| Heart rate belts are heart monitoring devices that allow | | | | receiver, on the other hand, was a monitoring device |
| a user to get a real time measurement of their heart | | | | made to be worn as a wristwatch for the |
| rate. Heart rate belts are popular among active and | | | | convenience of the user. |
| health-conscious people. A heart rate belt is a chest | | | | Modern receiver units have data transfer abilities. |
| strap worn on the chest. This belt works in tandem | | | | Among other new and exciting features include the |
| with a receiver. The chest strap is fitted with a | | | | total calories burned during exercising and average |
| transmitter that sends real time data on the user’s | | | | heart beat over a specified period. Data transfer |
| heart rate to the receiver. The receiver is designed to | | | | makes it possible to download heart rate information |
| be worn on the wrist and can double as a watch. New | | | | onto a computer, allowing for better and easier |
| technologies in the telecommunications industry now | | | | monitoring and sharing over the Internet. |
| allow for mobile phones to become receivers. This will | | | | Many users over the years have claimed that heart |
| now allow users to share their fitness information with | | | | rate belts are the most accurate of heart monitors. |
| others. | | | | This is because of their strategic placement which is |
| The transmitter device in the chest belt is able to count | | | | very near the heart, ensuring very accurate readings. It |
| the number of times the individual’s heart beats per | | | | is worn right on the chest just below the bust line. |
| minute. The transmitter does this by checking for | | | | Many fitness equipment companies recognize this and |
| electrical current across the heart by way of | | | | continue to design their products such as treadmills and |
| electrodes that are in contact with the skin at the | | | | others to adapt and work with the chest strap. |
| chest. After recording a heartbeat, the chest | | | | Being an electronic device, the heart rate chest belt is |
| transmitter transmits a signal by radio or Bluetooth to | | | | easily affected by electrical appliances, devices, and |
| the receiver. The receiving device then displays the | | | | equipments such as television sets and computers if |
| rate at which the heart is beating. The signals sent are | | | | one gets too close. Electromagnetic radiation coming |
| coded in newer models to prevent mixing up of data | | | | from motorized machines interferes with and disturbs |
| with similar nearby apparatuses. | | | | in the process. Also, older and lower end models are |
| The first ever wireless electrocardiograph (EKG) heart | | | | susceptible to disturbances from other heart rate belts |
| rate belt monitoring systems came out in the late | | | | within a 3 feet (1 meter) radius. |
| 1970s and early 1980s. They were designed as training | | | | Heart rate belts are made of either textile or elastic |
| support for athletes. The first schematics are still quite | | | | materials and special traction straps. Recently, a |
| the same to today’s models, except for a couple | | | | company introduced a garment for women that work |
| of technological advances. It consisted of an electronic | | | | very similarly to the heart rate belt. They assimilated |
| transmitter and a matching receiver. The transmitter | | | | sensors into the garment for detecting heartbeats. It |
| was attached to the chest area by either the elastic | | | | then sends these to a receiver that is also worn at the |
| electrode belt or through disposable electrodes. The | | | | wrist. |