Your resting heart rate (RHR) is a key indicator of your overall heart health and fitness level. The best time to measure your RHR is immediately after waking up in the morning, before you get out of bed or have any caffeine.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Find your pulse: Place your index and middle fingers on your wrist (radial artery) just below the thumb, or on the side of your neck (carotid artery).
Set a timer: You can count for 10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 seconds. Our calculator adjusts the math for you.
Count the beats: Count the number of beats you feel during that time frame.
Calculate: Enter the number of beats and the duration into the calculator above.
Understanding Your Results
A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (BPM). However, a lower heart rate generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute.
RHR Categories by Age and Gender
The table below provides general guidelines for interpreting your numbers based on general population data:
Category
Men (BPM)
Women (BPM)
Athlete
49 – 55
54 – 60
Excellent
56 – 61
61 – 65
Good
62 – 65
66 – 69
Above Average
66 – 69
70 – 73
Average
70 – 73
74 – 78
Below Average
74 – 81
79 – 84
Poor
82+
85+
Factors Affecting Heart Rate
Air Temperature: When temperatures (and humidity) soar, the heart pumps a little more blood, so your pulse rate may increase, but usually no more than 5 to 10 beats a minute.
Body Position: Resting, sitting, or standing, your pulse is usually the same. Sometimes as you stand for the first 15 to 20 seconds, your pulse may go up a little bit, but after a couple of minutes, it should settle down.
Emotions: If you're stressed, anxious, or extraordinarily happy or sad, your emotions can raise your pulse.
Body Size: Body size usually doesn't change pulse. If you are very obese, you might see a higher resting pulse than normal, but usually not more than 100.
Medication Use: Meds that block adrenaline (beta blockers) tend to slow your pulse, while too much thyroid medication or high dosages of caffeine will raise it.
When to See a Doctor
If your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 beats per minute (tachycardia) or if you are not a trained athlete and your resting heart rate is below 60 beats per minute (bradycardia) accompanied by fainting, dizziness, or shortness of breath, you should consult a healthcare professional.
function calculateRHR() {
// 1. Get input values
var beatsInput = document.getElementById('rhr_beats').value;
var durationInput = document.getElementById('rhr_duration').value;
var ageInput = document.getElementById('rhr_age').value;
var genderInput = document.getElementById('rhr_gender').value;
// 2. Validate Inputs
if (beatsInput === "" || durationInput === "" || ageInput === "") {
alert("Please fill in all fields to calculate your heart rate.");
return;
}
var beats = parseFloat(beatsInput);
var duration = parseFloat(durationInput);
var age = parseFloat(ageInput);
if (isNaN(beats) || beats <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number of beats.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(age) || age 120) {
alert("Please enter a valid age.");
return;
}
// 3. Calculate BPM
// Formula: Beats * (60 / Duration in seconds)
var multiplier = 60 / duration;
var bpm = Math.round(beats * multiplier);
// 4. Determine Fitness Level
// Logic based on generalized charts for Men and Women by Age
var rating = "Average";
var ratingClass = "status-average";
// Define function to get rating
rating = getHeartRateRating(bpm, age, genderInput);
// 5. Update UI Classes for Colors
if (rating === "Athlete") ratingClass = "status-athlete";
else if (rating === "Excellent") ratingClass = "status-excellent";
else if (rating === "Good") ratingClass = "status-good";
else if (rating === "Above Average") ratingClass = "status-good";
else if (rating === "Average") ratingClass = "status-average";
else if (rating === "Below Average") ratingClass = "status-average"; // share color
else ratingClass = "status-poor";
// 6. Display Results
document.getElementById('bpm_display').innerHTML = bpm + " BPM";
var statusSpan = document.getElementById('fitness_level');
statusSpan.innerHTML = rating;
statusSpan.className = "rhr-status " + ratingClass;
var interpretationText = "";
if (bpm 100) {
interpretationText = "Your heart rate is above 100 BPM (Tachycardia). This is considered high for a resting state.";
} else {
interpretationText = "Your resting heart rate falls within the " + rating + " range for your age and gender.";
}
document.getElementById('rhr_interpretation').innerText = interpretationText;
document.getElementById('rhr_result').style.display = "block";
}
function getHeartRateRating(bpm, age, gender) {
// Simplified Logic matrix based on standard RHR charts
// MEN
if (gender === 'male') {
if (age >= 18 && age <= 25) {
if (bpm <= 55) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 61) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 65) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 73) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 81) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 35) {
if (bpm <= 54) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 61) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 65) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 70) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 74) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 81) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 45) {
if (bpm <= 56) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 62) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 66) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 70) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 75) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 82) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 55) {
if (bpm <= 57) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 63) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 67) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 71) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 76) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 83) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else { // 56+
if (bpm <= 55) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 61) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 67) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 71) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 75) return "Average";
if (bpm = 18 && age <= 25) {
if (bpm <= 60) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 65) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 73) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 78) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 84) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 35) {
if (bpm <= 59) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 64) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 72) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 76) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 82) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 45) {
if (bpm <= 59) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 64) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 73) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 78) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 84) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else if (age <= 55) {
if (bpm <= 60) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 65) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 73) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 77) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 83) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
} else { // 56+
if (bpm <= 59) return "Athlete";
if (bpm <= 64) return "Excellent";
if (bpm <= 69) return "Good";
if (bpm <= 73) return "Above Average";
if (bpm <= 77) return "Average";
if (bpm <= 84) return "Below Average";
return "Poor";
}
}
// Fallback
return "Average";
}