Are pulse and heart rate the same thing?

No, they are closely related but not identical, because heart rate measures the heart's electrical contractions while pulse measures the resulting blood flow you can feel in peripheral arteries.

Which is more accurate, pulse or heart rate?

Heart rate is more accurate because it directly measures the heart's electrical activity, whereas pulse can be weaker or missed entirely if blood flow is obstructed or irregular.

What is the normal resting pulse rate for an adult?

A normal resting pulse for a healthy adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, though well-trained athletes often have resting pulses below 60 beats per minute.

Is a pulse rate of 50 dangerous for your health?

A pulse rate of 50 can be dangerous if you experience dizziness or fainting, but it is often safe and normal for physically fit individuals or those taking certain heart medications.

Can you measure your heart rate using a pulse oximeter?

Yes, a pulse oximeter measures your heart rate by detecting blood volume changes in your finger, and it displays the result as beats per minute alongside your oxygen saturation.

What is the most common beginner mistake when checking pulse?

The most common beginner mistake is using the thumb to feel for a pulse, because the thumb has its own pulse that can be confused with the patient's heartbeat.

Can I use my pulse to track my heart rate during exercise?

Yes, you can use your pulse to track heart rate during exercise, but it is less practical than a chest strap monitor because stopping to count manually causes your rate to drop quickly.

Why is my pulse lower than my heart rate on a monitor?

Your pulse is lower than your heart rate on a monitor because some heart contractions are too weak to produce a detectable pulse wave, a condition called pulse deficit often seen with arrhythmias.

Can I switch from tracking heart rate to tracking pulse for fitness?

Yes, you can switch to tracking pulse for fitness if you have no heart conditions, but you must count immediately after exercise because your pulse slows down within seconds of stopping.

Difference Between

Difference Between Pulse and Heart Rate

Written byNex Virox Team

Editorial Team

Reviewed byVarshal Nirbhavane

Senior SEO & Organic Growth Professional · 5+ years

Published: August 30, 202619 min read

Quick answer

The main difference between Pulse and Heart Rate is that pulse measures the physical throbbing of blood in arteries, while heart rate counts the heart's electrical contractions per minute. Pulse is the tactile arterial beat felt at points like the wrist, while Heart Rate is the number of ventricular beats per minute.

Key takeaways

Core distinction: Pulse is the physical artery thump you feel, while heart rate is the actual number of beats per minute.
How each works: Heart rate originates from the heart's electrical system, whereas pulse measures the resulting blood flow pressure wave.
Measurement accuracy: Heart rate requires an ECG or chest strap, but pulse needs only fingers on an artery for counting.
Best-fit use case: Use pulse for quick daily fitness checks, and heart rate for precise medical diagnosis or athletic training zones.
Common decision mistake: Assuming pulse and heart rate always match, yet skipped beats or weak arteries can make them differ.

