Average Resting Heart Rate by Age — Am I Normal?
Measure first thing in the morning, before standing up. Lower is generally better in the 40–70 bpm range.
What's a normal resting heart rate?+
The AHA reference range for healthy adults is 60–100 bpm measured first thing in the morning. Trained endurance athletes commonly sit at 40–55 bpm, which is normal for them. Below 40 in someone untrained, or above 90 in someone otherwise healthy, is worth flagging to a clinician.
Does resting heart rate predict mortality?+
Yes. Aune 2017 (meta-analysis of 87 cohorts) found each 10 bpm increase in resting HR is associated with roughly a 9% rise in all-cause mortality risk, independent of other cardiovascular factors.
How do I measure resting heart rate accurately?+
Wake up naturally, stay supine, count radial pulse for 60 seconds (or use a watch). Repeat on 3–5 mornings and take the median to wash out caffeine/alcohol/illness noise. Apple Watch, Garmin, WHOOP, and Oura all report nightly RHR which is the most reliable home measurement.
Why is my resting heart rate elevated some mornings?+
Alcohol the night before, evening caffeine, illness, dehydration, overtraining, and anxiety can each push morning RHR 5–15 bpm above baseline. A 10+ bpm spike vs your usual is a strong signal to prioritize sleep and skip the workout that day.
Can resting heart rate be too low?+
In trained individuals, RHRs in the 40s and even 30s are normal and healthy. In untrained adults a sub-40 RHR (especially with dizziness, fatigue, or fainting) warrants an ECG to rule out a conduction problem.
What's a normal resting heart rate by age?
American Heart Association reference range for healthy adults is 60–100 beats per minute, measured first thing in the morning before standing up. Trained endurance athletes commonly sit at 40–55 bpm; this is normal for them, not a pathology. Resting HR below 40 in someone untrained, or above 90 in someone otherwise healthy, is worth flagging to a clinician.
Resting HR rises gradually with age in untrained adults — a 60-year-old who was 65 bpm at 30 is often 70+ bpm three decades later, almost entirely a fitness-decline signal rather than 'normal aging.' Each 10 bpm increase in resting HR is associated with roughly a 9% rise in all-cause mortality risk (Aune 2017 meta-analysis of 87 cohorts).
How to measure it accurately
Wake up naturally, stay supine, count the radial pulse for 60 seconds (or use a watch / chest strap). Repeat on 3–5 mornings and take the median to wash out caffeine/alcohol/illness noise. Apple Watch, Garmin, WHOOP, and Oura all report nightly resting HR which is the most reliable home measurement — it's averaged across deep sleep windows when the autonomic nervous system is quietest.
Things that raise short-term resting HR by 5–15 bpm: alcohol the night before, evening caffeine, fever, dehydration, overtraining, anxiety. If your morning RHR is 10+ bpm above your usual baseline, it's a strong signal to sleep and skip the workout.
- American Heart Association — Target Heart Rates Chart.
- Aune D, et al. Resting heart rate and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality — a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017;27(6):504-517.
- Mayo Clinic — What's a normal resting heart rate?
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