HeartTrackr.Com - News 2018-11-08T11:47:00-05:00 HeartTrackr.Com 2018-11-08T11:47:00-05:00 2018-11-09T09:51:52-05:00 Must-Know Facts About Your Sleeping Heart Rate Rose Anne Samoy More

The typical daily sleep requirement for adults is seven to nine hours according to the National Sleep Foundation. During this period of time, our bodies are resting without any interruptions, and our mind is stilled to unconsciousness. It is during these hours that our heart rate slows down because of complex regulatory mechanisms. But what is the normal sleeping heart rate? The answer to this question rests on various factors such as your resting heart rate while awake and the stage of sleep you are in during the night. Your medical conditions will also have an impact on your heart rate during sleep. 

Factors which affect your sleeping heart rate

When your body transitions to “sleep mode” during the night, it transmits signals that are vital. These signals affect your sleeping heart rate, blood pressure, and your body temperature. Various other body functions will also be affected. Your sleeping heart rate decreases during sleep by approximately 24 beats in a minute for young adults and 14 beats per minute for those above 80. According to a New England Journal of Medicine article published in March 2009, the 24 and 14 beats per minute decrease in an important factor to consider for various reasons. But keep in mind that your sleeping heart rate will change as you go from one sleeping stage to another one.

REM and non-REM sleep

During your sleeping hours, two primary types of sleep occur. These are commonly referred to as REM and non-REM sleep. Rapid eye movement is commonly mentioned with the acronym REM. This sleep time is associated with vivid dreams that the person may or may not remember.

Non-REM sleep has a subdivision of three stages: N1, N2, and N3. The deepest stage of sleep during the non-REM stage is the N3 stage. You will enter this non-REM stage approximately 75% to 80% of your sleeping time. Several times during the night you will go from N1 to N3 and then to the REM stage.

Commonly, your sleeping heart rate will be lower during the non-REM compared to the REM stage of sleep, or while you are in your waking hours. About 20% to 25% of sleep time is spent in the REM sleep stage for adults. Your dreams may occur during both types of sleep, but it is most common in the REM stage.

The clearer, story-like dreams that often remain in the memory occurs during the REM stage of sleep. Your sleeping time in the REM stage will be quite different and your sleeping heart rate will fluctuate accordingly. The sleeping heart rate during REM sleep is commonly higher and fluctuates more than in the non-REM stage. It is during the REM stage that your blood flow increases and activity in particular areas of the brain rises. There are also various nerve signals that are impacted to such a level that there will be changes in the heart rate.

Is there a standard sleeping heart rate?

It is just not possible to set a particular sleeping heart rate as the standard range or the normal range. With our advanced understanding of sleep, we now know that the sleeping time is not a simple matter. The sleeping process consists of several stages and substages and continues to cycle throughout the night. This happens to such a level that your heart rate will fluctuate significantly. This is the clear indication that there is no such thing as a standard or normal range for the heart rate while you are sleeping.

If you have certain medical conditions, you may be prone to face abnormalities in your sleeping heart rate and rhythm. One example of this is Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The blood oxygen content drops significantly and causes the heart rate or rhythm to show abnormalities. These pauses in breathing while sleeping will have a great impact on your physiological responses that cause your sleeping heart rate to act up.

Symptoms to watch out for

Constant headaches in the morning, extreme sleepiness during the daytime and snoring are common for OSA affected patients. All these factors that cause disordered and fragmented sleep patterns have a significant impact on the sleeping heart rate. These conditions are a sure recipe for the entire day to be disturbed along with the irregular sleeping cycles.

Heart patients, and especially those who have suffered heart attacks may be at risk of experiencing abnormalities in their sleeping heart rate. Congestive heart failure sufferers are similarly prone to problems with their sleeping heart rate. Those who have extreme night time fluctuations in their heart rate will need the expert care of a doctor. They commonly require treatment with proper medication or the use of a pacemaker.

So what do we gain by knowing these facts about sleeping heart rate? For people without much physical illnesses, there is no need for alarm. But if you suffer from any of the illnesses mentioned above, it is imperative that you check your sleeping heart rate and consult with your physician or cardiologist regarding the appropriate steps to take.

