The normal resting heart rate is between 60-100 beats per minute. Doctors typically consider a heart rate below 60 beats per minute to be low. However, people who exercise often—such as athletes—can have resting heart rates as low as 40 beats per minute. For most people, a heart rate below 60 that’s accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, fainting, difficulty breathing, chest pain, or heart palpitations might indicate a more serious problem that requires urgent medical attention.