To check your pulse, place the pads of your index and middle fingers on the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb, and press gently until you feel a steady throb. Count the beats for 60 seconds, and that number is your heart rate in beats per minute. A normal resting heart rate for adults falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute, though athletes and very active people can run as low as 40.
That’s the short version. Below is everything you need to get an accurate reading, including where else to find a pulse, how to check it on a child, and what the numbers actually tell you.
The Wrist (Radial Pulse)
The wrist is the most common place to check your own pulse because the artery runs close to the surface and is easy to reach. The spot you’re looking for is on the inner side of your wrist, in line with your thumb, about a finger’s width above the crease where your hand meets your forearm.
Use the pads of your index and middle fingers, not your thumb. Your thumb has its own pulse, which can confuse the count. Press lightly enough to feel each beat without flattening the artery. If you push too hard, you’ll actually block the blood flow and lose the pulse entirely. Once you feel the rhythm, watch a clock or start a timer and count every beat for a full 60 seconds. You can also count for 30 seconds and multiply by two, but a full minute gives you a more accurate number and makes it easier to notice irregular beats.
The Neck (Carotid Pulse)
The carotid artery in your neck carries a larger volume of blood than the one in your wrist, so the pulse there is stronger and easier to find. This makes it especially useful during exercise or in an emergency when you need to confirm someone has a heartbeat quickly.
To find it, place the tips of your index and middle fingers in the soft groove between your windpipe and the large muscle that runs along the side of your neck. Press gently. You should feel a firm, rhythmic throb almost immediately.
There are a few important safety rules for the neck. Never press on both sides at the same time, because compressing both carotid arteries can make you dizzy, lightheaded, or cause you to faint. Don’t press hard. Light pressure is all you need, and too much force can temporarily block blood flow to the brain. If you’ve ever been told you have plaque buildup in your neck arteries, skip the carotid pulse entirely and use your wrist instead.
Checking a Pulse on an Infant
For babies under one year old, the standard site is the brachial artery on the inside of the upper arm, between the elbow and shoulder. Lay the baby’s arm out to the side, turn the palm up, and press your fingertips gently into the soft area on the inner arm. Use very light pressure, because an infant’s arteries are small and easy to compress shut.
That said, even trained people find the brachial pulse surprisingly tricky. In one study of 102 participants, fewer than half correctly located it by palpation, while 82% accurately detected the heartbeat by placing a bare ear directly on the baby’s chest. If you’re having trouble feeling the brachial pulse, listening at the chest is a faster and more reliable backup.
Normal Heart Rates by Age
What counts as “normal” depends heavily on age. Infants and young children have much faster resting heart rates than adults because their hearts are smaller and need to beat more often to circulate blood. Here are the ranges, in beats per minute:
- Newborn to 3 months: 110 to 160
- 3 to 6 months: 100 to 150
- 6 to 12 months: 90 to 130
- 1 to 3 years: 80 to 125
- 3 to 6 years: 70 to 115
- 6 to 12 years: 60 to 100
- 12 to 18 years: 60 to 100
- Adults: 60 to 100
Numbers outside these ranges aren’t automatically a problem, but they’re worth paying attention to, especially if they come with symptoms like dizziness, chest discomfort, or shortness of breath.
What Can Throw Off Your Reading
Your heart rate isn’t a fixed number. It shifts throughout the day based on what your body is dealing with. The biggest variable is posture: simply standing up from a lying position triggers your nervous system to speed things up, pushing your heart rate higher than it was moments before. If you want a true resting measurement, sit quietly for at least five minutes before you start counting.
Caffeine, stress, and temperature also raise heart rate by activating the same branch of your nervous system that governs the fight-or-flight response. Even being in an unfamiliar or anxiety-producing environment (the so-called “white coat” effect at a doctor’s office) can bump your reading up by several beats. For the most consistent results, check your pulse at the same time each day, in a comfortable setting, before coffee or exercise. First thing in the morning, still sitting on the edge of the bed, is ideal.
What to Pay Attention to Beyond the Number
Your pulse tells you more than just speed. While you’re counting, notice the rhythm. Each beat should land at a fairly even interval, like a metronome. The occasional skipped or extra beat is common and usually harmless. But if the rhythm feels consistently uneven, with clusters of fast beats followed by pauses, or if it seems chaotic rather than steady, that pattern is worth mentioning to a doctor.
Also pay attention to the strength of each beat. A pulse that feels faint and hard to detect (sometimes called “thready”) can indicate low blood pressure or dehydration. One that pounds forcefully under light finger pressure may reflect high blood pressure, fever, or recent exertion. Neither is necessarily alarming on its own, but tracking these qualities over time gives you a more complete picture of your cardiovascular health than heart rate alone.