How to Take Your Heartbeat Through Your Pulse
There are many ways to check your heart rate, including taking your heartbeat through your pulse on your inner wrist or your neck. Taking your pulse will measure your cardiovascular activity and oxygen consumption. The measurement is calculated in beats per minute, or BPMs. Checking your heartbeat through your pulse is most often used before, during and after physical activity to assess whether your body is performing within your target, or optimal, heart rate. Taking your heartbeat through your pulse is not to be confused with checking your blood pressure.
Instructions
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Wrist Pulse
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1
Place the tips of your pointer, middle and ring fingers of one hand on the palm side of your other hand's wrist.
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2
Position your fingers below the base of your thumb to ensure an accurate reading.
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3
Find the pulse, or the "beat" of blood flowing through the veins in your wrist.
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4
Use a watch with a second hand or a hand-held timer to count how many beats you feel in one minute. This number is your heart rate.
Neck Pulse
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5
Place the tips of your pointer and middle fingers of both hands on the lower front portion of your neck, about 2 inches below either ear.
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6
Find the pulse, or the "beat" of blood flowing through the arteries in your neck.
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7
Use a watch with a second hand or a hand-held timer to count how many heartbeats you feel in one minute. This number is your heart rate.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you can't find your pulse right away, adjust your fingers until you locate it and feel a steady rhythm. You can also determine the target heart rate for your age, body mass and level of physical activity by visiting the American Heart Association website.
Failure to accurately measure a heart rate can result in a medical emergency.
Use care in checking the heart rate of elderly individuals or young children, as their skin can bruise easily.
References
- Photo Credit Pas de temps image by Palindra from Fotolia.com
