Why It Matters and How to Do It:
Tracking your heart rate is one of the simplest—and most important—indicators of your cardiovascular health. Keeping an eye on it can help you monitor your fitness level, manage stress, and even detect potential heart issues early.
Why Track Your Heart Rate?
- Heart health check-in: A resting heart rate that’s too high or too low may signal an underlying issue or problems with medications.
- Exercise safety: Monitoring your pulse helps you stay in the right zone during workouts—pushing yourself enough without overdoing it.
- Stress awareness: Your heart rate can reveal how your body responds to stress and recovery.
Ways to Check Your Heart Rate
Manual Pulse Check:
- Place two fingers (not your thumb) on your wrist or neck.
- Count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by two.
- Fitness Trackers & Smartwatches:
- Many devices measure your heart rate continuously, giving you trends over time. (Some wearable tracker examples are: Fitbit Inspire 3, Fitbit Charge 6, and Oura Ring 4.)
- Chest & Arm Strap Monitors:
- Often used by athletes for the most accurate tracking during exercise. (Some chest strap monitor examples are: Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap, COROS Heart Rate Monitor, and MYZONE MZ 3.)
- Blood Pressure Monitors:
- Some at-home machines also display your pulse while checking blood pressure. (Some examples of blood pressure monitors with heart rate: iHeart Track Smart, and AILE Blood Pressure Machine,
What’s a Healthy Range?
For most adults, a resting heart rate between 60–100 beats per minute is considered normal. Talk to your doctor about what your individual range should be for resting and during exercise. Keep in mind, consistently high or low, or irregular numbers may need a doctor’s attention.
The Bottom Line for Tracking Your Heart Rate
Tracking your heart rate is quick, easy, and can give you valuable insight into your overall health. Whether you use your fingers, a smartwatch, or a fitness monitor, knowing your numbers helps you take better care of your heart every day.
Here’s more information about Why Tracking Health is Important During Recovery.