What is a normal resting heart rate for adults?

For most adults, 60 to 100 bpm is considered normal. Many trained individuals are below 60 bpm. Trend direction over time is often more useful than a single value.

How much can resting heart rate change day to day?

Small day-to-day shifts are common. Watch your 7-day average, and pay attention when values stay 5 to 10 bpm above baseline for several days.

How quickly can I lower resting heart rate?

With consistent aerobic training, sleep, and recovery habits, many people see measurable improvement within 6 to 8 weeks.

When should a high resting heart rate concern me?

Persistent elevation plus symptoms like dizziness, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, or palpitations should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Resting Heart Rate by Age: What's Normal and How to Improve It

For most adults, resting heart rate (RHR) between 60 and 100 bpm is considered normal, but context matters. Many trained people sit in the 40s to 60s. The most important signal is your personal trend over time: gradual decreases usually reflect improving aerobic fitness, while persistent increases can indicate stress, poor recovery, or illness.

RHR is one of the easiest high-value metrics to track. It takes less than a minute, costs nothing, and gives a useful window into cardiovascular fitness and recovery status.

Typical resting heart rate by age

Age influences resting heart rate, but training status and lifestyle often matter more. Use age ranges as orientation, not diagnosis. For personalized context, test your score in our resting heart rate evaluator.

18-29: often 60-85 bpm in general population
30-49: often 60-88 bpm
50-65+: often 62-90 bpm

What changes your RHR day to day

Sleep duration and quality
Training load from the previous 24 to 72 hours
Hydration and alcohol intake
Psychological stress and travel
Illness or inflammation

How to measure resting heart rate correctly

Measure immediately after waking, before caffeine or movement.
Use the same method every day: wearable overnight average or manual pulse for 60 seconds.
Track a 7-day rolling average instead of reacting to one day.

How to lower resting heart rate over 8 weeks

Accumulate 150-240 minutes/week of easy aerobic work in Zone 2.
Add 1-2 interval sessions weekly, separated by easy days.
Sleep 7.5-9 hours with stable sleep/wake times.
Keep hydration and carbohydrate intake adequate around training.
Use the recovery calculator to avoid stacking hard sessions on low-readiness days.

When a higher RHR is a red flag

An increase of roughly 5-10 bpm above your normal baseline for multiple days, especially with fatigue, poor sleep, or reduced performance, usually means recovery is insufficient. If you also notice palpitations, chest discomfort, dizziness, or shortness of breath, seek medical care promptly.

Key Takeaways

RHR trends are more useful than one-off readings.
Lower RHR over time usually reflects improved aerobic fitness.
A persistent upward shift often signals stress, illness, or poor recovery.
Measure under consistent conditions and review weekly averages.