A heart rate monitor is a device that measures and monitors the rate at which the heart beats per minute. It is generally a device that can be used by anybody as it does not require clinical knowledge for use. A heart rate monitor is very similar to an Electro Cardiograph (ECG) which also, broadly speaking, measures the heart beat of a person. An ECG is a highly sophisticated machine that records the heart’s electrical activity and produces the results in a graphical chart. It is used by health care specialists, in a hospital or a diagnostics laboratory. In contrast, a heart rate monitor can be used anytime, anywhere.
A heart rate monitor usually has two parts: a transmitter attached to the chest and a receiver which accepts the transmissions. The receiver is available in various shapes and designs. Initially, the receiver was in the shape of a watch and was strapped onto the wrist so that you could quickly refer to the heart rate as and when required. This type of receiver also worked as a watch. People also use heart rate monitors without the chest strap. These are easier to use and are more convenient, but don’t display all the details that heart rate monitors with chest straps display. The chest strap is so accurate because it has electrodes which pick up heart beats and transmit them to the receiver in the form of radio messages.
Some receivers also display other information like the amount of calories burnt during a workout session and the average heart rate. Such devices are used by professional sports people and can be used in gyms or while jogging. A US based company called Textronic introduced a specially made sports bra which could detect and transmit heart rates to a receiver. Now, heart rate monitors are available in many forms. For example, they come built in to trainers, as a finger plug, or as pads on the sides of some gym equipment like treadmills.
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