Tips for Using a Heart Rate Monitor

For starters, it helps to know the two main categories of heart rate monitors: fitness trackers with a built-in heart rate monitor and personal electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) devices. The former is an increasingly common form of wearable technology, while the latter is more medically oriented and intended for those with specific health concerns. Also, the latest heart rate monitors are worn on the wrist, while earlier models were designed to be strapped on the chest.

A fitness tracker heart rate monitor looks and feels a lot like a watch. In addition to telling time and tracking metrics such as how long you’ve been exercising, fitness trackers can also take heart rate readings from the pulse on your wrist. Though it may not provide perfect accuracy, it does offer a general heart rate range and serves as a consistent comparison across activities.

Meanwhile, a personal EKG monitor is a small device for use only when you want to take a reading. The sensors take the reading through your fingers, which is less accurate than an EKG machine you would find in a hospital setting, but slightly more accurate than a wrist reading. Doctors sometimes recommend this personal device if you want to self-monitor for signs of atrial fibrillation, or heart palpitations. The choice between devices often comes down to convenience and budget. A personal EKG monitor is usually more affordable than many fitness trackers.

The first thing to do when using a heart rate monitor is to figure out your base heart rate when at rest. By learning what your resting heart rate is, you’ll be able to determine how hard your heart is working while you’re participating in activities like working out in your home gym or taking a brisk walk outside. Also, remember to take psychological stress into account. Your resting heart rate can fluctuate depending on your emotional state. Therefore, try to assess your rate both in a relaxed state and when you are feeling stressed.

If you're just beginning an exercise program to improve your overall health and wellness, it's a good idea to wear a heart rate monitor to record your heart rate a few times a day and keep track of how much effort you are exerting during activities, even when you're not working out. Once you know what is normal for you, you can use the heart rate monitor to help set informed goals.

Setting informed goals is about choosing the intensity of your workout routine based on what results you want to achieve for your body. You’ll want to increase your heart rate during exercise in order to strengthen your heart, but you don’t want to push yourself too hard. It’s best to enjoy cardio workouts that hit that sweet spot: just enough to get your blood pumping. Another step to figuring out what your threshold should be is to find your target heart during exercise.

Your target heart rate during exercise is a percentage of the maximum heart rate your body can handle whether you’re exercising or resting. Both resting heart rate and target heart rate will vary depending on your age. For instance, the average maximum heart rate of a twenty-year-old is 200 bpm, but for a 70-year-old, it’s 150 bpm. Therefore, the ideal workout rates are 100-170 bpm for a 20-year-old and 75-128 bpm for a 70-year-old. Keep in mind that those are averages and your personal workout goals should relate to your body’s specific metrics provided by your heart rate monitor.

As you include more exercise in your daily routine, you’ll notice that your resting heart rate may go down. A normal resting heart rate is generally between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), though extreme athletes can have resting heart rates as low as 40 bpm.See Disclosure ¹

One of the benefits of wearing a heart monitor is that you can adjust your intensity during activities as you figure out how each activity affects your body. First, see what impact basic activities, such as cleaning, walking and gardening, have on your heart rate. Then, compare those to more intense activities, such as hiking, swimming or light weightlifting.

Plus, you can wear a fitness smartwatch during high-intensity activities, like running or cycling, to log the heart rate levels you reach at various points of your workout. These types of smartwatches and fitness trackers with built-in heart rate monitoring capabilities allow you to record your results over long stretches of time to see your overall progress.

Ultimately, the final decision on what heart rate monitor is best for you depends on your personal preference and budget. Thanks to the increased demand for wearable healthcare technology, there are hundreds of options to choose from with a variety of features at every price point. For example, there are even heart rate monitor mats that are designed to be used during sleep.

Another factor to consider is your lifestyle. If you spend time in or near water, be sure to choose a water-resistant heart rate monitor. Or perhaps you like working out while listening to motivating tunes, which is why the ability to play music on your heart rate monitor would be an important feature. No matter what details you’re looking for, you can be a more informed shopper with your newfound knowledge about using heart rate monitors and their benefits.