For most healthy adults, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, other factors can affect your resting heart rate, such as stress, anxiety, hormones, medication, and physical activity level. Its a good idea to take your pulse occasionally to get a sense of whats normal for you and to identify unusual changes in rate or regularity that may warrant medical attention. The best time to get your resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, even before you get out of bed. There is no specific good resting heart rate, but well-trained athletes can have numbers in the 40s. However, a heart rate that slow for the average person would be concerning and should prompt a call to your doctors office, especially if you felt weak, lightheaded, or short of breath. On the other end of the scale, a resting heart rate that is consistently above 90 beats per minute is also something your doctor should be aware of.

Here are the expected resting heart rate ranges for children while they’re awake:

• Up to 1 month: 70 to 190 bpm
• From 1 to 11 months: 80 to 160 bpm
• From 1 to 2 years: 80 to 130 bpm
• From 3 to 4 years: 80 to 120 bpm
• From 5 to 6 years: 75 to 115 bpm
• From 7 to 9 years: 70 to 110 bpm
• Over 10 years: 60 to 100 bpm

When exercising, a person’s heart rate should fall within the appropriate target heart rate zone for their age, which is presented as a range known as the target heart rate zone. The following table shows the appropriate target heart rate zone for a range of ages. A person’s heart rate should fall within this range when exercising at 50 to 80 percent intensity, also known as exertion.