Aqua Aerobics - PE 245abcd Spring 2004 Resting Heart Rate Worksheet

The resting heart rate represents the minimum number of heart beats needed to sustain the body. The resting heart rate should be taken first thing in the morning upon waking and before getting out of bed. Attempt to do this on a day when you are not wakened by a noisey alarm that gets your adrenaline pumping. Your blood levels of adrenaline, caffeine, and other substances are lowest first thing in the morning and represent the ideal time to take the count.

 Step 1: Use the correct fingers

Use the index and middle finger to find the pulse. The thumb is never used as it has a pulse of it's own that could interfere with a correct count.

Step 2: Locate your pulse

Most people find their pulse in the side of the neck or at the wrist. If you are locating it in the side of your neck, do not press too hard or you could block blood flow to one side of the brain. Tilt your head back slightly and place your fingers in the groove that is to the side and slightly above the Adam's apple. If you are trying to locate the pulse in your wrist, tilt the hand back slightly and place your fingers on the thumb side of your wrist, not in the middle.

Step 3: Count the beats that you feel

The first count begins with zero. Each successive beat you feel is counted 1, 2, 3 and so forth. Continue counting for one full minute.

Step 4: Record the count

 The number should lie somewhere between 45 and 80. An elite athlete will have a low resting heart rate. An older person who is sedentary will have a higher resting heart rate. The higher resting heart rate does not indicate cardiovascular disease but lack of aerobic conditioning.

Drugs affect the resting heart rate. Drugs such as caffeine and those found in cold medications raise the heart rate and do not give a true indication of the resting count. Some drugs, such as LSD, have been known to increase the resting heart rate for months after a single dose has been taken. 

Linda Delzeit-McIntyre