Heart Rate

Heart rate is also known as pulse rate, which is the number of times a person’s heart beats per minute (bpm). A normal adult resting heart rate is between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm) and this rate depends on:

• the person;
• their age and gender;
• body size;
• heart condition;
• what they’ve been doing;
• air temperature;
• what their emotional state is; and
• medication they are taking.

The fitter you are, the lower your resting heart rate is likely to be. Physical activity such as walking, running and swimming are good types of activity because they increase your heart rate and respiration rate. When you undertake physical activity your heart rate will increase and when you are sleeping your pulse will be lower than your resting rate.

It is advised to seek advice from your medical team before undertaking a new programme of activity or if your resting heart rate is continuously above 120 bpm or below 50 bpm.