Heart monitor?

[buzzy-beans]

I am very hopefully on the recovery road after a lengthy period of combined heart and lung problems and only last week after almost 2 years I finally sat back on one of my bikes which is now securely mounted on a turbo trainer.

I have decided to buy some kind of heart monitor so that I can keep a close eye on the old ticker, initially I bought one of those 'fitbit' style watches however I found the results given to be wildly inaccurate, so I returned it.

Now, before I go any further, with the exception of this ancient lap-top I am on right now, I am about as anti techi stuff as any ancient old f*rt can be and to illustrate this point, I don't even have the most basic of mobile phones let alone a 'smart' phone or an 'i' pad, even my wife has to use the remote controller for the TV !!!!!!

So one and all, does anyone know of a basic, good quality, no frills heart monitor?

Many thanks

 

[Mark pallister]

I use a wahoo tickr,ant & Bluetooth
3 yrs no problem

 

[BigMeatball]

Any sports watch with HR chest strap will do just fine.

You can use the chest strap while on the bike, and the watch at any other time, for instance while you sleep.

I have a garmin forerunner 735xt with chest strap and it's been good so far

 

[buzzy-beans]

Thanks for those 2 suggestions @Mark pallister and @BigMeatball, but Mark I don't have any kind of Bluetooth device and BigMeatball I have very deep pockets allied to exceptionally short arms or in other words, I am a poor hard up pensioner!!

But I have found an answer or rather my other half has now bought me a

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07T138PLL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
that not only costs under £19 inc. delivery but it also has excellent reviews.
Yes I know it is a bit bulky but it is only for wearing when I am on my trainer and at that price allied to the excellent Amazon returns policy, I basically have nothing to loose.

Many thanks

 

[vickster]

I would discuss the use of any such devices with your doctor first 👍🏻

 

[buzzy-beans]

I would discuss the use of any such devices with your doctor first 👍🏻

Thanks for that, but I have already discussed my exercise regime with my GP (who is in my mind the Worlds best) and all three of the consultants I am currently registered with, all of whom believe my heart and lungs will benefit from a controlled exercise regime.
However, because of the distance I live from either hospital where they do have exercise machines and the associated ECG monitoring equipment that is why I have chosen to take this route which has received their 100% agreement.

 

[si_c]

I have a Garmin Forerunner 35 watch which I find is reasonably accurate. I've compared it against a more traditional HR strap and it's close enough that I have no problems using it in it's place - but you do need to cinch the strap quite tight. For day to day HR tracking I find it useful.

However you will need a smart phone to connect it to - the same as with most fitness trackers/HR monitors that I've seen on the market.

That being said, if you only plan to use it on an indoor trainer then the option you have gone for is a pretty good one IMO. As with most things after about 10 minutes you'll probably not notice it is there.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

How do you plan to use it? If you want a proper ECG which can be stored and sent to Doc if necessary, then look at a Kardia. There's one stuck to the back of the phone I'm posting from. If not that, then I'm a fan of the Withings range of devices, which are tough but look like normal watches, as opposed to something from athletes R Us.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

If you want it to give you reliable, accurate readings then make sure whichever one you choose has been clinically validated. I use one of these: https://www.omron-healthcare.co.uk/blood-pressure-monitors/m3_2.html#start=1 which is the same as my GP's monitor. So when I have to discuss my readings with him he knows they're reliable and he can easily see them on my app (you can use the monitor perfectly well without this).

Correction: I should have linked to the M7

 

[cyberknight]

any good ?
they say its within 2 bpm accurate
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/kalenji-hr-500-black-id_8563506.html

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Thanks for that, but I have already discussed my exercise regime with my GP (who is in my mind the Worlds best) and all three of the consultants I am currently registered with, all of whom believe my heart and lungs will benefit from a controlled exercise regime.
However, because of the distance I live from either hospital where they do have exercise machines and the associated ECG monitoring equipment that is why I have chosen to take this route which has received their 100% agreement.

