Yes, beats per minute (BPM) is the standard unit used to measure heart rate. When someone says their heart rate is 72, they mean 72 beats per minute. The two terms are used interchangeably in everyday conversation, though technically heart rate is the measurement and BPM is the unit, the same way “height” and “feet” aren’t identical but always go together.
That said, there are a few nuances worth knowing, especially around how BPM is measured, what counts as normal, and one situation where the number you feel at your wrist might not match what your heart is actually doing.
BPM Is the Unit, Heart Rate Is the Measurement
Heart rate describes how many times your heart contracts in a given period. Beats per minute is simply the scale used to express that number. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines pulse as “the rate your heart beats,” measured in beats per minute. So when your smartwatch displays “68 BPM,” it’s reporting your heart rate. When your doctor says your heart rate is 68, the implied unit is BPM. In practice, these terms are interchangeable for nearly everyone.
When Heart Rate and Pulse Don’t Match
There’s one important distinction most people don’t know about. Your pulse, the throb you feel at your wrist or neck, is created by blood being pushed through your arteries with each heartbeat. Normally, every heartbeat produces a pulse you can feel, so your pulse rate and heart rate are the same number.
But in certain heart conditions, some beats are too weak to push enough blood to create a detectable pulse. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this can happen with atrial fibrillation (where the heartbeat is fast and chaotic), heart failure (where the heart’s pumping action is too weak), and premature ventricular contractions (extra heartbeats that fire before the heart chambers fill with enough blood). In these cases, a medical device measuring electrical activity in the heart might register a higher BPM than what you’d count by feeling your wrist. For most healthy people, though, the numbers will match.
How to Measure Your BPM
You can check your heart rate with nothing more than two fingers and a clock. Sit quietly for a few minutes first, then place the tips of your index and middle fingers on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side, between the wrist bone and the tendon. Press lightly until you feel each beat. Count the beats for 60 seconds for the most accurate reading. A quicker method is counting for 15 seconds and multiplying by four.
You can also check at your neck by placing two fingertips in the groove next to your windpipe. Don’t press on both sides of your neck at the same time, and don’t press too hard on either spot. Pushing too firmly can actually block blood flow and give you an inaccurate count.
Normal Resting Heart Rate Ranges
For most adults, a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 BPM is considered normal. Athletes and highly active people often sit well below that range. The American Heart Association notes that some athletes have resting heart rates as low as 40 BPM, which is perfectly healthy for them. Regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle over time, allowing it to pump more blood with each beat. A stronger pump means fewer beats are needed per minute to move the same volume of blood.
A resting heart rate consistently above 100 BPM is called tachycardia. A resting rate below 60 BPM is called bradycardia, though in fit individuals this is usually a sign of cardiovascular efficiency rather than a problem. Context matters: 55 BPM in a runner is normal, while 55 BPM paired with dizziness and fatigue in a sedentary person could signal an issue.
Heart Rate During Exercise
Your heart rate rises during physical activity to deliver more oxygen to working muscles. The general formula for estimating your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age, so a 40-year-old would have an estimated max of 180 BPM. A more accurate formula, developed from a large meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, uses 208 minus 0.7 times your age. For that same 40-year-old, that works out to 180 BPM (the two formulas happen to converge around age 40 but diverge at younger and older ages).
The American Heart Association recommends aiming for 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate during moderate exercise, and 70 to 85 percent during vigorous activity. For a 40-year-old using the 220-minus-age formula, that translates to roughly 90 to 153 BPM depending on intensity. These targets decrease with age: a 60-year-old’s range drops to about 80 to 136 BPM.
What Affects Your BPM
Your resting heart rate isn’t a fixed number. It fluctuates throughout the day based on a range of factors. Caffeine, stress, dehydration, and poor sleep can all push it higher. Medications like beta-blockers lower it. Even body position matters: your heart rate is typically a few beats higher when standing than when lying down.
Tracking your resting heart rate over weeks or months gives you a more useful picture than any single reading. A gradual downward trend usually reflects improving fitness. A sudden, sustained increase from your personal baseline, especially paired with fatigue or shortness of breath, is worth paying attention to. The number itself matters less than how it compares to your own normal.