The importance of measuring heart rate during exercise

If you want to live healthy, exercise can be one way to achieve it. However, there are a number of things you need to pay attention to when exercising, one of which is regularly measuring your heart rate. Why, why do you need to do this? Come on, find out why in the following review.

Why do you need to measure heart rate during exercise?

Exercise does provide benefits for the body. However, each type of sport has its own advantages. If you want to improve heart health, the recommended type of exercise is cardio exercise.

This exercise can increase the flow and volume of blood back to the heart so that the heart beats faster.

When exercising, it is recommended that you measure your heart rate. The goal, so that you know the sport meets the goal or not, especially to improve heart health and lose weight.

According to the Gateway Region YMCA, measuring heart rate during exercise lets a person know what heart rate target rate they want to achieve. This is also known as the target heart rate zone.

For example, when you run and check your heart rate, the results are still below the target. That means, you need to increase the activity you do, for example, speed up your running.

However, this can also be the other way around. If after checking, your heart rate is above the target, it means you don't have to force yourself to keep running fast.

Gradually reduce your speed until your heart rate returns to the safe target zone.

Remember, exercising too hard can have adverse side effects, especially if you are a beginner.

This condition generally makes it difficult for you to breathe normally for a while or a feeling of discomfort in the chest.

How to measure heart rate during exercise

Measuring heart rate can be done in various ways, namely using tools or manually. The tools used are usually smartwatch or smartband which is worn like a watch.

However, if you don't have this tool, you can check it manually in the following ways.

1. Through the radial artery pulse

This method is done by finding the radial artery in the wrist to measure heart rate during exercise.

Place your index and middle fingers on the wrist. Do not use your thumb as it makes it difficult for you to count your pulse accurately.

You may need to feel it to feel a pulse. After finding it, let your fingers sit for 15 seconds and count how many beats it has.

The result, then you multiply it 4 times. This method can be used if your pulse is regular. However, if your pulse is irregular, count it for 60 seconds or 1 minute.

For example, if in 15 minutes your heart beats 20 times, the total pulse rate is 80 beats per minute (bpm).

2. Through the carotid artery pulsation

Another way of measuring the heart rate through the carotid artery beats. The carotid arteries around the neck are responsible for delivering blood to the brain and head.

Place your middle and index fingers on either side of the neck, either right or left. You may need to feel it with your finger to find the artery.

As with the previous method, count your heart rate for 15 seconds then multiply it by 4 times to get the heart rate per minute.

Apart from these two methods, there are other ways to measure the heart rate during exercise, namely the pedic artery (upper leg area) and the brachial artery rate (the area of the indentation of the arm).

However, these two ways are quite difficult for you to do when exercising.