What is your pulse?

Your pulse is the little beat of your heart that you can feel in your wrist or your neck. Each beat is when your heart pushes blood around your body.

Where to feel it

1. Wrist: Put two fingers (your index and middle finger) on the inside of your other wrist, just below the base of your thumb. Press gently until you feel a tiny thump.
2. Neck: Put two fingers on the side of your throat, next to your voice box. Press very gently — don’t push hard.

How to count your pulse

1. Have a clock with a second hand or a timer ready.
2. When you feel the beats, count how many beats happen in 15 seconds.
3. Multiply that number by 4 to get beats per minute (bpm).

Example: If you count 22 beats in 15 seconds: 22 × 4 = 88 beats per minute.

What is normal for a 7-year-old?

Most 7-year-old children have a resting heart rate between 80 and 100 beats per minute. "Resting" means you are calm and sitting or lying down.

Things that make your pulse change

• Running or exercise — your pulse goes up.
• Being excited or scared — your pulse goes up.
• Sleeping or resting — your pulse goes down.

When to tell an adult

• Your pulse is much higher than 100 or much lower than 80 and you don’t feel well.
• You feel dizzy, very tired, or have chest pain.
• Anything worries you — always tell a grown-up.

Try this quick activity

1. Sit quietly for 1 minute and find your pulse on your wrist.
2. Count beats for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. Is it between 80 and 100?
3. Now do 30 jumping jacks, rest a little, find your pulse again — it should be higher!

Great job! Practice with a parent or friend and watch how your pulse changes when you move, rest, or feel excited.