At home device for monitoring your sleeping heart rate

One simple way to track your sleep patterns is to use a fitness tracker,  which will not only track your sleep but monitor your heart by using advanced sensors called actigraphy and bioimpedance. And while these type of trackers may not be as  accurate as the tools your doctor would use, a fitness tracker is a valuable and inexpensive tool that you can use to get an overview of your sleeping heart rate and other health data.

]]> 2018-10-27T22:56:00-04:00 2018-11-02T05:22:35-04:00 The Truth About Your Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Hearttrackr Admin blood pressure and heart rate are related,


As blood flows through your entire body, it is important to understand the health of your heart. This begins with a clear understanding of two important factors that impact your heart. Both blood pressure and heart rate are related, but are entirely different in significant ways. Let’s learn the difference between the two.

Understanding the difference between blood pressure and heart rate

Blood pressure is the force by which blood flows through your arteries and veins. But your heart rate, which is also called “pulse,” shows how many times your heart beats each minute. Both are different and show different aspects of your heart’s health, and both are vitally important.

As you already know, the measurement of your blood pressure is taken with a device that has a cuff which wraps around your arm. The pressure is measured with two numbers. You’ve heard the measurements such as “120 over 80” or its variation of numbers. The first number is called Systolic, which is the pressure at which your hearts pumps into the arteries. The second number is called Diastolic and measures the pressure of the blood as your heart relaxes and gets ready for the next beat or pump. A rate of 120/80 mm Hg is the ideal blood pressure, which is different from the heart rate.

What effect do activities have on your heart rate?

The heart rate for a healthy adult is 60 to 100 beats per minute. Your heart rate continues to fluctuate throughout the day and will never be constant. When you exercise or walk fast, your heart rate will increase. But when you are resting or sleeping, it will go down to the lower numbers as less blood flow is required, and your blood pressure also subsides.

If you have any concerns about your heart rate and blood pressure, be sure to check with your doctor. The common guideline is to maintain your blood pressure close to 120/80 and the heart rate at 60 to 100 beats a minute. Your entire body is so interconnected that when one area is affected, all other areas are at risk. High blood pressure poses more of a threat to your health than a high heart rate. As your blood pressure increases, the risk of heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, including kidney trouble goes up. When the heart rate goes up, that can also be a sign of danger, but the greater danger is with an increase of blood pressure.

It is a misunderstanding to think that your blood pressure increases as your heart rate increases. The American Heart association advises that when blood vessels are healthy, they permit the blood to flow easily. Thus the heart may pump faster, but as your blood flows easily, the pressure doesn’t necessarily increase. A good example of this is during the time of exercise. Your heart rate will increase due to the extra activity of your muscles. But your blood pressure may only increase slightly in a healthy individual. In all this, we need to know the importance of balancing both your heart rate and the blood pressure for a healthy heart.

Keeping a healthy balance between your blood pressure and heart rate

Keeping your heart rate and blood pressure in a healthy range can be a challenge for some, but there are some important steps you can take. As you remain diligent with these steps, you will be on your way to a healthier heart. Here are some important steps to take to stay healthy with your heart rate and blood pressure:

1. Maintain your weight. For a healthy heart with a good blood pressure, this is vital. The measurement of your body mass index at a healthy level will do much for your overall health

2. Maintain a healthy diet. Develop healthy eating habits with more fruits and vegetables. Use low fat dairy products and protein that’s lean. Minimize the intake of processed food and saturated fat. And of course, make sure to reduce sugar intake as well.

3. Do regular exercise. At least three times per week, exercise for 40 minutes. A regular habit of brisk walking can do much for your heart rate and blood pressure.

4. Limit sodium. The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 1,500 mg per day. For those who have high blood pressure, this limit must be strictly observed.

Home devices to monitor blood pressure and heart rate

Your health must be a priority for you. If you are young and healthy, go ahead and enjoy life without fear, but develop the healthy habits listed above. Make that a priority for your future health.Lastly , If you have concerns about your blood pressure and heart rate, there are devices that you can use to monitor them at home, such as fitness trackers and heart rate monitors; armed with the information that these devices  can give you, you  and your doctor can get ahead of any issues before they become serious.

