How to Get the Most Accurate Heart Rate Reading on Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

Apple Watch features a heart rate monitor to help guide you through your workout sessions, tracking your heart rate while you exercise to better determine the amount of calories you burn during your activities.

The monitor also automatically tries to measure your heart rate every 10 minutes, but doesn't record the data if your arm is moving. That is why your Health app doesn't reflect a reading at every 10 minutes on the dot, but shows varying intervals of readings.

If you want to get a quick, accurate measurement of your heart rate manually you can do so in Glances.

The heart rate sensor is on the backside of the Apple Watch case and is made up of two different sets of special lights that monitor the blood flow through your wrist. Because the sensors absorb light through your skin, there are a few factors that affect the accuracy of a heart rate reading.

By following a few tips, as well as calibrating Apple Watch for workouts, you will get a better heart rate reading, thus improving the device's ability to more determine how many calories you burn.


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Article Link: How to Get the Most Accurate Heart Rate Reading on Apple Watch

 

[0098386]

Step 1) don't have a sleeve tattoo.

 

[Iconoclysm]

That gap/no gap method is incorrect as this differs greatly depending on the shape of your wrist. If the watch is snug, it's snug, if it can't move around...it can't move around. For some people, that will mean there is a gap in the band. The watch itself is raised up, if you have a slimmer wrist, it is absolutely impossible to remove that gap.

 

[jjrtiger]

The best way to get your heart rate is to pair it via Bluetooth with a Polar strap/pod. Instead of using the watch's light mechanism, it gets your heart rate from the Polar device and it is updated constantly in the Workout app. Not to mention you also save battery power on your watch.

 

[michaelant]

"Some people enjoy jogging in the snow, but keep in mind that this may have an EFFECT on an accurate heart rate reading from your Apple Watch"

 

[mdelvecchio]

The best way to get your heart rate is to pair it via Bluetooth with a Polar strap/pod. Instead of using the watch's light mechanism, it gets your heart rate from the Polar device and it is updated constantly in the Workout app. Not to mention you also save battery power on your watch.

This article pertains to the best way to get readings using the on-device capabilities.

 

[Zakkates]

The heart rate monitor is pretty much useless when I'm lifting weights (especially HIIT).

When I'm on the treadmill at a steady pace, the Apple Watch most often is spot on with what the machine says my heart rate is.

However, when I'm lifting weights w/ a lot of movement, I can feel my heart rate is at least over 150bpm, but the Apple Watch freaks out and says I have "37bpm" or "87bpm" or can't read. It's very frustrating.

Does hair on the wrist effect it at all?

 

[Fiestaman]

The heart rate monitor is pretty much useless when I'm lifting weights (especially HIIT).

When I'm on the treadmill at a steady pace, the Apple Watch most often is spot on with what the machine says my heart rate is.

However, when I'm lifting weights w/ a lot of movement, I can feel my heart rate is at least over 150bpm, but the Apple Watch freaks out and says I have "37bpm" or "87bpm" or can't read. It's very frustrating.

Does hair on the wrist effect it at all?

Muscle contractions from gripping the bar while lifting weights can constrict the blood vessels in your hands and wrist. This will cause the HRM to have bad readings.

 

[randyj]

The watch has got me back in the gym!

I was on a rowing machine the other day and was sweating it up. The monitor was saying 65bpm.
I then tightened the band 1 hole tighter on the sport watch so it was very snug on my wrist and it started reading correctly.

Since then it has been working well. If I use a treadmill or exercise bike I sometimes compare the monitor on the machine to the watch. It is normally very accurate, only 1-2 bpm difference.

One thing that is nuts is when you log a 30 minute indoor walk, for example, it doesn't necessarily log the full 30 minutes to you daily exercise goal. Now I know this, I am doing more exercise just to get the ring filled.

 

[Zakkates]

Muscle contractions from gripping the bar while lifting weights can constrict the blood vessels in your hands and wrist. This will cause the HRM to have bad readings.

Remember the Apple Watch health & fitness commercial where the guy is doing Rope Conditioning? Yah, lots of muscle contractions.... tsk tsk tsk, Apple.

 

[sss4r]

Does hair on the wrist effect it at all?

For years I used the Basis B1, now owned by Intel, which uses similar light tech, and they posted that yes hair can interfere with readings. Some people circumvented that with shaving their wrist, which I think is extreme. You can just use tweezers to weed out the thickest hairs on the skin that makes contact with the back of the device, you don't need to be completely hairless in order for it to work properly, simply remove some excess hair.

I believe the B1 uses additional sensors/algorithms to track/analyze sleep quality, and I told myself that I'd wear the B1 at night and the Apple Watch at day, but I haven't developed a routine yet of switching them. I'd rather Apple develop better software for the same purpose.

 

[sss4r]

That gap/no gap method is incorrect as this differs greatly depending on the shape of your wrist. If the watch is snug, it's snug, if it can't move around...it can't move around. For some people, that will mean there is a gap in the band. The watch itself is raised up, if you have a slimmer wrist, it is absolutely impossible to remove that gap.

