What Your HeartBeat Says About Your Health

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how to test your resting heart rate

The number of beats per minute when you’re completely at rest is often an indicator of fitness. To determine your resting heart rate, check it before you get out of bed in the morning after waking naturally.

Here’s how to measure your resting heart rate:

To measure at the neck: Place your index and middle finger just to the side of your Adam’s apple, in the soft, hollow area. Press firmly until you locate the pulse.

To measure at the wrist: Place your index and middle finger over the underside of your opposite wrist, below the base of the thumb. Press firmly with your fingers until you feel the pulse.

Once you find the pulse: Count your heartbeats for a full minute, or count for 15 seconds and multiply that count by four to arrive at your beats per minute.

See target heart rates.