]]> 2018-10-21T17:56:00-04:00 2018-10-26T13:28:47-04:00 Do fitness heart rate monitors make workouts more effective? Hearttrackr Admin More

Who doesn’t want to know what makes a workout more effective? I do! A fitness heart rate monitor can help make your workout effective because it makes no sense to just hit the gym and without any way of knowing how effective your workout is. Achieving significant results in your workouts is not a question of how hard you train but how smart you train. Training smart involves goal setting, consistency, and using the right tools to check up on your progress. The right tool, in this case, is a fitness heart rate monitor.

What are the benefits of using a fitness heart rate monitor?

If you know the correct workout heart rate for your age that will help you achieve the best result, you need a fitness heart rate monitor to keep you on track while you train. A few others (more advanced versions) can tell you how much calories you burned in your last training session. Having these details in your hands helps you work with precision and with a result-oriented drive. Sometimes we may think we are working so hard but in reality, we really aren’t because there isn’t any work (calorie depletion) being done. The best fitness heart rate monitors also let you know which particular kind of workout is the most effective for you. Combining these details together you can actually create a workout timetable with a date when you’d have achieved your desired weight.

The formula for calculating maximum heart rate is: 208 – (0.7 x Age)

For instance, if you are 30 years of age, you would multiply 30 by 0.7, this would result in 21. Next, you subtract 21 from 208 would result to 187 (I hope my math is correct). That figure is your maximum heart rate, measured in BPM (beats per minute).

If you want a workout routine that is not intense you should multiply your MHR by anywhere between 0.6 and 0.7 to get the heart rate range for a low-intensity workout. Using the example above, your heart for a low-intensity work would be 187 x 0.6 = 112BPM. Got it?

The same goes for moderately intense workouts but with a slight difference. In this case, you multiply your MHR by any number between 0.7 and 0.85. In our example, that would be 187 x 0.7 = 130. Before you go overboard, it is important to understand that the numbers do not have to be exact and that’s why they come in ranges. So all you need do is work to stay within those ranges and you’ll be fine.

If your workouts include jogging or swimming, you can use a fitness heart rate monitor to determine what pace is best for you that will not get you burned out in a short time. All in all, a heart rate monitor changes your fitness game giving you more control and allowing you to consciously achieve more.

Unsure of which fitness heart rate monitor will work best for you?

Getting the best fitness heart rate monitor isn’t rocket science. You only have to figure out what you need and how much you can afford. Chest-strap versions are usually Bluetooth heart rate monitors as they connect wirelessly to an app on your phone or to a special kind of wristwatch. If your needs are simple then just go for models that only measure your heart rate, they are very affordable and work correctly. You can expect to spend anywhere between $45 and $500 for a good fitness heart rate monitor.

]]> 2018-10-19T20:40:00-04:00 2018-10-26T13:18:34-04:00 An Introduction to Heart Rate Monitors For Seniors Hearttrackr Admin Yes, you read that right – heart rate monitors for seniors! Oh, you thought fitness tracker were only meant for young people? Think again.


Yes, you read that right – heart rate monitors for seniors! Oh, you thought fitness tracker was only meant for young people? Think again. I once read about a 90-year-old lady who had a 9th dan black belt in judo and kept training people until she died at the age of 93. I said that to say seniors also need exercise to maintain their health and therefore need to check their heart rate as well.

Companies making fitness tracking devices have realized that making heart rate monitor for seniors has significant value and they have held nothing back.

Benefits of Heart Rate Monitor for Seniors

Heart rate monitors for seniors do more than just measure heart rate; they collect data on sleep patterns, calorie level, blood pressure, and temperature. These vital signs are very crucial to monitoring the health of seniors in order to spot any signs of illness on time. This makes it easy for health care providers and caregivers to take vitals without making the senior feel uncomfortable.

So what should you look for in a heart rate monitor for seniors?

With old age comes a slight decrease in a person’s ability to do certain things; their vision, cognitive, and motor skills diminish. Taking this into consideration, there are features you should look out for when going for heart rate monitors for seniors. They are:

Ease of use: As mentioned earlier, seniors do not have as many cognitive skills as young people, and as such might find it difficult to operate a heart rate monitor that is complex to use. When buying one, work through it and make sure all the important features are not more than two or three clicks away. If you are buying it online, read through tons of reviews to get as much detail about its usability as you can. If it does have multiple features, check to make sure the manual is easy to read and understand.

