Read this article to learn about heart rate:
- when is a high heart rate an emergency?
- what to do if you think your heart rate is high on your fitness tracker
- how to measure heart rate
- what is normal heart rate for different ages
- how tracking heart rate can help you improve your health
- more information about heart health and #knowyournumbers
When is a high heart rate an emergency?
If you suddenly notice a change in your heartbeat that is accompanied by any of the following:
• shortness of breath
• chest tightness, or pain dizziness or light-headedness
• fainting
• exercise intolerance
It could be a sign of a serious heart complication, and you should contact 111 for advice.
Read on below to learn about normal heart rates and how to double-check your Apple Watch, Fitbit, Samsung, or other fitness tracker.
What to do if you think your heart rate is high on your fitness tracker
- If you are looking at your fitness tracker right now and worried about your resting heart rate, it would be worth double-checking that your fitness tracker is giving you an accurate reading.
- They can malfunction, I’ve had two trackers malfunction, and give heart-rate readings, double or triple what they should have been.
- The video below by eGPLearning shows how to check your heart rate manually.
How to manually check your heart rate
Normal heart rates for men of different ages
- Normal resting heart rate (RHR) values can range from anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm).
- As cardiovascular fitness increases, the resting heart rate value decreases.
- Resting heart rate is the number of beats per minute the heart takes while a person is fully rested.
- Resting heart rate is indicator of both fitness and general health.
| Men – Age (in years) verus resting heart rate | 18-25 | 26-35 | 36-45 | 46-55 | 56-65 | 65+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athlete | 40-52 | 44-50 | 47-53 | 49-54 | 51-56 | 52-55 | |
| Excellent | 56-61 | 55-61 | 57-62 | 58-63 | 57-61 | 56-61 | |
| Good | 62-65 | 62-65 | 63-66 | 64-67 | 62-67 | 62-65 | |
| Above Average | 66-69 | 66-70 | 67-70 | 68-71 | 68-71 | 66-69 | |
| Average | 70-73 | 71-74 | 71-75 | 72-76 | 72-75 | 70-73 | |
| Below Average | 74-81 | 75-81 | 76-82 | 77-83 | 76-81 | 74-79 | |
| Poor | 82+ | 82+ | 83+ | 84+ | 82+ | 80+ |
How tracking heart rate can help you improve your health
You can monitor your health and exercise, and thus avoid problems, with the simplest wearable health trackers, the advantages are:
- wearing a tracker on your wrist day-and-night means you get a good measure of resting heart rate from when you sleep
- during the day you get a clear picture of how much exercise you are getting, day by day, week-on-week, month by month, making it easy to spot trends
- most health trackers and apps will nudge you to move about during the day [sitting still for too long can be bad for your health]
- at night, heart-rate tracking can monitor how good your sleep is, helping you to avoid any bad sleeping habits
- We recommend FitBit as good, hard wearing and simple to use fitness tracker, click here to view on Amazon
More information about heart health
You can find out more information about heart health on the following web sites:
- www.nhs.uk for general health advice
- The British Heart Foundation
If you are over 40 the NHS recommends you check your blood pressure every five years, to find out more visit our web page to #knowyournumbers