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Your resting heart rate is a measure of your general health and the condition of your heart. It is a useful indicator of the progress you are making, as it will decrease as you get fitter.
Since a strong cardiovascular system causes your heart to pump more blood with each beat, a lower heart rate usually equates to a higher aerobic fitness.
How to measure your resting heart rate?
- Measure your heart rate in the morning, just after you wake up.
- You can measure your heart rate in two places, on the neck or on the wrist.
- To check your heart rate through the carotid artery, place your index and middle fingers in your neck next to your windpipe.
- To check your heart rate through your wrist, place your index and middle fingers between the bone and tendon over your radial artery, on the palm side of your wrist below the thumb.
- Count the number of strokes you feel in 60 seconds counting the first stroke as “zero”.
- Do this for three days and calculate the average.
What is your resting heart rate?
- 60 or less = Good
- 61 to 80 = Medium
- 81 to 100 = High but still acceptable
- 101 or more = Abnormally high (not good!)
Be sure to also try our FREE program to get fit in 4 minutes.