You can also measure your pulse without devices such as a smartwatch, cell phone or special medical technology. How it works instead and what you need for it, we explain in our instructions.
Doctors usually use a special blood pressure monitor to determine the pulse. Smartwatches and smartphones often have this function these days. It is also possible to measure your heart rate without any devices: you only need your fingers and a watch with a second hand. Here you can find out how to find out your heart rate in this way, which values are normal and what they depend on.
Why you should measure your heart rate regularly
A regular pulse check can help you to identify changes in your body and signs of possible illnesses. For example, a permanently high pulse can be a sign of a cardiac arrhythmia. This is one of the reasons why the Deutsche Herzstiftung eV recommends measuring your own pulse regularly. It works very easily even without devices.
Measure your heart rate without a device: this is how it works
All you need to measure your heart rate without devices is your own fingers and a watch with a second hand.
You should always measure your resting heart rate when you are relaxed. So it is advisable to measure your pulse in the morning after waking up or after you have been sitting or lying down for a few minutes.
Your heart rate can be easily measured wherever there is a large artery. The artery on the inside of your wrist is particularly well suited.
How to measure your heart rate without a device:
- Place two or three fingers on the inside of your wrist, below your thumb. With slight pressure you should be able to feel your pulse. Don’t press too hard or you’ll squeeze the vein and you won’t be able to feel a pulse there.
- Another place where the pulse can be measured is the carotid artery. To do this, place your fingers on the side of your neck, below your jaw.
- Now count your pulse beats for 30 seconds. Multiply the value by two and you know your heart rate per minute.
Which heart rate is normal?
(Photo: CC0 / Pixabay / stux)
Adults have a resting heart rate of around 60 to 80 beats per minute. However, the heart rate depends on the weather, fitness level, age and gender. For example, on average, women have a higher resting heart rate than men. Trained athletes have a lower resting heart rate on average because their heart is trained to pump more blood into the main artery per beat.
According to the German Heart Foundation, the following normal values for the resting heart rate apply in the various age groups:
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Newborns: 120 to 140 beats per minute
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Infants: 100 to 120 beats per minute
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Older children and adolescents: 80 to 100 beats per minute
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Adults: 60 to 80 beats per minute
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Seniors: In old age, the resting heart rate can rise again slightly
What if the resting heart rate is too high or too low?
If you measure your heart rate regularly and find that it is not within normal values, you should clarify the cause.
Pulse too low:
A resting heart rate below 40 is too low a heart rate for people who are not extremely well trained. If there are symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness, shortness of breath or even fainting, it becomes dangerous and you should seek medical help.
Pulse too high:
A high resting heart rate can be triggered by too much caffeine, stress or various illnesses. For example, if you have a fever, your resting heart rate increases. A consistently high heart rate at rest can be a warning sign of a cardiac arrhythmia. The heart specialist at the German Heart Foundation, Thomas Meinertz, advises that a resting heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute should always be examined by a doctor.
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