Heart Rate Monitor

A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a personal monitoring device that allows one to measure/display heart rate in real time or record the heart rate for later study. It is largely used to gather heart rate data while performing various types of physical exercise. Measuring electrical heart information is referred to as Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG). Medical heart rate monitoring used in hospitals is usually wired and usually, multiple sensors are used. Portable medical units are referred to as a Holter monitor.

Consumer heart rate monitors are designed for everyday use and do not use wires to connect. Early models consisted of a monitoring box with a set of electrode leads which attached to the chest. The first wireless EKG heart rate monitor was invented in 1977 by Polar Electro as a training aid for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski team. As “intensity training” became a popular concept in athletic circles in the mid-80s, retail sales of wireless personal heart monitors started in 1983.

In iPhone best heart rate monitors

Polar OH+1 Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Sensor: a 6-LED optical heart rate tracker that provides you with accurate heart rate measurements. It is water-resistant to up to 30m. You can wear it on your arm or swimming goggles.

EMAY Wireless EKG Monitor: an ECG & heart rate monitor for iOS and Android that gives you a reading in 30 seconds. Its LCD display shows your EKG waveform.

Wellograph The Wellness Watch: an elegant smartwatch with an optical heart rate monitor. It tracks your pace, speed, distance, calories burned, and more. Its infographic interface looks beautiful.

Wahoo TICKR Fit: this heart tracker is compatible with iOS and Android devices. It connects to your GPS watches and bike computers too. It works with Zwift, Runtastic, and your other favourite apps. This armband heart rate monitor helps you train in the best zone.

Spree Sports SmartCap Heart Rate Monitor: don’t want to use chest straps? The SmartCap might be just what you need. It gives you accurate heart rate and body temperature data and syncs with your iOS device.

4iiii Innovations V100 viiiiva Heart Rate Monitor V100: provides you with accurate heart rate measurement on your iPhone with no additional adapter. It also works with your ANT+ devices such as the ones Garmin and Timex make.

Withings Pulse Wireless Activity Tracker: a compact activity tracker with heart rate monitoring. It also monitors the quality of your sleep. It is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Power Labs Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor Armband: another heart rate monitor that does not need a chest strap to work. It supports ANT+ and Bluetooth devices. It is IPX67 sweat and waterproof and lasts up to 60 hours on battery.

Best Apps for measure your heart rate monitor

Smartphones like Samsung, Huawei have a secret superpower with its camera and flash alone, it can measure your heart rate. That means that apps are available to track one’s heart rate, with the aim of helping in improving health.

●      Welltory

●      Cardiio

●      My Baby’s Beat

●      Cardiograph Classic

●      Heart Rate Plus

●      Instant Heart Rate

●      Heart Rate Monitor

●      Accurate Heart Rate Monitor

●      Kardia

●      Qardio

●      Heartwatch

These are the most popular apps for heart rate sensors. The simple process of these apps is so easily maintained.

Process of measuring heart rate:

The simple process has a complicated name photoplethysmography. Every time the heart sends a pulse of blood through the body, the tiny capillary vessels in the skin expand. When a smartphone’s flash illuminates the skin, its camera can capture the miniscule color changes that happen each time the heart beats. (Because you have to hold fairly still for this process, these apps don’t provide the sort of continuous monitoring that external heart rate monitors can provide; with these apps, you’ll have to stop what you’re doing for about 10 seconds to take your pulse.)

Dozens of heart rate monitoring apps take advantage of smartphones’ built-in ability to provide a quick and easy way for users to take their own pulse — no math required. We recommend looking for one of these apps. Some heart rate monitor apps on the market require users to take their own pulse, tapping their fingers on the screen with each heartbeat. A few are simply timers that do little more than tell you how long to count your own heartbeats. There is little point to downloading these apps, as they don’t save much trouble over simply taking your own pulse.

Benefits of using heart rate apps:

Why is heart rate measuring important? Knowing your heart rate can provide you with helpful information about your health, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Changes in your resting heart rate can signal a medical problem, according to the organization, and the number of times your heart beats per minute can hint at your fitness level. For most people, the number lands between 60 and 100 beats per minute. We tested the app by comparing its results with manual pulse-taking and found that it was quite accurate — within a beat or two per minute.

The app also lets you record your heart rate and tag each measurement with details about what you were doing at the time, ranging from “just woke up” to “exercising” to “resting.” An additional “notes” section allows for even more customizability. The app is very easy to use, with clear instructions and a simple interface, and it can be set to remind one to measure his pulse with push notifications. A heart rate target zone calculator is included. The ads in the free version are unobtrusive.

Some disadvantages: The downside to the free version of Instant Heart Rate is that you can save only your five most recent measurements. However, you can save older records by downloading and syncing your data with Azumio’s free fitness app, Argus, or by manually exporting the data in a .CSV file. Or, to save more than five measurements, you can get the paid version of the app, Instant Heart Rate Pro ($1.99). A pro upgrade also gets you graphs of heart rate trends over time and nixes the ads.