With the advancement in mobile applications, tracking heart rate can be done effortlessly with just a few clicks on the smartphone. For the one who is not comfortable using/wearing devices, such
heart rate app are used tremendously for screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of heart rate and rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillations (AF). Keeping a regular tab on your health with such apps can reveal about lifestyle adjustments, the efficacy of the medicine, and other treatments needed. Tracking metrics is also an efficient way to have a more productive conversation with your health provider.
How Mobile Apps Can Track Your Heart Rate?
Like how heart rate trackers are built into fitness wearables, similarly, mobile apps on smartphones detect the change in the blood volume under the skin’s surface and measure the heart rate. This practice is known as photoplethysmography. Thus, whenever the heart beats, the volume of blood that reaches the capillaries in your fingers and other parts swells up and then recedes. Since blood absorbs light, these mobile applications can capture this flow by using the phone’s flash camera to illuminate the skin and get a reflection.
Accuracy Of Heart-Rate Tracking Apps
While it is hard to beat the convenience of the smartphone, all heart rate tracking apps will show different results. The fact is that the heart rate apps don’t consistently perform. Thus, there are some winners and losers for heart rate monitoring mobile applications under the play store.
According to research, mobile applications that ask you to touch your finger on your smartphone’s built-in camera relatively give extra accurate reading than those that just hold the phone’s camera to your face.
Thus, the bottom line is that since mobile applications give a fair idea about the heart rate and its rhythm, you can use them to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle and prevent severe situations.
How To Choose The Best Heart-Related Mobile Applications
With the plethora of options related to heart rate applications, it often needs to be clarified as to which one to use or rely on. While the majority of people apply the download and trial method, there are several factors that one should consider while downloading a heart monitoring mobile application.
Functionality: You can choose the application by checking how it functions. Whether the heart rate monitoring application detects the heart rate by asking you to touch the built-in camera or it functions by holding the camera face in front of your face, whatever is more comfortable with increased accuracy, you must opt for that particular one.
Feature:With the popularity of mobile applications, there is a separate application for every kind of need. Whether you want just a basic one that checks your heart rate or monitors your Blood pressure, pulse, and other cardiovascular health metrics, some applications give you detailed echocardiograms (ECG) and applications for athletes with specific needs. Depending on your needs and the feature it provides.
Paid or free: One of the crucial deciding factors for downloading heart rate monitoring mobile applications is whether they are paid or free. With multiple
free heart rate app available in the download store, one can choose free applications. However, some apps have unique and premium features available in the paid version only. In such cases, when you need or have the severity to use such a feature, a paid version may be needed.
Customer reviews:Another deciding factor is customer reviews and ratings. You can look for options with high ratings and read some of the positive feedback. It is one of the best ways to decide as it will give you honest reviews from the people who have used the application or how it benefited them.
Thus, such heart rate monitoring apps use sensors to calculate the heart rate and provide insights into your workout, helping you improve your fitness level, stress, mood, sleep, and heart health. Keeping track of the heart rate will help with medical purposes, staying fit, getting personalised workout plans, and more. Consider the information mentioned above to find the right heart rate application for your needs.