The device you bought should be fine. As @glasgowcyclist mentioned, we also have an Omron which will be very similar. They are both designed to take blood pressure and pulse at rest, so to speak and not whilst carrying out exercise as it is not a continuous reading. What it would be good at is taking the BP and HB before you exercise and perhaps halfway through and again when you stop. I always find that the BP will drop after exercise. Don`t over do the exercise of course and don`t over do the BP measurements. It may be worth keeping a diary of readings.
PS I don`t have a smart phone either and don`t want one so you are not alone !

 

[buzzy-beans]

PS I don`t have a smart phone either and don`t want one so you are not alone !

Brilliant news, so there is someone else who can exist without one of those infernal things!

As for my monitoring, thanks one and all for your comments and yes I do appreciate the shortcomings of the device we have purchased and of course I will be keeping a very accurate log of all the readings as well as the exercise period lengths and torque/load settings.

Prior to me putting my leg over the cross bar I have gradually been increasing my muscle building exercises, about which, as I believe I am amongst people with similar problems, I wonder if any if you have experienced anything like this?

We have 3 springer spaniels and walk them twice daily all be it in my case, I have considerably reduced both the distance and the speed that I walk at, but despite this, every single walk results in a slight but noticeable shortness of breath along with the onset of angina pains.
However, in stark contrast, one of the leg exercises I do is to stand upright with my arms by my side and I then slowly squat until my hands reach halfway down my calf muscles and then slowly stand upright once more. What bamboozles me is that I can do 100 of these, resulting in lovely muscle building burning pains in my thigh muscles, yet I experience no breathing or angina pain whatsoever despite all the physical effort and so far this experience is exactly the same when on the turbo-trainer which is why I am starting to monitor data.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

If you want a blood pressure machine then you don't have to spend as much as that. Lloyds Chemists own brand and others are all certified and a fraction of the cost.

https://bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Brilliant news, so there is someone else who can exist without one of those infernal things!

As for my monitoring, thanks one and all for your comments and yes I do appreciate the shortcomings of the device we have purchased and of course I will be keeping a very accurate log of all the readings as well as the exercise period lengths and torque/load settings.

Prior to me putting my leg over the cross bar I have gradually been increasing my muscle building exercises, about which, as I believe I am amongst people with similar problems, I wonder if any if you have experienced anything like this?

We have 3 springer spaniels and walk them twice daily all be it in my case, I have considerably reduced both the distance and the speed that I walk at, but despite this, every single walk results in a slight but noticeable shortness of breath along with the onset of angina pains.
However, in stark contrast, one of the leg exercises I do is to stand upright with my arms by my side and I then slowly squat until my hands reach halfway down my calf muscles and then slowly stand upright once more. What bamboozles me is that I can do 100 of these, resulting in lovely muscle building burning pains in my thigh muscles, yet I experience no breathing or angina pain whatsoever despite all the physical effort and so far this experience is exactly the same when on the turbo-trainer which is why I am starting to monitor data.

I take it that you mean you have angina pains when on the turbo ? Did you have surgery for either ? Whilst I don`t have those problems, my wife does suffer from heart and had heart bypass in 2002. Two years back she started to get short of breath whilst walking, particularly if there is a slight climb. She does carry a spray for the angina but usually her pains are from a hiatus hernia, the symptoms are almost identical. We don`t walk as far as a result.

 

[buzzy-beans]

I take it that you mean you have angina pains when on the turbo ?

No, so far I don't get any chest/angina pains on the turbo or when exercising, it is only when I am walking and that is only walking quite slowly, it is very strange and has the collective medics scratching their heads as well !!

As for my ticker, I had a very long stent fitted last April, since when I have had 3 joyous blues and twoes journeys which eventually resulted in my case being transferred to Papworth where they decided to do another angiogram because they thought the original stent might have collapsed, but they found absolutely nothing wrong with either the stent or any of the other main arteries in the heart. As a result of this I had a significant change in my medication, which fingers crossed, so far, they appear to be working with the exception of my problems when gently walking or going up stairs.

No doubt I am the same as your wife and have learnt to look upon the GTN spray as an absolute godsend!