normal heartbeat?

szwych
szwych Posts: 3 Member
edited December 13 in Health and Weight Loss
hi all, i recently purchased a fitbit charge 2 to try and reach my goals faster. it says my heartbeat is over 100 bpm most of the time, and i wonder if that's normal for an 18 year old female? i haven't tracked any exercise with my fitbit yet, this is just resting bpm. should i start worrying and make a doctor's appointment, or is it okay?

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Is it telling you that's your resting heart rate, or is that just the heart rate you see at a random moment when you're resting? (They're not exactly the same thing.)

    Generic "normal" resting heart rate is 60-100bpm for adults, according to US norms, so 100 would be high normal. There's a lot of individual variation, but higher rates are more common among people who are not very active and who are over a healthy weight; lower rates (even below 60) are more common among people who are athletically active (and have been for a while).

    If you're worried, see your doctor. If you have any negative cardiovascular symptoms (feeling of flutter/racing of heart, faintness, chest pain, etc.), definitely see your doctor.
  • Eternally_Hers
    Eternally_Hers Posts: 26 Member
    Generally speaking for an adult, 100bpm or higher is considered too fast. The average is usually 60-90bpm. Your heart rate can fluctuate by the minute which is influenced by whether you are sitting, standing, laying down, medications if you're taking any or even how stressed/relaxed you are. Just to be safe, I'd recommend going to a doctor. They will give you a proper assessment of what is going on.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    What are you doing "most of the time" when you see 100 bpm? Sitting in a chair reading, or moving around?
  • szwych
    szwych Posts: 3 Member
    thanks AnnPT77 & Eternally_Hers, i'll make an appointment! it's my resting heartbeat, not just at a random time while checking.

    lorrpb: i was usually sitting down while it was logged, so is that good or bad? i have no idea, i'm new to all this
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's certainly high, is this the first time you have monitored your RHR?
    RHR varies a lot through the day depending on things like stress, caffeine, eating... A first thing in the morning reading is often more consistent.

    Concern that you are at the high end would be sensible together with a plan to get fitter but "worry" is probably too strong a reaction if you have no other symptoms. Worth a mention if you happen to have a Doctor's appointment coming up.


    Advice from the NHS website...
    Most adults have a resting heart rate between 60 and 100bpm.

    The fitter you are, the lower your resting heart rate is likely to be. For example, athletes may have a resting heart rate of 40 to 60bpm, or lower.

    See a GP to get checked if you think your heart rate is continuously above 120bpm or below 40bpm, although it may simply be that this is normal for you.
  • twatson4936
    twatson4936 Posts: 121 Member
    If you start a program such as couch to 5k you will see that RHR drop significantly. Make sure you speak with the doc to make sure everything is in order before starting an exercise plan. One key thing is choosing an exercise you like. If you don't enjoy the exercise time then you will find it very difficult to keep it going. Good luck to you.
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    I also have the Fitbit Charge 2 I have a fitbit for almost 3 years and I have worn it daily. I know it sometimes takes a week or so wearing it at all times to get a true resting heart rate. your 100 bpm does seem very high to me. I am a 29 year old female and my resting is 58 BPM. I do notice even though my heart rate goes higher during my gym session the rest of the evening it's lower and even goes down to 50ish bpm while i'm sleeping.
  • AT0M1CR00ST3R
    AT0M1CR00ST3R Posts: 17 Member
    I don't know your BMI but if a person is overweight/obese it is possible to have a resting heart rate greater than 100 bpm. Losing weight will lower your heart rate. Though I suspect the >100bpm is caused by the above, I cannot be certain since I know nothing about you nor am I a doctor. Tachycardia is a medical condition and can have various causes. It might be a good idea to visit a physician.
  • Katelin7141
    Katelin7141 Posts: 13 Member
    Hi, nurse Katelin (RN) here. Normal for adults is usually between 60 - 100 bpm. Of course, this can vary depending on how fit or unfit you are, medications, stress, etc. Never trust the heart rate monitors 100%. I would first check your pulse manually by feeling your pulse in your wrist and counting it to one minute and compare it to your monitor. If your pulse continually stays above 100 at rest then I would see your physician just in case. :smile:
    Let me know if you need help checking your own pulse.
  • szwych
    szwych Posts: 3 Member
    sijomial: i'm required to see a doc multiple times a month because of my mental health condition, so i'll just mention it during the next check up! thank you :smile:

    twatson4936: true, i really like going for walks and cycling so those are the main two exercises i do. thank you!!

    kksmom1789: i haven't really checked how much mine was during exercise (went somewhere by bicycle yesterday and went on a 35min walk). i'll look at it today :smile:

    AT0M1CR00ST3R: i am overweight right now, yes, but i think there may be other factors playing a role!

    Katelin7141: well, i'm on camcolit (lithium pills for bipolar disorder type 2) 1600mg, and abilify 20mg. abilify's basically the reason i gained all this weight over the course of 7 years, but i desperately need that one to function. do you think either of those could have influenced having that many bpm?

    thank you all for the helpful comments!!! i really appreciate it :smiley:
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