Since pulse rates can be an effective predictor of upcoming health complications, it’s important to know how to measure your pulse rate. Normal heart rates tend to vary from person to person, and factors such as lifestyle, activity levels, medications taken, the position of the body, and even the air temperature can have an affect on pulse rates. The best way to determine what your target heart rate should be is talk with your healthcare provider.
Pulse rates can be measured in a few different ways and at various locations on the body, and they can be measured manually or with the use of a heart rate monitor.
Locations for manually checking pulse rates include the:
* Wrist
* Carotid artery - in the neck
* Popliteal artery - behind the knee
* Abdominal aorta - over the abdomen
* Apex of the heart - can be felt if you place your hand/fingers on your chest
* Basilar artery - close to the ear
* Brachial artery - inside the elbow or under the biceps
* Dorsalis pedis - middle dorsum of the foot (the back, or upper surface, of the foot)
* Femoral artery - in the groin
* Posterior tibial artery - the ankle joint
* Superficial temporal artery - the temple
The easiest places to find pulse rates are where the arteries pass closest to the surface of the skin, such as in the wrist and neck.
How to find a pulse in the wrist:
Step 1 – Hold out one hand with the palm facing upwards and the elbow slightly bent
Step 2 – Using the opposite hand, place the index finger and middle finger on the inside of the wrist with the fingers positioned just below the base of the thumb. (see figure 1 below)
Step 3 – Apply slight pressure on the skin until you are able to detect a pulse. If not detected immediately try applying a little more pressure or repositioning your fingers until the pulse is detected
**Note – do not use your thumbs since they have their own pulse, which can interfere with obtaining accurate measurements
Step 4 – Count how many beats are detected within a 20 second time period
Step 5 – Multiply the number of beats by 3 to determine the number of beats per minute
Estimated target heart rates for different ages
Age |
Target HR Zone 50-85% |
Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100% |
20 years |
100-170 beats per minute |
200 beats per minute |
30 years |
95-162 beats per minute |
190 beats per minute |
35 years |
93-157 beats per minute |
185 beats per minute |
40 years |
90-153 beats per minute |
180 beats per minute |
45 years |
88-149 beats per minute |
175 beats per minute |
50 years |
85-145 beats per minute |
170 beats per minute |
55 years |
83-140 beats per minute |
165 beats per minute |
60 years |
80-136 beats per minute |
160 beats per minute |
65 years |
78-132 beats per minute |
155 beats per minute |
70 years |
75-128 beats per minute |
150 beats per minute |
*Table courtesy of the American Heart Association
Regularly monitoring your pulse rate, or even better yet, keeping a log of your pulse rate can be a quick, simple, cheap, and very effective method of predicting health complications, which when detected and diagnosed early on can often be treated and possibly save your life.
Sources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/258118.php
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/All-About-Heart-Rate-Pulse_UCM_438850_Article.jsp
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/GettingActive/Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp