Blood pressure monitors in fitness trackers are relatively new features, and there are lots of questions surrounding the accuracy of these monitors.
Many fitness trackers come with lots of different health features, including step counts, number of calories burned, as well as the blood pressure monitors.
These monitors allow you to have a clear understanding of your heart health, allowing early detection of any possible heart problems.
Read on for more information about the accuracy of blood pressure monitors in fitness trackers! (see also ‘18 Of The Best Smartwatches With A Blood Pressure Monitor‘)
What Is A Fitness Tracker?
A fitness tracker is a device that you wear on your wrist that will monitor and measure your health and physical activity. These fitness trackers include a heart rate monitor and sensors that can track vital signs.
Some fitness trackers also include tracking services that use GPS to track the number of steps that you are taking and the distance that you are walking or running.
Most of the fitness trackers also have music features allowing you to control music through the device.
Fitness trackers are very useful for those who want to have an active and healthy lifestyle. They are great if you are monitoring your health and trying to achieve certain fitness goals.
How Do Fitness Trackers Measure Blood Pressure?
There are a few different ways in which fitness bands measure blood pressure. This often varies between devices. These include:
Pulse Wave Analysis
This method is used to estimate blood pressure. It uses an optical sensor in order to estimate the blood pressure of the person wearing the fitness tracker.
This method works very well, however, you will need to ensure that you are calibrating the watch with a blood pressure device. This is to ensure that the readings are correct and it will need to be done fairly regularly.
Pulse Arrival Time
Some smartwatches measure the amount of time that it takes for your pulse rate to travel from your heart to your wrist. If, as a wearer, you are experiencing high blood pressure then you will see a high pulse traveling time.
This method is a good way for a fitness tracker to measure blood pressure because it doesn’t need to be calibrated frequently unlike the method explored above.
Blood Pressure Cuff Method
This blood pressure cuff method uses a cuff on the strap of the tracker in order to measure your blood pressure. This strap inflates and deflates while the blood pressure is measured.
This method is used for fitness trackers that only focus on blood pressure monitoring rather than having many other features.
How Should You Measure Blood Pressure Using A Fitness Tracker?
There are many different fitness trackers available that will measure your blood pressure. It is important that when your blood pressure is being measured, you follow these steps below:
- Sit down and relax.
- Make sure that you’re measuring your blood pressure twice to ensure that the results are similar.
- Make sure the device on your wrist is not too tight or too loose.
- Avoid physical activity, caffeine or cigarettes before you measure your blood pressure.
- Make sure your arm is resting on a flat surface when you are measuring your blood pressure. This will give you a more accurate reading.
Make sure to follow these steps when you are using a fitness tracker to ensure the most accurate results.
Is Fitness Tracker Blood Pressure Accurate?
If you want to know whether your fitness tracker is accurate, you should visit your doctor’s office alongside the fitness tracker.
You can ask your doctor to compare the measurement of your blood pressure with the measurement on the fitness tracer to see if the readings are almost the same. If they are almost the same, then the tracker is accurate.
The fitness tracker’s blood pressure accuracy will vary depending on the environment that it is being used in. For instance, blood pressure is more elevated during the day, and lower during the night.
To ensure that the monitor is accurate, you should test your blood pressure on a few different devices.
Pros And Cons Of Blood Pressure Monitoring On Fitness Trackers
Below are the different pros and cons of fitness trackers with blood pressure measurements on them.
Pros
- These fitness trackers are very easy to use
- Fitness trackers allow you to adjust your fitness plan and they keep you motivated
- You can check your blood pressure at any time from anywhere
- You will have a clear understanding of your heart health
- You don’t need to go to the doctors office to get your blood pressure checked
Cons
- These blood pressure monitors are very sensitive to monitors
- The blood pressure monitors in the fitness tracker may not be as accurate as certain other methods
What Types Of Fitness Trackers Are There?
There are three main types of fitness trackers. These are:
Basic Fitness Trackers
These trackers are perfect if you are just starting out with fitness trackers. They are very easy to use and they will tell you how many steps you have taken and how many calories you have burned.
They will also track the distance of your exercise routine, too. These trackers are great for runners and walkers.
Heart Rate Trackers
These trackers are a step up from the basic fitness tracker. They are also able to monitor any changes to your heart rate.
Heart Rate Trackers With GPS
These trackers are able to do all of the above and they can also track your position anywhere you are in the world. This is great if you are a cyclist or a hiker.
Benefits Of A Fitness Tracker
Fitness trackers are not only able to measure your blood pressure, they are also able to do a lot of other great things. These include:
- The ability to help you to lose weight and encourage you to exercise
- They can help you to improve cardiovascular health and other types of health
- These trackers can also help to manage things like diabetes and sleep quality
- These trackers are also great for measuring heart rate, counting your steps and making contactless payments.
Why Should I Use A Fitness Tracker?
The fitness tracker is great for lots of different things. It will help you to achieve lots of different goals.
The most obvious reason is that your physical activity will allow you to understand how your activity will help your health.
Fitness trackers are able to provide feedback on your progress and will help you to understand how to improve.
These trackers are great for those who are trying to lose weight and they can help you keep track of how many calories you are consuming.
Final Thoughts
Fitness trackers often contain blood pressure monitors. The trackers that have monitors are very accurate when it comes to providing these measurements.
If you are looking to lose weight, or you are looking to monitor your health then these blood pressure monitors may help you. Give them a try and you might be pleasantly surprised.
There are a lot of other things that you can do with these fitness trackers, too. They are able to make contactless payments and music playback.
From a young age, I have always had a big interest in technology, and this blog is an extension of that interest. Through this blog, I hope to provide others with all of the information they need regarding tech options to consider, and things such as compatibility. Some of the different items I will be discussing include headphones, smartwatches, and how to fix common issues.
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