What is the normal, high or low heart rate (by age)

The heart rate indicates the number of times the heart beats per minute and its normal value, in adults, varies between 60 and 100 bpm. However, it can vary with age, whether the person does any physical activity or has heart disease.

Basically the more effort the heart needs to make to send blood to the body, the greater the effort and consequently, the higher the heart rate of that person. And the more efficient each heartbeat is, the lower the heart rate will be, so ideally, your heartbeat should always be lower, but not so low that it does not allow blood to reach the entire body, so there is a fee ideal that varies according to age:

Up to 2 years of age: 120 to 140 bpm, Between 8 years to 17 years: 80 to 100 bpm, Sedentary adult: 70 to 80 bpm, Adult who does physical activity and elderly: 50 to 60 bpm.

Although the normal heartbeat is up to 100 bpm, in a tachycardia, the heart can beat up to 400 times per minute, being a risky situation.

The heartbeat is an important indicator of health status, but look at other parameters that may indicate how well you are doing: How to know if I am in good health.

Normal heart rate chart

The following table shows the normal heart rate for men at rest:

Age	18-25 years	26-35 years	36-45 years	46-55 years	56-65 years	+65 years
Great	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
Normal	70-73	71-74	71-75	72-76	72-75	70-73
Less good	74-81	75-81	76-82	77-83	76-81	74-79
Bad	+82	+82	+83	+84	+82	+80

This table already shows the normal heart rate for women at rest:

Age	18-25 years	26-35 years	36-45 years	46-55 years	56-65 years	+65 years
Great	61-65	60-64	60-64	61-65	60-64	60-64
Good	66-69	65-68	65-69	66-69	65-68	65-68
Normal	74-78	73-76	74-78	74-77	74-77	73-76
Less good	79-84	77-82	79-84	78-83	78-83	77-84
Bad	+85	+83	+85	+84	+84	+84

If the frequency is above the values shown in the table, exercise should be performed regularly because this improves the cardiac capacity and thus the heart can pump the same amount of blood, with less effort, which naturally decreases the resting heart rate.

How to measure heart rate

To measure, you can place the index and middle finger on the side of the neck, where the heartbeat can be felt and count how many pulsations are perceived during 1 minute. The calculation can also be done by counting the beats up to 15 seconds and multiplying the result by 4. Another more reliable way is to use a small device called a frequency meter that is placed on the finger, or to use special watches that measure HR. These products can be purchased at medical or sporting goods stores.

What changes heart rate

The main factors that change heart rate are listed below:

Above 100 bpm:

The increase in heart rate is not always caused by a worrying situation. The heart may be beating faster or faster in everyday situations such as:

Faced with strong emotions; Panic attack or anxiety; During sexual intercourse; When there is fever; During exercise; When making some effort; Due to the use of medication; When the pressure is high, See what to do if the pressure is high; Due to ingestion of large amounts of alcohol or caffeine; When there is a heart disease, such as heart failure or heart valve disease, as well as other diseases such as atherosclerosis or hypertension.

When the pressure is high, above 140 x 90 mmHg, there is tachycardia and if the pressure continues to rise, there is a risk of heart attack. Symptoms that may indicate that the person is having or may have a heart attack include pain in the chest or arm, feeling of poor digestion, dizziness and cold sweat. If the person has these symptoms, go to the emergency room or call an ambulance. See what the first symptoms of a heart attack are.

If the person presents this increase in heart rate more than 3 times a week, even when he is at rest, without making any effort, and without any of the situations above, he should go to the cardiologist to do heart examinations, identify the cause and start treatment if necessary.

Below 60 bpm:

A heartbeat of less than 60 beats per minute may be due to aging or just a side effect of certain medications for the heart, for example. However, low HR can also indicate heart problems such as heart block or sinus node dysfunction, especially if it is accompanied by dizziness, tiredness or shortness of breath. Thus, if the person has a weak heartbeat, he should consult a cardiologist to do heart examinations, identify the cause and start treatment, if necessary.

How to normalize your heart rate

If your heart rate is too high, and your heart is racing, what you can do to try to normalize your heart beat at that time is:

Stand and squat a little while supporting your hands on your legs and cough hard 5 times in a row; Take a deep breath and let it out slowly through your mouth, as if you were gently blowing out a candle; Count down from 20 to zero, trying to to calm down.

Thus, the heartbeat should decrease a little, but if you notice that this tachycardia, as it is called, happens frequently, it is necessary to go to the doctor to check what may be causing this increase and if any treatment is needed.

But when a person measures their heart rate at rest and thinks it could be lower, the best way to normalize it is to do physical activity regularly. They can be hiking, running, water aerobics classes or any other activity that leads to physical conditioning.

What is the maximum heart rate to train

The maximum heart rate varies according to the age and the type of activity that the person does daily, but can be verified by performing the following mathematical calculation: 220 minus age (for men) and 226 minus age (for women).

A young adult can have a maximum heart rate of 90 and an athlete can have a maximum heart rate of 55, and this is also related to the physical condition that the individual has. The important thing is to know that the maximum heart rate of an individual, can be different from another and this may not represent any health problem, but physical conditioning.

To lose weight and, at the same time, burn fat you must train in a range of 60-75% of the maximum heart rate, which varies according to the individual's sex and age. See your ideal heart rate to burn fat and lose weight.