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By Mayo Clinic Staff

Your pulse rate is your heart rate. It's the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Learning how to check your pulse the correct way may help you know if your heart is beating too slow or too fast.

You can feel your pulse in an artery in your wrist or in your neck. The wrist artery is called the radial artery. The neck artery is called the carotid artery.

Some smartwatches and similar devices have heart rate monitors that can check pulse rate. But they may not always be accurate, especially if you have some heart conditions. Ask your healthcare team if this is a good choice for you.