A heart rate monitor can show you the rate at which your heart is beating and also how it responds to different exercises, stresses or daily activities. If you have a cardiac condition, or are recovering from a heart attack, a heart rate monitor will help you keep your activities at safe and effective levels.
Monitors
Technology has advanced to the point where you can monitor your heart rate with equipment the size of a watch. Some heart rate monitors require that you wear a chest strap, which transmits the heartbeats to your wrist monitor. Other monitors use an arm band to track your movements and heart rate. The benefit is that you do not have to be hooked up with wires and chest electrodes to track your heart rate.
Aerobic
Use your heart rate monitor to track your pace during aerobic activities. Aerobic exercises require an increase in heartbeat, breathing rate for oxygen intake, and continuous movement. Running, swimming, rowing, cycling, walking, dancing and stair climbing are all examples of aerobic activities. Using your monitor during these activities will help you gauge your exercise intensity level. An aerobic activity should last for 30 to 45 minutes.
Daily
Your heart rate responds to all activities, even those such as grocery shopping or walking your dog. Wear your monitor throughout the day to determine your heart rate. Challenge yourself to speed grocery shopping, or sprinting back to the house after walking your dog to see if you can raise your heart rate. At the other extreme, you can sit with a cup of tea or a relaxing book and casually glance at your monitor to see how much your heart rate has slowed.
Triggers
You can determine certain triggers on your heart rate. Caffeine is a stimulant, so your heart rate should increase when you consume caffeine. Your heart rate also may increase in response to stress, such as a confrontation or highway traffic. The time of day may also affect your heart rate, and you can record your pulse in a journal and review it after a week to determine your heart's fluctuations.
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