Understanding how heart rate varies by age group

One thing that is important to understand is that a heart rate is not constant throughout a lifetime, and it needs to be maintained in order for a person to stay healthy. Understanding what is average for each specific age range may allow for good management of a person’s heart health. The following article will give further details on how the heart rate progressively changes with aging and what factors can affect these values.

What is a normal heart rate?

Heart rate is referred to as the number of beats of a heartbeat per minute and is a good indicator of one’s cardio health. In most adults, one’s baseline heart rate is between 60 to 100 bpm; however, age, lifestyle, and fitness activity do play critical l factors. Generally, younger individuals tend to have a higher baseline heart rate, and over time this number drops.

Why heart rate varies with age

The changes that occur in the heart rate of a person can be understood best with respect to the changes that take place within the cardiovascular system with time. There is an efficiency gained as one’s heart gets older, which means that one’s heart rate automatically decreases when it’s at rest. For example, a newborn may possess a heart rate of 120-160 bpm, while an adult’s resting heart rate may be very close to 70 bpm. Growth Heart Rate & Metabolism: Babies and children tend to have increased metabolic rates, which causes their hearts to beat faster. Development and efficiency: As aging occurs, the heart ‘learns’ how to work more efficiently, and thus the person will have a lower resting heart rate. Lifestyle and health: Factors such as stress, physical fitness, and overall health would determine one’s heart rate regardless of their age.

Heart rate ranges by age group

To visualize and appreciate the variances across certain age groups of the heart rate, below is the demonstration of ranges across narrow classes of ages:

• Newborns (0-3 months): 120-160, Default: 140

• Infants (3-6 months): 100-150, Default: 125

• Children (1-10 years): 70-130, Default: 100

• Adolescents (10-18 years): 60-100, Default: 80

• Adults (18+ years): 80—Responds to exercise—change and health change

• Older adults (65+ years): 60-80 – As age increases, so does resting heart rate.

How to measure your heart rate effectively

To check heart rate, one can use a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker or can try counting their heartbeats on their own. If you wish to measure it on your own, you will place your fingers on your pulse at your wrist or neck and count how many times your heart beats within 15 seconds. You then take that number and multiply it by 4 to get your beats per minute. Also, to get consistent results, ideally one should check their resting heart rate first thing upon waking up in the morning.

Factors affecting heart rate

Then consider many factors apart from age that may alter your heart rate.

• Physical activity: Over a span of time, exercising on a regular basis may lower the resting heart rate, and if someone exercises highly, it may raise it for a short amount of time.

• Stress: Stress may trigger anxiety, which in turn causes your adrenal glands to release adrenaline, increasing your heart rate.

• Medication: Certain medications, such as beta-blockers, have been reported to lower one’s heart rate; however, other medications, such as stimulants, may cause a spike in heart rates.

• Illness: Heart rates may increase for a bit due to body temperature increasing as a result of a fever or other infections.

When to be concerned about your heart rate

Although several heart rates can be expected to vary due to a large number of reasons, some drastic ranges can be concerning. One cause of concern regarding heart rate is if your resting heart rate stays above 100 beats or drops below 60 beats for a duration of time as an adult. Both of these conditions are known by the terms tachycardia and bradycardia, respectively. The symptoms of lightheadedness, breathing difficulties, as well as heart palpitations, accompanying unusual changes in heart rates, should warrant a visit to a doctor.

Conclusion

Such different frameworks of what the resting heart rate is based on age employ the understanding of how to be effectively responsible on the part of anyone concerned with their heart’s well-being. Constant check-ups of the heart, even when normal, are what one requires in order to make sound decisions regarding their health. Caring for one’s heart helps in ensuring a sound life balance throughout the lifetime.