Aesthetics: As much as this looks like a silly feature, it is not. Seniors still have a need to look good wherever they go. Try going for the best-looking device to give them something to be proud of. There are several beautiful designs for you to choose from for both male and female seniors.

Convenience: Seeing that they’ll be wearing this device for the most part of the day, it’s not too much to ask for something comfortable. The heart rate monitor would be as good as useless if they keep moving it around due to discomfort. Devices with foam pads or soft rubber parts would do just fine.

Long-lasting battery: Having a great device with a weak battery is like skydiving with a torn parachute. Okay, I have never skydived before neither have I worn a torn parachute but I can tell it’s bad – just like a weak battery. You won’t get the most out of a heart rate monitor that keeps dying after a short while, so this is a very important feature to look out for when ordering one.

Multi-tracking feature: Knowing the heart rate of an elderly person is good but having a heart rate monitor for seniors that collects data on other parameters is a whole lot better. Go for heart rate monitors that track calories, blood pressure, sleep patterns, temperature, and even hydration (if possible). Having all these details saves time on multiple checkups at the doctor’s and allows decisions to be made quickly if there is an underlying issue.

Big screens: Big screens are great for seniors because their vision may not be as great as it was when they were younger. Make sure the figures and icons are large and easy to see, so the bigger the screen the better.

Waterproof: Swimming is one activity elderly people love (Yes, standing with a life buoy in two feet of water is considered as swimming) and having a heart rate monitor that works well underwater is fantastic. Taking off the heart rate monitor whenever it’s time to skinny dip will mean your elderly folks are not getting the most out of it.

Some of the best heart rate monitors for seniors include Fitbit Surge, Samsung Gear fit, Fitbit Blaze, and Garmin Vivosmart.

The final words for seniors

Seniors need to track their vitals such as temperature, calorie, heart rate, and blood pressure as these are important indicators of sound health. This makes heart rate monitors as important for seniors as they are for youngsters. You should use the features described in this post to help you get the best heart rate monitor that will work well for your elderly folks.

]]> 2018-10-17T12:35:00-04:00 2018-10-26T13:34:12-04:00 Take Your heart to the Gym: Exercising for Heart Health! Rose Anne Samoy The heart is one organ that is not too hard to please. Some of the most important things you need for a good heart rate is good food and regular exercise. Having frequent workouts keep


The heart is one organ that is not too hard to please. Some of the most important things you need for a good heart rate is good food and regular exercise. Having frequent workouts keep your heart strong and healthy. It makes you less susceptible to cardiovascular diseases. The good thing is that a workout session doesn’t need to last for several hours, just 30 to 55 minutes of workout a day will keep your heart in good condition. Inform your doctor about your intention to start exercising if you suffer from conditions such as heart diseases or diabetes.

The benefits of exercise to your heart and health

The benefits of exercising are invaluable and they stay with you for years to come. Here are four major ways your body benefits from exercise:

  • Stress reduction: No, you do not need a vacation in Paris to reduce stress, at least not all the time. An exercise is an inexpensive option that you could even do in your home.
  • Lowers blood pressure: High blood pressure is a very serious condition that can affect your heart adversely. But exercise can help you significantly lower your blood pressure, even without the use of drugs.
  • Burns calories: Want to lose weight? Then a little exercise for a few minutes a day, five days a week, can get you in shape. Obesity predisposes people to serious heart diseases.
  • Reduces cholesterol: Cholesterol, especially LDL, is a major contributor to heart diseases such as angina. Exercising daily can help you get rid of those “bad cholesterol”.

