How to Check Your Pulse and Breathing Rate at Home: Normal Ranges (Video)

2:02 min

Read the full written guide: How to Check Your Pulse and Breathing Rate at Home: Normal Ranges →

Learn how to measure your resting pulse and breathing rate with just two fingers and a clock. This video walks you through the steps, shows normal ranges, and reveals a quick trick for an accurate breath count. All tips are practical habits you can try today, but they are not a substitute for professional medical advice. If something feels off, see a doctor.

Show the full transcript

Transcript

Want an easy way to count your breathing accurately?

Want an easy way to count your breathing accurately?

Check Pulse & Breath

In this quick guide you'll learn how to measure your resting pulse and breathing rate at home, and I’ll share a handy cheat to get an accurate breath count.

Find Your Pulse

First, sit comfortably with your back supported and feet flat. Place your index and middle finger on the thumb side of the wrist, press lightly until you feel the beat, then count for thirty seconds and multiply by two.

Adult Pulse Range

A normal resting pulse for most adults falls between sixty and one hundred beats per minute, while well-trained people often sit around fifty to sixty.

Count Breathing Accurately

To get a true breathing rate, keep your fingers on the wrist as if you’re still feeling the pulse, then watch the chest or belly rise and fall for a full sixty seconds.

Adult Breathing Range

At rest, a healthy adult breathes twelve to twenty times a minute. Anything above thirty breaths per minute while sitting still should prompt a closer look.

What Changes Your Numbers

Remember to wait at least thirty minutes after coffee, a large meal, climbing stairs, or being in a hot kitchen before you count. Those activities can lift your pulse and breathing for a while.

Irregular Beats & When to Call

Occasional extra or missed beats are usually harmless, but if you notice a completely irregular rhythm, chest pain, fainting, or sudden breathlessness, seek medical help right away.

The one cheat for breathing

The one trick that makes breathing counts reliable is to keep your fingers on the wrist, feel the pulse, and silently watch the chest rise and fall for a full minute. This avoids the tendency to change your breathing when you think about it.

Like, subscribe and comment

Like, subscribe, and share your own experience in the comments below.

Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.

Nothing on The Care Online is medical advice. Traditional practices are described as tradition, not as fact. Take a persistent or serious concern to a qualified professional. See how videos and posts are made on our methodology page.