Yes, I don't think the gap around the wrist matters so much so long as the device is snug enough that the back of it where the sensors are located is making firm contact against the skin. Perhaps eliminating the gap altogether around the wrist might optimize accuracy, but as you point out, it's impractical and probably unnecessary.

 

[nick42983]

The heart rate monitor is pretty much useless when I'm lifting weights (especially HIIT).

When I'm on the treadmill at a steady pace, the Apple Watch most often is spot on with what the machine says my heart rate is.

However, when I'm lifting weights w/ a lot of movement, I can feel my heart rate is at least over 150bpm, but the Apple Watch freaks out and says I have "37bpm" or "87bpm" or can't read. It's very frustrating.

Does hair on the wrist effect it at all?

I've had the same problems with weightlifing. Sometimes I'll simply exit out of the workout app and go to the HR monitor in glances until it gets the right reading and then go back to the workout app and it will update with the proper measurement. When it's accurate it's great, but I feel that 30%+ of my gym calories burned aren't being measured.

 

[simbo123]

You can view collected data through this free app and check for trends https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heart-analyzer/id1006420410?ls=1&mt=8

 

[noguchif]

Try this, assuming your Apple Watch is paired with an iPhone and regularly captures your heartbeat: remove your Apple Watch from your wrist and lay it flat on a coloured surface (say, a blue microfiber cloth) while leaving it close enough to the iPhone it's paired with. Leave it there for a couple of hours. In my case, both throughout the night and everytime I do this, I get heartbeat readings. Whose heartbeatings, I do not know. This "symptom" disappears if the Apple Watch is laid to rest on its charger or on a white tissue.

 

[KaiserRaath]

Or don't sweat. I found that the slightest bit of sweat makes for random HR readings, like 45bpm

 

[bstpierre]

The best way to get your heart rate is to pair it via Bluetooth with a Polar strap/pod. Instead of using the watch's light mechanism, it gets your heart rate from the Polar device and it is updated constantly in the Workout app. Not to mention you also save battery power on your watch.

Thank you so much for your post. It had never occurred to me that I could pair my chest strap with the watch. I tried it last night using my MyZone heart rate monitor (MZ-3) and it worked perfectly!

 

[doramefarso]

I've had the same problems with weightlifing. Sometimes I'll simply exit out of the workout app and go to the HR monitor in glances until it gets the right reading and then go back to the workout app and it will update with the proper measurement. When it's accurate it's great, but I feel that 30%+ of my gym calories burned aren't being measured.

I've had the same problems with weightlifing. Sometimes I'll simply exit out of the workout app and go to the HR monitor in glances until it gets the right reading and then go back to the workout app and it will update with the proper measurement. When it's accurate it's great, but I feel that 30%+ of my gym calories burned aren't being measured.

Thought the same thing about arm hair, shaved my forearm under the watch as a test, had no effect. still shows 60 BPM after doing a super set. but if i walk briskly around the room its show 80 BPM

 

[@VittoJC]

Apple Watch features a heart rate monitor to help guide you through your workout sessions, tracking your heart rate while you exercise to better determine the amount of calories you burn during your activities.

The monitor also automatically tries to measure your heart rate every 10 minutes, but doesn't record the data if your arm is moving. That is why your Health app doesn't reflect a reading at every 10 minutes on the dot, but shows varying intervals of readings.

If you want to get a quick, accurate measurement of your heart rate manually you can do so in Glances.

The heart rate sensor is on the backside of the Apple Watch case and is made up of two different sets of special lights that monitor the blood flow through your wrist. Because the sensors absorb light through your skin, there are a few factors that affect the accuracy of a heart rate reading.

By following a few tips, as well as calibrating Apple Watch for workouts, you will get a better heart rate reading, thus improving the device's ability to more determine how many calories you burn.


Click here to read more...

Article Link: How to Get the Most Accurate Heart Rate Reading on Apple Watch

[doublepost=1486067794][/doublepost]Saying a heart rate "monitor" samples your heart rate every 10 minutes is pretty much saying it's useless for working out . . . unless you are a steady runner. Forget the Apple Watch heart rate monitor for hiking, HIIT, or other good cardiovascular workouts wear you heart rate varies and you need to keep an eye on it to keep yourself honest. My wife is frustrated with her Apple Watch for fitness, but my Samsung Gear for $140 is working great for me.

 

[C DM]

[doublepost=1486067794][/doublepost]Saying a heart rate "monitor" samples your heart rate every 10 minutes is pretty much saying it's useless for working out . . . unless you are a steady runner. Forget the Apple Watch heart rate monitor for hiking, HIIT, or other good cardiovascular workouts wear you heart rate varies and you need to keep an eye on it to keep yourself honest. My wife is frustrated with her Apple Watch for fitness, but my Samsung Gear for $140 is working great for me.

It can also measure your heart rate continuously as well:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204666
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204523

 

[Mrscryer43]

Muscle contractions from gripping the bar while lifting weights can constrict the blood vessels in your hands and wrist. This will cause the HRM to have bad readings.

[doublepost=1487105527][/doublepost]I have a pacemaker that's set on 60 bpm to 130 bpm the heart monitor on the watch said my heart rate was205 bpm and 35 bpm that's incorrect my pacemaker will not let it get that high