The best form of exercise for your heart rate

Generally, no form of exercise is better than the other. As long as you can get your heart pumping faster, you are good to go. However, some forms of exercise do this better than others. Exercises that require you to use large muscles, such as those of your arms and thighs, get your heart rate up better than others. These forms of exercises are called aerobics, here some good examples of aerobics:

  • Swimming
  • Biking (Under 10mph)
  • Golf
  • Skiing downhill
  • Gardening
  • Softball
  • Dancing
  • Yard work

The aerobics in the list above are light to moderate level exercises. For rigorous aerobics, try these:

  • Soccer
  • Stair running/climbing
  • Tennis
  • Basketball
  • Jogging
  • Jumping rope/skipping
  • Skating
  • Uphill hiking
  • Biking (Over 10mph)

The way your body feels while you are exercising is a good indication of how light, moderate or rigorous your workout is. Your heart rate and breathing rate are the two major indicators of the level of intensity of your exercise. A heart rate monitor watch can be a good tool to monitor your heart rate during exercise.

 How to monitor your heart rate during exercise

So if you're serious about your workout, you should try to monitor your heart rate while you are actually working out. This way you'll be sure you are within the recommended heart rate for your age. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, then here's another way to check your heart rate:

  • Place your hand against your chest or two fingers on your wrist, side of your throat, or top of your feet. Then count the pulses for 60 seconds and record your finding.

Ensure that your heart rate is 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate based on how old you are. Just in case you are unsure, use this list to find the recommended heart rate for your age:

  • 20 years old -- 100 to 170 beats per minute
  • 30 years old -- 95 to 162 beats per minute
  • 35 years old -- 93 to 157 beats per minute
  • 40 years old -- 90 to 153 beats per minute
  • 45 years old -- 88 to 149 beats per minute
  • 50 years old -- 85 to 145 beats per minute
  • 55 years old -- 83 to 140 beats per minute
  • 60 years old -- 80 to 136 beats per minute
  • 65 years old -- 78 to 132 beats per minute
  • 70 years old -- 75 to 128 beats per minute

Moderate workouts fall within 50% to 75% of your maximum heart rate while intense workouts fall within 70% to 85% of the same. To be safe, start off with a mild or light exercise that gets your heart beating at the lowest rate recommended for your age. Then increase the intensity as you get fitter. This is important if you have not exercised for a very long time. And those who suffer conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and other heart-related diseases should get advice from their doctors before commencing any strenuous physical activity.

]]> 2018-10-08T11:42:00-04:00 2018-10-28T07:48:29-04:00 Choosing the Best Heart Rate Monitor For You Hearttrackr Admin More

Do you know what the best heart rate monitor is for you?

Many years ago, having a device strapped to your wrist or chest to measure your heart rate was a dream. Nowadays, people feel silly if they go to the gym or training sessions without one. Thanks to technology and good business acumen, a whole lot of people can now afford to collect and analyze data from their workout routine using their heart rate monitor to track their progress.

Seeing that there is an overwhelming number and type of heart rate monitors out there, it could be pretty difficult to find the best heart rate monitor, if you do not have the right information. Let’s help you with that, shall we?

Do you really need the best heart rate monitor?

For some people the answer to this question is a big NO. If all you want to do is get a little more active through activities like hiking, a little jogging around the neighborhood, a few push-ups before you hit the shower for work, and the likes, then you do not need the best heart rate monitor. You can simply put your fingers to the side of your throat to count your pulse for a minute.

However, if you require more data to help you create an efficient workout timetable then getting the best heart rate monitor is ideal. Workout timetables allow you to workout with purpose so that every session is productive.

How much is it going to cost me to buy the best heart rate monitor for my needs?

Well, how much can you spare and how seriously do you take your training? The answer to those questions will largely determine how much money you will end up spending. There are very low-cost heart rate monitors that hook up wirelessly to an app on your phone and measure basic heart rate. They cost anywhere from $30 to $100 (brands like Endomondo, Wahoo Tickr X, and Strava).

There are really high tech versions with built-in photo sensors, GPS trackers, accelerometer, calorie-checkers, and many more awesome features that may cost up to $300 to $400 (brands like Polar and Garmin). Honestly, the best heart rate monitor isn’t necessarily determined by its price but by the need it meets, be they simple or complex. So,…

What type of heart rate monitor should I buy?

Again, this depends on your needs. Some people would rather be comfortable than accurate, some others prefer aesthetics to functionality while others would prefer extreme accuracy. So which of these groups do you belong to? There are heart rate monitors that use Optical heart rate sensors (OHR), Optomechanics (measuring your heart rate through your ears), and the chest strap versions that glean data directly from the heartbeat.

