Your pulse rate is your heart rate. It's the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Learning how to check your pulse the correct way may help you know if your heart is beating too slow or too fast.

Understanding the Context

You can feel your pulse in an artery in your wrist or in your neck. The wrist artery is called the radial artery. Aerobic fitness: Heart rate at rest Your heart rate at rest is a measure of heart health and fitness. For most adults, a healthy heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Key Insights

To check your pulse at the blood vessel in the neck called the carotid artery, place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. Normal Slow Walking Heart Rate Causes of Faster Heart Rate Measuring Heart Rate How to Lower Heart Rate When to See a Doctor You may know your target heart rate when working out or your ideal heart ... A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. A heart rate above or below that may signal a health condition. High blood pressure is called hypertension.

Final Thoughts

This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level. It also can help you understand if you need to take some steps to improve your numbers. Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A blood pressure reading has two numbers. Tachycardia (tak-ih-KAHR-dee-uh) is the medical term for a heart rate over 100 beats a minute. Many types of irregular heart rhythms, called arrhythmias, can cause tachycardia.

A fast heart rate isn't always a concern. For instance, the heart rate usually rises during exercise or as a response to stress. Bradycardia can be a serious problem if the heart rate is very slow and the heart can't pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the body. If this happens, you may feel dizzy, very tired or weak, and short of breath.