Smart watches or wristbands; It constantly continues to measure our heart rate while doing any sports, sleeping or working.
So how do they do this?
Bracelet trackers use an LED light to make the capillaries in your wrist visible to a sensor that measures how fast your blood is pumping.
This information is then interpreted as your heart rate and this data is presented as “beats per minute”. This system seems quite simple at first, but in some cases some problems may occur.
In order for the bracelets or watches to receive data as accurately as possible, the user must be absolutely motionless. Talking, moving, or sweating may affect the results.
For example, Apple Watch has two heart rate monitoring modes.
When you put the watch into exercise mode, it constantly tracks your heart rate. The rest of the time, the heart rate sensor uses infrared light to measure your heart rate every 10 minutes.
Of course, these infrared lights are active as long as you don’t move your arm. So moving your arm can make it harder to get an accurate reading. Again, tattoos can block the light from the heart rate sensor. Additionally, cold weather can also interfere with the accuracy of the results.
Smart watches or wristbands provide better results in measuring heart rate in rhythmic movements and sports such as running or cycling. However, when you make inconsistent movements, such as in tennis or boxing, the readings may give incorrect results.
In summary, smart watches and wristbands use LED and infrared lights to measure your heart rate.
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