So to be clear, make a list of the kind of data you’d want your device to gather and then go through online reviews to see which device has everything you want. And if it’s too expensive, look for a feature or two that you can do without and remove them from your list. As a general rule, the more features a heart rate monitor has (the more data it collects), the more expensive it’s likely going to be. In the end, the best heart rate monitor is the one that works best for you.

]]> 2018-09-24T22:01:00-04:00 2018-10-26T13:00:03-04:00 Which is the Best Heart Rate Monitor For Women? Rose Anne Samoy More

Heart rate monitors help you check your heart rate while you work out, so that you can stay within the rate recommended for your age. And for women's heart rate monitors the most common ones are the heart rate monitor watch, the chest strapped, and the sports bra types. No one is better than the other, it all comes down to what works best for you and what you can afford to buy.

Let’s start with…

Heart rate monitor watch

Heart rate monitor watches are, by far, in my own opinion, is the most common type, and maybe the most convenient. A lot of people prefer this because you just strap it on your wrist like a regular wristwatch and you’re good to go. They are designed to be colorful and slim, just the way ladies like it. These kinds of heart rate monitors acquire your heart rate data using light, in a process called Photoplethysmography. This process works by bouncing light rays off your flowing blood using LED. Then a different sensor captures the light that bounces back, analyzes it and displays it on the screen. Although they are the most affordable of all the women heart rate monitors, they may be slightly less accurate; this is because factors like sweating, talking, muscle-tensing, etc. can affect their readings.

Chest strap heart rate monitors

This type of heart rate monitor is favored by athletes around the world for its accuracy. They get better readings than wrist-strapped monitors because they take their readings directly from the heart leaving little or no room for errors. A few of them are GPS heart rate monitors and can pinpoint your location; they can also monitor distance covered and notify you when you are performing above (Or below) your set heart rate. One of the drawbacks of this type of women heart rate monitor is its cost, especially if you are looking at more advanced features.
In the aspect of innovation

The heart rate monitor watches and the chest strap heart monitors are the best and most practical ways to monitor heart rate for athletes. The chest-strap monitors are more accurate wrist heart rate monitors because they fit tightly around the chest. Plus, they are very sensitive, making them capable of accurately measuring several parameters. They also come in very feminine colors with a few made with fabrics that draw moisture away from your skin.

Benefits of heart rate monitors

Working out without a goal is like leaving your house and driving off without a destination in mind. You must know what your maximum and minimum heart rate are and what heart rate range would help you achieve the best results. Heart rate monitors help you accurately check this parameter, and let you know when you’re below, above, or within range. You can also know what your resting heart rate is and how fast your heart rate falls after peak exercise.

]]> 2018-09-24T21:55:00-04:00 2018-10-28T07:08:24-04:00 How to Use a Fetal Heart Rate Monitor to Protect your Health and the Health of your Baby Hearttrackr Admin More

A fetal heart rate monitor is an important tool which is used during pregnancy to monitor the well-being of both mother and child. Also important is going for several prenatal tests/checkups to monitor the health of the baby and mother. Doing this helps early detection of anomalies so that appropriate actions can be taken before the baby is born. One way is by using a fetal heart rate monitor which measures the rhythm and heart rate of the fetus. This is done towards the end of the last trimester and during labor.

A healthy baby in the womb has an average heart rate between 110 and 160 BPM and this changes as the baby responds to conditions in the womb. Insufficient oxygen or an underlying blood or heart disease may cause irregular heartbeat and/or abnormal heart rate. Fetal heart rate monitors are extremely sensitive pieces of equipment because the heart of a fetus is quite small and so using a heart rate monitor can be an effective way to monitor the health of a baby in the uterus.
One way to measure a baby’s heart rate is the…

External fetal heart rate monitors

The external method of using a fetal heart rate monitor is done using an ultrasonic device to pick up the sound of your baby’s heartbeat and record it. An ultrasound probe or transducer is attached to your tummy, this way it picks up your baby’s heart rate and sends the data to a display. It could also be used to check the heart rate of the baby during labor.

You may be asking,

Why is fetal heart rate monitoring important?

