You can feel your pulse anywhere an artery runs close to the skin’s surface, but the easiest spot for most people is the inside of the wrist. Place the pads of your index and middle fingers on the thumb side of your wrist, just below the base of your hand, and press gently until you feel a steady throb. That’s your radial artery, and each beat you feel corresponds to one contraction of your heart.
Finding the Wrist (Radial) Pulse
Turn one hand palm-up and look at the base of your wrist on the thumb side. You’ll notice two tendons running down the center of your forearm. The radial artery sits in the shallow groove just to the outside of those tendons, between them and the wrist bone.
Use the tips of your index and middle fingers, not your thumb. Your thumb has its own pulse, and pressing it against your wrist can create a confusing double beat that throws off your count. Apply light, steady pressure. Pushing too hard can actually compress the artery and make the pulse harder to detect. If you don’t feel anything right away, shift your fingers slightly toward the edge of your wrist or adjust your pressure until the beat becomes clear.
Finding the Neck (Carotid) Pulse
Your carotid artery carries blood up through your neck to your brain, and it produces a strong, easy-to-find pulse. Place your index and middle fingers on the side of your neck, in the soft groove just beside your windpipe. You should feel a firm beat almost immediately because this artery is large and sits close to the surface.
The carotid pulse is especially useful during exercise, when a faster heart rate can make the wrist pulse harder to isolate. One important note: press gently, and only check one side of your neck at a time. Pressing hard on both carotid arteries simultaneously can reduce blood flow to the brain and make you feel lightheaded.
Other Pulse Points Worth Knowing
The wrist and neck are the go-to spots, but pulses can be felt at several other locations on the body. Each has a specific use.
- Inside of the elbow (brachial pulse): This is the standard location for checking a baby’s pulse, since an infant’s neck is short and their wrist is tiny. Lay the baby on their back, bend one arm so the hand is near the ear, and press gently on the inner arm between the shoulder and elbow.
- Top of the foot (dorsalis pedis pulse): You can feel this pulse in the groove between the first and second long bones of the foot, roughly in line with the space between your big toe and second toe. Doctors check this spot to assess circulation in the legs and feet.
- Behind the inner ankle bone (posterior tibial pulse): Another checkpoint for lower-leg circulation, located in the hollow just behind the bony bump on the inside of your ankle.
How to Count Your Heart Rate
Once you’ve found the pulse, you need a clock or timer. The most accurate method is to count every beat for a full 60 seconds. That gives you your heart rate in beats per minute (bpm) with no math required.
If you want a quicker reading, count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by two. Cleveland Clinic recommends this as a practical approach. You can also count for 15 seconds and multiply by four, or even 10 seconds and multiply by six. The shorter the counting window, the faster you get a number, but any error in your count gets magnified. Miscounting by one beat in 10 seconds translates to a 6 bpm error, while miscounting by one beat in 60 seconds is just a 1 bpm error. For a routine check, 30 seconds strikes a good balance between speed and accuracy.
What a Normal Pulse Feels Like
A healthy resting pulse has a steady, even rhythm, like a metronome. Each beat should feel roughly the same strength, with equal spacing between beats. For most adults, a normal resting heart rate falls between 60 and 100 bpm. Well-trained athletes often have resting rates in the 40s or 50s because their hearts pump more blood per beat.
Children’s hearts beat faster. Newborns typically range from 100 to 205 bpm, toddlers from 98 to 140, and school-age kids from 75 to 118. By adolescence, the range settles into the adult window of 60 to 100 bpm. These numbers apply when a person is awake and resting. Sleep lowers heart rate, and physical activity raises it.
What an Irregular Pulse Feels Like
While counting, pay attention to the rhythm as well as the rate. An irregular pulse might feel like a skipped beat, a sudden extra-strong beat, or an uneven spacing between beats. Some people describe it as a flutter or a momentary pause followed by a harder thump. Occasional skipped beats are common and often harmless, especially after caffeine or during periods of stress. But a pulse that consistently feels irregular, or one that races above 100 bpm or drops below 60 bpm at rest (without being an athlete), is worth bringing up with a doctor.
Factors That Change Your Reading
Your heart rate is not a fixed number. It shifts throughout the day in response to what your body is doing and what’s happening around you. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can all raise your resting rate temporarily. So can stress, anxiety, dehydration, and fever. Even ambient temperature matters: heat increases heart rate as your body works to cool itself.
Medications play a role too. Some cold medicines and decongestants speed things up, while blood pressure medications often slow the heart down. For the most consistent reading, check your pulse first thing in the morning before getting out of bed, or after sitting quietly for at least five minutes. This gives you a true resting baseline you can track over time.
Tips for a Clear, Accurate Reading
If you’re having trouble finding your pulse, a few adjustments usually help. First, make sure your hand and arm are relaxed. Tension in the forearm muscles can make the radial pulse harder to detect. Resting your arm on a table or your lap with the palm facing up puts the wrist in a good position. Second, try different pressure levels. Some people press too lightly, others too hard. You’re looking for that sweet spot where the artery is partially compressed against the underlying bone, making each beat distinct.
Cold hands are another common obstacle. When your fingers or the area you’re checking are cold, blood vessels constrict and the pulse becomes faint. Warming your hands for a minute or two can make a noticeable difference. If the wrist still gives you trouble, switch to the neck. The carotid pulse is almost always stronger and easier to find.