Heart Rate Calculator / Measure your heart rate
Ekg Calculate Heart Rate
Turn a pulse count, ECG boxes or an R-R interval into beats per minute.
Your result
Enter your numbers and press the button. Your result appears here.
How heart rate is counted
Heart rate is the number of beats in one minute. You can count your pulse for part of a minute and scale it up, or read it from an ECG.
bpm = beats × 60 ÷ seconds · ECG: 300 ÷ large boxes = 1500 ÷ small boxes = 60 000 ÷ R-R (ms)
On standard ECG paper (25 mm/s), one large box is 0.2 seconds and one small box is 0.04 seconds. Box methods need a regular rhythm; for irregular rhythms count beats on a 6-second strip and multiply by 10.
Irregular rhythms
If beats are irregular, as in atrial fibrillation, box methods are unreliable. Count QRS complexes on a 6-second strip and multiply by 10.
Resting heart rate ranges for adults
| Resting heart rate | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 60 bpm | Below the usual range. Common in fit adults; see a doctor if you have dizziness or fainting. |
| 60–100 bpm | Usual adult range at any age (AHA) |
| Over 100 bpm | Fast (tachycardia). Recheck after resting; see a doctor if it persists. |
Common questions
How do I take my pulse?
Place two fingers on the inside of your wrist below the thumb. Count beats for 30 seconds and double the number.
What is a normal resting heart rate?
60 to 100 beats per minute for adults. Fit people often sit lower, in the 50s.
When should I see a doctor?
If your resting rate is often above 100 or below 50 with dizziness, fainting, chest pain or breathlessness, or if your pulse feels irregular.
Sources
- American Heart Association. Target heart rates chart; All about heart rate.
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:153–156.
- Gulati M et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women. Circulation 2010;122:130–137.
- Karvonen MJ et al. The effects of training on heart rate. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn 1957;35:307–315.
- Cole CR et al. Heart-rate recovery immediately after exercise as a predictor of mortality. N Engl J Med 1999;341:1351–1357.
- Uth N et al. Estimation of VO2max from the ratio between HRmax and HRrest. Eur J Appl Physiol 2004;91:111–115.