Heart rate is basically another name for your pulse. It's the number of times your heart beats within 60 seconds. Periodically measuring your heart rate can help indicate the state of your health, especially when the rate of your heart changes from what's normal for you. Increases in heart rate may be an indication of an underlying condition and you should talk to a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Resting Heart Rate
Resting heart rate is best described as your heart rate at rest. It's the number of times your heart beats without physical exertion, which helps to indicate the overall function of this organ. According to Dr. Edward Laskowski, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist with the Mayo Clinic, adults typically have a resting heart rate of anywhere between 60 to 100 beats per minute. The lower the number, the better your cardiovascular fitness.
Maximum Heart Rate
Maximum heart rate is often characterized as the maximum number of beats your heart can take in a minute. It's often used to determine the target heart rate during exercise. The American Heart Association sets your maximum heart rate at 220 beats per minute minus your age. If you're 32 years old, your maximum heart rate is 188 beats per minute, whereas someone who is 50 would have a maximum heart rate of 170 beats per minute.
Target Heart Rate
Target heart rate is the number of beats per minute you want your heart to take during physical activity. For most people, a good goal for their target heart rate is 50 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate. When first starting an exercise program, you generally want to keep your heart rate near the low end of this target range, while the high end is best when your fitness level improves. A 32-year-old has a target heart rate of 94 to 159 beats per minute, while a 50-year-old has a target range of between 85 and 144 beats per minute.
Tachycardia/Bradycardia
Tachycardia is a faster than normal heart rate, while bradycardia is a slower than normal heart rate. With tachycardia, your heart rate is much faster than the 60 to 100 beats per minute seen in a healthy adult. It's often accompanied by symptoms like shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness and chest pain. With bradycardia, your heart rate slows to lower than 60 beats per minute. Like tachycardia, it's also accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness and chest pain, but you may also experience weakness, fatigue, confusion and tiring during physical exertion.
Pulse
To measure any one of these heart rates, place two fingers on the neck or underside of the wrist. Count the number of beats your heart takes over the course of 30 seconds and then multiply this number by two to arrive at your heart rate at rest or during physical exertion.
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