Heart Rate Monitoring Devices

When working out, you don’t know how fast or slow you already are. Oftentimes, you just want to exercise hard and see the results immediately. As a result, you are actually doing more harm than good. A heart rate monitor is an exercise tool that determines whether your efforts are matched to your target training level. Typically, it consists of two devices—a chest strap transmitter and a wristwatch receiver.

There are various models of heart rate monitors that cater to the different needs of the user. Each year, newer generations are developed allowing for comfort, style, while maintaining the accuracy of their readings.

Chest Strap

The heart rate can be measured at any part of the body where there is arterial pulsation. The most common areas where we can manually elicit a pulse is on the wrist and at the side of the neck. But the most accurate point is at the apical pulse of the heart. For this reason, a chest strap made from plastic or fabric is fastened around the chest to detect electric signals coming from each heart beat. Sensors in the chest strap analyze these signals, and send them to the receiver.

Receivers

The transmitter sends the signals to the receiver wirelessly with a unique code to prevent interference with similar gadgets. The receiver counts these signals and displays the data on the screen. Newer styles can be set to record the time, estimate the calories burned with the activity, and audible and visual alarms if the user is exceeding or lower intensity than the target heart rate zones he/she has determined from the beginning.

Receivers are usually in the form of wristwatches.

Strapless Heart Rate Monitors

Some models do not require a chest strap to detect the heart rate. Instead, it uses a different technology where the user only needs to wear a wrist receiver.

Normally, it takes only a few seconds to take the heart rate with a strapless heart rate monitor. The person has to complete or “close” the electric circuit that passes through the watch (receiver). For example, two fingers from one hand must touch the sensors located on the surface of the watch. Also, make sure that it is properly attached to the wrist. Hand-held heart rate monitors may need to be held by both hands to create an electrical loop across the body. The device then reads the heart rate and puts them on the display. However, some features are not as detailed as heart rate monitors with chest straps. Usually, strapless types are waterproof and can be used while swimming.