You Don’t Have to Wear a Device to Monitor Your Heartbeat: Try These Expert-Approved Methods for How to Check Heart Rate Naturally
Checking your heart rate is a great way to stay in tune with your body. Maybe you have a device that counts your heartbeats per minute for you (and many modern fitness trackers and smartwatches are equipped to do so), but research suggests these products may not be the best fit for some heart patients. Not to worry, though. If you’re someone who doesn’t experience positive results from tracking your heart rate with a wearable device, we asked doctors to explain how to check heart rate naturally.
The benefits of naturally checking your heart rate
A study recently published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that wearable devices actually may lead to increased anxiety, excessive symptom monitoring and higher healthcare utilization for some. For individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart rhythm disorder, researchers found higher rates of symptom preoccupation and more concerns about AF treatment compared to non-users. Additionally, one in five wearable users in the study reported experiencing intense fear and anxiety in response to irregular rhythm notifications from their devices.
“It’s important to be able to monitor your heart rate naturally as well because at times devices are not reliable and can be inaccurate,” says Hannah Mitchell MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, HF-Cert, Cardiology Nurse Practitioner, Founder and CEO of Heart Health Coaches. “Inaccuracies in technology can lead to unnecessary anxiety and causes for alarm. Knowing how to check your device for accuracy against a natural way to monitor heart rate can give you peace of mind.”
Additionally, manual heart rate checks require patience and presence, explains Kubanych Takyrbashev, MD, Health & Wellness Advisor at wellness company NAO. Unlike a quick glance at a digital monitor, he says, taking the time to locate and count your pulse fosters mindfulness which benefits overall mental well-being and stress management.
“When you manually check your heart rate by feeling your pulse, you actively engage in a feedback loop between your mind and body,” Dr. Takyrbashev says. “This process allows you to monitor your heart rate and promotes a deeper understanding of how your body responds to different activities, emotions and environments. By consistently practicing manual pulse checks, you develop a nuanced awareness of cardiovascular health beyond numerical readings.”
Indeed, checking your heart rate naturally also allows you to feel differences in which can indicate extremes of blood pressure (soft pulse may indicate low blood pressure while bounding pulse may indicate high blood pressure), explains Laura Fornos Verde, MD, MS, FACC, Lead Cardiovascular Physician at Conviva Care Centers. Similarly, irregularities in frequency (slow versus fast), suggesting possible dysrhythmias, she adds.
How to check heart rate naturally
There are a few ways and areas of the body you can use to monitor your own heart rate. Michell suggests the following options:
1. Carotid pulse
Locate your trachea or windpipe. This is in the center of your neck. You should feel ridges along the trachea as you move your finger down the neck.
Slide two fingers (index and middle fingers) laterally to either side of the trachea, but not both sides at once. Your fingers should be located just below the jawline.
Press very lightly and you should feel a bounding movement or pulse. This is your heartbeat.
Count the heartbeat for 15 seconds. You can use a timer or watch with a second hand for this.
Multiply the number you got by four. This will result in your beats per minute heart rate.
2. Radial Pulse
Position your wrist so that your palm is facing towards the sky.
Locate your radial bone or wrist bone. This will be a hard knot just below your thumb on your arm.
Bring your two fingers (index and middle fingers) in slightly towards the center of your arm, but do not cross the centerline. Your fingers should be just below the hand.
Press very lightly and you should feel a bounding movement or pulse. This is your heartbeat.
Count the heartbeat for 15 seconds. You can use a timer or watch with a second hand for this.
Multiply the number you got by four. This will result in your beats per minute heart rate.
Follow along with this quick video to give it a try!
How to evaluate your heart rate
A healthy heart rate depends on a variety of factors, including age, gender, general health, lifestyle, emotions, body position, medication. It can also depend on your level of activity. For example, normal heart rate ranges while resting on the couch versus walking up a hill will differ. A normal resting heart rate for most people is between 60-100 beats per minute. If you’re engaging in moderate physical exercise, though, a normal range would be about 50-70% of your maximum heart rate, according to the American Heart Association. To estimate your maximum heart rate, a general guideline is to subtract your age from 220.
If your heart rate numbers seem to consistently be out of range or you experience other problematic symptoms, you should discuss this with your doctor.
Read on for more heart health tips:
How to Prevent Heart Disease: These 5 MD-Backed Shortcuts Are Too Easy Not to Try
Don’t Toss That Avocado Seed! Use It To Brew Up a Delicious, Heart-Healthy + Slimming Tea
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
