Your resting heart rate is just how many times your heart beats per minute when you’re doing absolutely nothing. Sitting. Chilling. Not stressed, not mid-workout, just existing. And that number? It’s quietly telling you a ton about what’s going on inside your body.
According to the American Heart Association, a normal resting heart rate for most adults is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If you’re more physically fit, yours might be on the lower end of that range — or even below it. A well-trained heart pumps more efficiently, so it doesn’t have to work as hard at rest. (That said, a consistently low heart rate can occasionally signal an issue too, so it’s worth mentioning to a doctor if you’re not an athlete and you’re noticing other symptoms.)
But here’s the part that should get your attention: an unusually high resting heart rate — or one that keeps creeping up over time — may signal an increased risk of heart disease or other medical conditions. And a chronically elevated pulse is one of the real early signals we have for systemic issues happening in the body. Not the only signal, but a real one.
Now, before you panic — a single high reading means almost nothing. Your heart rate jumps around based on a lot of things. Stress. Anxiety. Hormones. Certain medications like some antidepressants or blood pressure drugs can move the number too. That’s why Harvard Health recommends checking it a few times per week, at different times of the day, to get a real picture of your baseline — not just a one-off snapshot.
How do you actually check it? Find your pulse on your wrist (inside, below your thumb) or on your neck (just beside your windpipe). Count the beats for 30 seconds, then double it. That’s your resting heart rate in beats per minute. Do it first thing in the morning before you’ve gotten up or looked at your phone. That’s when you’ll get the most accurate baseline.
The point isn’t to obsess over the number. It’s to know it — and notice if it starts changing. Your body is always communicating with you. This is one of the simplest ways to actually listen.