Find out whether your resting heart rate sits in the Athlete, Excellent, Good, Average or Poor band for your age and sex — and see the full bpm range for your group.
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is how many times your heart beats per minute while you're completely at rest — best measured first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. For most adults, the American Heart Association places "normal" anywhere from 60 to 100 bpm, but that broad range hides a lot of nuance: fitter, more trained hearts tend to sit well under 60, sometimes into the 40s for endurance athletes, while a sedentary or stressed heart often sits in the 70s, 80s or higher. Because "normal" varies so much by age and sex, this calculator compares your number against age-and-sex-specific bands rather than a single one-size-fits-all range.
Full breakdown for :
| Category | BPM range |
|---|
Instead of one fixed cut-off, this calculator uses published population reference bands broken down by six age groups (18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65 and 65+) and by sex, since men and women — and different age groups — trend toward different typical resting rates. Each age-and-sex group has five labelled bands: Athlete, Excellent, Good, Average and Poor, running from the lowest (fittest) bpm figures up to the highest. You enter your sex, age and resting heart rate, the calculator maps your age to the correct band, then checks where your bpm value lands within that group's five categories.
For reference, here is the complete set of bands used for men in the 26-35 age group. Your result above uses the matching table for your own age and sex.
| Category | BPM range |
|---|---|
| Athlete | 49–54 bpm |
| Excellent | 55–61 bpm |
| Good | 62–65 bpm |
| Average | 71–74 bpm |
| Poor | over 82 bpm |
Women's bands sit a little higher across the board than men's of the same age, which the calculator accounts for automatically when you select "Female".
| Category | BPM range |
|---|---|
| Athlete | 54–59 bpm |
| Excellent | 60–64 bpm |
| Good | 65–68 bpm |
| Average | 73–76 bpm |
| Poor | over 83 bpm |
The reference figures behind this calculator come from population survey data that groups results into named bands, but the underlying numbers weren't collected as one continuous, evenly-spaced scale — they were reported as discrete bpm ranges for each fitness category. That leaves a handful of bpm values sitting in an unlabelled gap between two named bands, most often between "Good" and "Average". Rather than quietly rounding your result up or down into whichever band looks closest, we think it's more honest to say plainly when your number falls in one of these gaps and show you the two neighbouring bands it sits between. A gap doesn't mean anything is wrong with your heart rate — it just means the original data didn't assign that narrow slice of bpm values a category label.
Resting heart rate is shaped by a mix of things you can train and things you can't. Regular cardiovascular exercise is the biggest lever within your control — as your heart muscle strengthens, it pumps more blood with every beat (a bigger stroke volume), so it needs fewer beats per minute to do the same job, and RHR trends down over weeks and months of consistent training. Genetics also play a real role, setting a baseline that varies from person to person regardless of fitness. Day-to-day, your reading can shift with stress and anxiety, poor or short sleep, dehydration, caffeine or nicotine, a fever or illness, some prescription medications (beta-blockers lower it, some stimulant or thyroid medications raise it), and simply room temperature or how recently you moved around before measuring. Because of this, a single unusual reading rarely means much on its own — what matters more is the trend over several mornings, and a lower RHR over time is generally a sign your cardiovascular system is working more efficiently, not a target to chase to extremes.
What is a good resting heart rate?
It depends on your age and sex, but broadly, anything from the low 60s down into the 40s-50s is considered good to excellent for most adults, while the American Heart Association's general "normal" range for the whole adult population is 60-100 bpm. Use the calculator above for a figure specific to your own age group and sex rather than relying on a single generic number.
Is a resting heart rate of 50 good?
For most men, 50 bpm is very good — it sits in or right next to the Athlete band across most age groups (for example, 49-54 bpm for men aged 26-35). For women, whose bands run a little higher, 50 bpm is actually below even the Athlete range (54-59 bpm for women aged 26-35), which usually just reflects a very efficient heart, but if it comes with dizziness, fatigue or fainting it's worth mentioning to a GP.
Why is my resting heart rate lower than average?
The most common reason is cardiovascular fitness — regular aerobic training increases the amount of blood your heart pumps per beat, so it doesn't need to beat as often at rest. Genetics also play a part, and some medications (such as beta-blockers) deliberately lower heart rate. A low RHR in someone who trains regularly and feels fine is usually a good sign rather than a concern.
Why is my resting heart rate higher than average?
Common everyday causes include poor or insufficient sleep, stress or anxiety, dehydration, caffeine, nicotine, being unwell or fighting off an infection, carrying excess body weight, or simply being less physically active. Some medications can raise it too. If it's a one-off high reading it's rarely significant, but a pattern of consistently elevated readings is worth tracking and discussing with a doctor.
When should I be concerned about my resting heart rate?
Following the general guidance from bodies like the Heart Foundation and Mayo Clinic, a resting heart rate that's consistently above 100 bpm (known as tachycardia) or consistently below 60 bpm in someone who isn't a trained athlete is worth raising with a GP, especially if it's paired with symptoms like dizziness, chest discomfort, breathlessness or fainting. An occasional unusual reading on its own is usually not a cause for alarm.
Does resting heart rate differ between men and women?
Yes, on average women's resting heart rates run a few beats per minute higher than men's of the same age, which is largely related to differences in heart size and stroke volume. That's why this calculator uses separate bpm bands for men and women rather than a single shared scale.
What's the best time to measure resting heart rate?
First thing in the morning, before you get out of bed, sit up, check your phone or have coffee, is the most reliable time — your heart rate is closest to a true resting state before the day's activity, caffeine and stress kick in. Taking your pulse (or using a fitness tracker) over a few consecutive mornings and averaging the readings gives a more reliable figure than a single measurement.
Can I lower my resting heart rate with exercise?
Yes, for most people regular aerobic exercise — walking, jogging, cycling, swimming — is the most reliable way to gradually lower resting heart rate over weeks and months, as your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood. Improvements are usually gradual rather than immediate, and consistency matters more than any single workout.