Normal Pulse Rate

It fascinates many of us, to see the doctor checking our pulse during physical examination to determine what's wrong
with our health. It's not so difficult, in fact you can check your pulse on your own. The normal pulse rate is basically
the rate at which your heart beats, when you are resting. Read more on normal pulse rate.

The rhythmic expansion and contraction of the arteries corresponding each beat of heart is referred to as
the pulse in the medical field. In simple words, pulse is the rate at which the human heart beats, indicating
the heart health. The pulse of an individual, or the rate at which his heart beats, can facilitate a quick
evaluation of the individuals health. The pulse can be felt at any spot in the body, wherein the artery is
compressed against the bone. The most prominent spots wherein you can feel the pulse without much
difficulty are

 Wrist - Radial artery.

 Neck - Carotid artery.
 Inside of the elbow - Brachial artery.
 Behind the knee - Popliteal artery.
 Ankle joint - Posterior tibial artery.

You can check your pulse by placing the tip of your index, second or third finger at the spots mentioned
above. The pulse or the frequency of heart beat is measured in beats per minute (BPM).

What is Normal Pulse Rate?

The normal pulse rate for humans, while resting, ranges between 60 to 80 beats per minute. In well-
conditioned athletes, the pulse rate can also be as low as 60. When the pulse rate exceeds the normal
range for a resting pulse, the condition is referred to as tachycardia, and when it falls below the normal
range, the condition is referred to as bradycardia. Immense variations are observed in the heart rate when
the individual indulges in different activities. For instance, while sleeping the pulse rate of the individual
may drop down to as low as 40 beats per minute, whereas while exercising, it may rise to as high as 150 -
200 beats per minute. To understand about normal heart rate read more on what is normal heart rate.

Normal Pulse Rate for Adults: The normal pulse rate for men is approximately 68 to 75 beats per minute,
whereas the normal pulse rate for women is approximately 72 to 80 beats per minute. The normal pulse
rate for adults, at rest or during some physical activity, depends on their age and weight. For instance, a
younger woman will display a higher heart rate than an older woman. Similarly, a woman with more
weight will display a higher heart rate compared to her counterpart with less weight.

Normal Pulse Rate for Children: The normal pulse rate for children varies according to their age. For
instance, the normal pulse rate for an infant would range between 100 to 160 beats per minute, whereas
the same in toddlers or young children would range between 70 to 120 beats per minute. Older children
most often display a pulse rate between 60 to 100 beats per minute.

You can also read more on pulse rate chart which helps to indicate health and fitness of an individual and
resting heart rate chart to check the number of times our heart beats, when at complete rest.

How to Take Pulse Rate?

Measuring your own pulse is not at all a difficult task. As we mentioned earlier, it's easy to feel the pulse
at a few places, such as the wrist and the neck of the body. You just have to place the tip of your index,
middle or ring finger on one of these spots, and press lightly until you feel the blood pulsating beneath the
finger. If you have trouble finding the pulse, you may have to move the fingertip around the area till you
locate it. Once you find it, count the beats for 15 seconds, and multiply the count by 4. This will determine
your pulse rate for a minute. For instance, if you get 18 beats in 15 seconds, multiply 18 by 4 (18 x 4 =
72). This means your heart rate is 72 beats per minute.

A pulse rate exceeding 95 beats per minute, when the individual is at rest, is considered as abnormal. A
high pulse rate is an indication of some abnormality in our body. Faster heart rate can occur due to several
reasons, including fever and anxiety. Checking the normal pulse rate of an individual, can help in
determining various problems with the individual, but that doesn't mean you can solely depend on pulse
for diagnosis. Pulse is just a basic tool of diagnosis, and hence should be used only for primary diagnosis.
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