How to Find Your Resting Heart Rate

By Evette Eickelmann •  Updated: 05/12/23 •  4 min read
How to Find Your Resting Heart Rate - PrudentWellness.com

You need to know how to find your resting heart rate to know your resting heart rate (RHR). And to find your RHR, you need to check your pulse because your pulse tells you what your heart rate is. Allow me to explain.

The human heart is an organ that pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system. It supplies oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes. The heart muscles relax to fill with blood and then squeeze (contract) to pump out the blood. This pumping action creates a pulse.

When you count your heart pulsations, you’re checking your heart rate.

Where to Check Your Pulse

You can measure your heart rate at any point on the body where an artery’s pulsation is close to the surface. However, the two most common areas are the radial artery and the carotid artery:

Though the radial and carotid arteries are the most common locations for detecting a pulse, the following will also provide a pulse location:

Best Time to Check Your Resting Heart Rate

You need to be at rest when you check your heart rate, hence the “resting” heart rate. Therefore, it is generally best to measure it in the morning, right after naturally waking up; that means waking up on your own without an alarm. And it’s best to plan, so have your measuring devices ready the night before.

If checking your heart rate in the morning is not an option, ensure you lie down and rest for several minutes before measuring it.

Methods of Checking Your Resting Heart Rate

The first two methods are widespread, and the latter approach is becoming more common as technology advances:

Conclusion

Once you find out what your resting heart rate is, you’ll have a better idea of your level of health. You’ll know where you stand and if you need to adjust your lifestyle.

If you’re unsure if your resting heart rate is in the range of where it should be, check out my post, The Importance of Having a Healthy Resting Heart Rate.

An accomplished psychotherapist, Nathaniel Branden said, “The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”

Until next time, live sensibly, and be healthy.

Evette Eickelmann

As a devoted follower of Jesus, a loving wife and mother, an advocate for health and fitness, a business owner, a tech enthusiast, a car enthusiast, a Navy veteran, and a seeker of truth, I make it my mission to responsibly manage the blessings that God has given me.