Uses of a Heart Monitor and its Different Types
A heart monitor is a useful tool for athletes, particularly those in very physical sports such as running or cycling. It can also be useful for those beginning exercise programs and those who want to monitor heart rates while performing chores. The monitor is worn like a watch over the wrist. A digital display shows the wearer’s heart rate.
A monitor works by emitting light beams into the skin over the wrist of the wearer. Different models have sounds or colored lights to give off warnings when the wearer’s heart rate is too high. Some models have computers that can be programmed to alert the wearer when the heart rate falls too low, thus encouraging the wearer to work harder. Different models have various features to accommodate both athletes and non-athletes alike. Several companies offer monitors for sale. HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com is one such company that offers many different styles and colors.
Heart patients under the supervision of a doctor may also wear them. The doctor’s staff will program heart rate information into the monitor’s computer. This is different from a heartbeat monitor, which records an EKG to a memory chip that is downloaded to a computer in the doctor’s office. The heart rate monitor can warn patients when to take it easy or if their heart rate is too high.
For beginning athletes and those who are curious about their heart rates, a monitor is a useful tool. Wearing one during the day and noting the rate during times of stress, such as waiting in a long line, being stuck in a traffic jam or into an argument can also be helpful. It can act as an anger management tool, when the monitor alerts to the wearer’s heart rate reaching the upper limit, the person knows to work to calm down.
Men and women’s heart rates can be monitored with different models. While a monitor cannot diagnose medical problems, noting sudden changes in heart rate when exercising or at rest is something to bring to a doctor’s attention. The user can keep track of the changes and the rates; relaying the information to the doctor can help him or her to decide what course to take.
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