Well, I am very certain that you take your baby’s health very seriously and wouldn’t want to anything to go wrong. Doing fetal heart rate monitoring doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with your baby. It just helps you and your healthcare provider keep tabs on how your baby is doing. For people with high-risk pregnancies such as those with high blood pressure, diabetes or those whose babies aren’t growing normally, fetal heart rate monitoring is especially important.

How does an external fetal heart rate monitor work?

Well, the process is a pretty simple one generally speaking, and doesn’t take too much time. Lie on your back and be as comfortable as you can. Use a clear gel on your belly, after which gently press the fetal heart rate monitor against your abdomen and move it around until the heartbeat of the fetus is found. This information will be sent to a display. It's best to have your health care provider perform this kind of exam, however, hand-held home fetal heart rate monitors are available to be purchased online or in specialty shops in your local area which you can use in the comfort of your home.

]]> 2018-09-13T09:06:00-04:00 2018-10-26T13:45:32-04:00 What You Need To Know About Your Heart Rate Hearttrackr Admin monitor your heart rate and be well-informed about


Information about heart rate and cardiovascular health in general is not just meant for athletes alone. You need to monitor your heart rate and be well-informed about the state of your heart as this can aid early detection of illness.

What exactly is Heart rate?

Well, heart rate is simply the number of times your heart beats in a single minute. A beat is a full cycle of systole and diastole, if you are checking directly from the heart, while it’s a single pulse from anywhere else. Heart rate isn’t a uniform figure; it differs from individual to individual. And so it is important to know what your own heart rate is so you can tell when something’s off.

Heart rate is also affected by age not necessarily as a result of growing illness. But it could serve as a viable indicator of an underlying health problem.
Where can you check your heart rate?

Besides your chest, there are several spots on your body where you can monitor your heart rate using the pulse of an artery. As you may already know, each pulse represents a beat. These locations include:

• The side of the neck.

• The wrists.
• The inside part of the elbow.
• Top of the foot.

These are the most common spots to monitor your heart rate. Some people can feel their pulse in their armpits, in front of their ears (like me), and some other parts as well. You can put your hand on your chest (the left side) or place a finger or two over your pulse and then count the number of beats or pulses in 1 minute (60 seconds).

And so, you may be asking…

What is a normal heart rate?

Before I say what a normal heart rate is, you should know that there are two types of heart rate or two sets of heart rate that can be measured: resting heart rate and active heart rate. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats when you are calm and not moving or exercising. It can be anywhere between 60 and 100 BPM. Then the active heart rate is the number of times your heart beats when you are moving or exercising. It can be up to 180 BPM. A heart rate below 60 doesn’t usually mean there’s an underlying health issue. Some drugs such as Beta-Blockers can lower the resting heart rate, and an active lifestyle such as that of an athlete can also do same.

Are there other factors that affect heart rate?

Yes, there are a few factors that can affect your heart rate. They include:

• Humidity/Temperature: An increase in temperature can slightly increase your heart rate. This is one of the body’s ways of dealing with temperature changes.

• Position: If you rise from a sitting position, especially quickly, your heart rate rise slightly but if a rigorous activity doesn’t follow, it should return to its normal resting rate.

• State of your mind: Emotions can significantly affect your heart rate. If you are scared, anxious, very happy or sad your heart rate can increase noticeably.

• Big or small: Although body size doesn’t necessarily affect the heart rate. However, if a person is obese, they might register a considerably higher resting heart rate than a normal person. Although this is usually not above 100 BPM.

• Drugs: Certain drugs such as those that inhibit adrenalin (Beta-blockers) can reduce your heart rate. While others like those thyroid drugs can increase it.

When do you need a doctor?

Well, you usually don’t need a doctor if your heart is beating fine. However, if you detect an abnormal increase or decrease in your heart rate accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness or fainting, then that might be a good time to ring the doctor.

In the instance where you are on a special kind of medication that affects your heart rate, you might be asked to monitor your heart rate and record them frequently. This will help the doctor know if it’s time to stop the medication, change it or reduce the dosage.

Monitoring your heart rate at home

To monitor heart rate at home, there are a number of devices that you can use such as a fitness heart rate monitor, finger heart rate monitor, heart rate monitor watches, women's heart rate monitor and other types of smartwatches that can easily monitor your heart throughout the day which you can buy online.