through the thumb, and pressing too hard could block blood flow through your vein.
Step 3
Look at a watch with a second hand. Count the number of times the blood pulses beneath your two fingers for 10 seconds. To get your heart rate's beats per minute, multiply that number by six.
Things You'll Need
- Watch with second hand
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