What Should My Pulse Rate Be During Exercise?

During exercise, your heart beats faster to deliver blood to your muscles. This increases your heart rate (or pulse). In general, the harder your muscles are working, the higher your heart rate. 

All hearts benefit from exercise, but not at the same intensity, especially if you have heart disease. Tracking your heart rate during exercise is one of the easiest ways to make sure you’re going at a pace that’s right for you.

What is the average heart rate during exercise?

Your age is the most important factor when determining your ideal heart rate during exercise. And your ideal heart rate will vary based on how intensely you want to exercise. When it comes to exercise intensity and your ideal heart rate, there are three numbers to keep in mind.

Heart rate ranges by age

As you age, your maximum and target heart rates should theoretically decrease. But heart and lung fitness can slow that decline. In other words, some older adults are more physically fit than others and may be able to safely reach higher heart rates. The chart below lists basic guidelines. But if you’re newer to exercise, you may find that the exercise needed to reach these target heart rates is too intense.

Children’s resting heart rates vary a lot more than adults. Children may not reach target heart rates, even with vigorous play. But in general, children have healthy heart rate ranges that change as they get older. Resting heart rates based on life stage are:

• Newborn: 100 bpm to 205 bpm

• Infant: 100 bpm to 180 bpm

• 1 to 3 years: 98 bpm to 140 bpm

• 3 to 5 years: 80 bpm to 120 bpm

• 6 to 8 years: 75 bpm to 118 bpm

• Adolescent: 60 bpm to 100 bpm

What should your target heart rate be when exercising?

Your target heart rate depends on your age and the level of exercise intensity you’re aiming for. Calculate your target heart rate as a percentage of your maximum heart rate:

• Moderate-intensity exercise: Your target heart rate should be 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. In the example above, someone who’s 50 years old would keep their heart rate in the 85 bpm to 119 bpm range during moderate exercise.

• High-intensity exercise: This is when your target heart rate is 70% to 85% of your maximum. From the 50-year-old example above, the target heart rate should be between 119 bpm and 145 bpm during high-intensity exercise.

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So, how intense should your exercise be? Each week, healthy adults should:

• Aim for 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise. You can also combine moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise throughout the week to reach your goals.

• Engage in moderate-intensity strength training at least 2 days a week. Focus on full-body, muscle-strengthening activities for maximum health benefits.

It’s important to remember that your exercise routine should be customized for your needs. This is especially important if you:

• Have a history of heart disease

• Take medications that affect heart rate

• Have other exercise limitations

How do you find your target heart rate while exercising?

It's possible to achieve your intended intensity and target heart rate with a broad range of activities — from walking or playing sports to weight lifting. No matter what kind of exercise you do, a wearable heart rate monitor or simple pulse check can keep you on target during your workout.

You can tell if you’re reaching your target heart rate by checking your pulse for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2. You should check your heart rate as soon as you stop exercising. Wearable devices are convenient and accurate for tracking target heart rates.

Who should be careful about their heart rate while working out?

Most people can exercise without any limitations. You can do high-intensity exercise and feel good about the way it improves your health and fitness — without any risks. But there are some conditions that can lead to health complications with heavy exertion.

People with certain personal or medical histories have an increased risk for heart or circulation problems during exercise. For example:

• A history of smoking can cause narrowing of arteries in the heart and throughout your body.

• A high body weight and diabetes can predispose someone to circulation problems and high blood pressure.

• High cholesterol directly contributes to atherosclerosis.

• Heart disease including irregular heartbeats, heart attacks, or decreased pump function (heart failure) can increase risk.

• High blood pressure can lead to long-term damage to arteries. This can also make it harder for the heart to pump blood to muscles and vital organs during exercise.

Exercise is an important part of the treatment for all of these conditions. And not getting any exercise can be riskier than exercise itself. It’s always a good idea to visit a healthcare professional for a regular checkup if you plan to start a new exercise program.

What is considered a dangerous heart rate?

In general, your heart rate shouldn’t go higher than your maximum heart rate based on your age. But if you have underlying health conditions, your maximum rate may be lower than this.

There’s no magic formula that can help you figure out what’s a dangerous heart rate for you. But the answer may be simpler than you think: Listen to your body.

Your body will tell you when your exercise intensity is too high. Exercise will feel hard. But if you feel chest pain or short of breath, these could be signs your heart isn’t getting enough blood. And headaches or dizziness can be signs your brain isn’t getting enough blood.

A dangerous heart rate is:

• Associated with chest pain, severe shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, or dizziness

• Greater than your maximum heart rate

• Lower than your usual resting heart rate

• Very high for unclear reasons (without exercising)

• Irregular and erratic (this can be a sign of arrhythmia like atrial fibrillation)

If something seems unusual to you, don’t push it. Lower your exercise intensity or give your body a chance to rest. And if it happens more than once, it’s best to get checked out. It’s important to see a healthcare professional about any of these symptoms related to heart rate.

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Written by:

Valerie Anne Jones, MD

Val Jones, MD, is a physician who is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR).

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She is co-executive director at Nonclinical Physicians Network and has served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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