Table of Contents18 sections

Difference Between Pulse and Heart Rate: Comparison Table

Aspect	Pulse	Heart Rate
Definition	Mechanical wave of blood felt in arteries each time the heart contracts.	Number of times the heart's ventricles contract per minute.
Purpose	Confirms blood is flowing through peripheral vessels to body tissues.	Indicates the heart's electrical activity and pumping workload.
Core Mechanism	Palpable pressure surge from ventricular ejection travelling along arterial walls.	Generated by the sinoatrial node firing electrical impulses to trigger contractions.
Measurement Site	Palpated at wrist, neck, groin, or foot where arteries lie near skin.	Measured directly at the heart via ECG electrodes or chest monitors.
Measurement Unit	Counted as beats per minute (bpm) by finger palpation over 15-60 seconds.	Reported in beats per minute (bpm) from electrical signal detection.
Detection Method	Physical touch or optical sensors using light absorption in wearable devices.	Electrical sensing via ECG, Holter monitor, or implantable loop recorder.
Underlying Signal	Mechanical pressure wave from blood volume hitting arterial walls.	Electrical depolarization wave triggering each heartbeat.
Accuracy	Can miss weak pulses in low blood pressure or peripheral artery disease.	Captures every electrical beat including those without palpable output.
Pulse Deficit	Counts fewer beats than actual contractions when stroke volume is too low.	Registers every contraction even when no pulse wave reaches periphery.
Arrhythmia Detection	Reveals irregular rhythm but cannot classify the specific electrical abnormality.	ECG waveform identifies atrial fibrillation, flutter, and premature beats precisely.
Signal Strength	Varies with blood pressure, vessel elasticity, and distance from the heart.	Remains stable regardless of blood pressure because it is electrical.
Resting Value	Typically 60-100 bpm in healthy adults when measured at radial artery.	Typically 60-100 bpm in healthy adults when measured by ECG.
Exercise Response	Rises with intensity but lags slightly behind actual heart rate during rapid changes.	Increases immediately with exertion, often exceeding 180 bpm in maximal effort.
Recovery Tracking	Palpable pulse recovery offers a rough fitness gauge but lacks beat-by-beat detail.	ECG provides precise heart rate recovery metrics used in stress testing.
Wearable Tech	Optical sensors estimate pulse from blood volume changes in wrist capillaries.	Chest straps measure electrical signals directly for higher exercise accuracy.
Latency	Pulse wave arrives at wrist roughly 50-100 milliseconds after each ventricular contraction.	Electrical signal is recorded at the moment of initiation, with no travel delay.
Clinical Use	Rapid triage for circulation adequacy, shock, and peripheral perfusion status.	Diagnostic tool for rhythm disorders, ischemia, and cardiac conduction defects.
Training Zones	Used with perceived exertion to estimate effort when monitors are unavailable.	Preferred for precise zone training because it reflects true cardiac output demand.
Data Continuity	Palpation gives intermittent samples; optical sensors may drop out during motion.	ECG provides continuous beat-to-beat data without interruption from movement.
Artifact Susceptibility	Motion, cold hands, or tight straps can distort optical pulse readings.	Muscle electrical noise can interfere, but modern filters reduce most artifacts.
Cost of Measurement	Free with manual palpation using only fingers and a watch.	Requires ECG equipment ranging from consumer monitors to hospital machines.
Accessibility	Available anywhere without devices; works in remote or low-resource settings.	Needs powered equipment, electrodes, and trained interpretation for full value.
Skill Required	Minimal training to locate radial pulse and count for 30 seconds accurately.	Clinical expertise required to place leads and interpret ECG rhythm strips.
Durability of Signal	Weakens with age, stiff arteries, or low cardiac output from heart failure.	Persists even in cardiac arrest as electrical activity may continue briefly.
Typical Devices	Finger, wrist-worn optical sensors, and manual sphygmomanometer palpation.	ECG machines, smartwatch electrical sensors, and implanted cardiac monitors.
Home Monitoring	Easy self-check at radial artery for general wellness and medication response.	Consumer smartwatches now offer single-lead ECG for atrial fibrillation screening.
Emergency Use	Quick carotid check confirms circulation during CPR but cannot assess rhythm.	Defibrillator pads analyze rhythm to decide if a shock is appropriate.
Limitation	Absent or weak pulse does not always mean cardiac arrest; may indicate poor perfusion.	Electrical activity can exist without mechanical pumping, as in pulseless electrical activity.
Best-Fit Scenario	Field triage, fitness tracking, and quick wellness checks without equipment.	Clinical diagnosis, arrhythmia management, and precise athletic performance monitoring.

What Is Pulse?

Pulse is the palpable throbbing of arteries caused by the heart ejecting blood. It is what you feel when you press fingers against a superficial artery, and it exists as a direct, physical indicator of each heartbeat's force traveling through the vascular system.

Definition of Pulse

Pulse is the rhythmic expansion and recoil of an arterial wall that results from the surge of blood pumped by the left ventricle during systole. This mechanical wave is palpable at sites where arteries lie close to the skin surface, such as the wrist or neck.

Key Characteristics of Pulse

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Palpable location	Felt only where arteries pass near skin, like radial or carotid sites.
Mechanical wave	Represents pressure wave travel, not direct blood cell movement.
Rate measurement	Counted as beats per minute by finger pressure for 15-60 seconds.
Rhythm quality	Reveals regularity or irregularity of successive arterial expansions.
Force amplitude	Indicates stroke volume and vascular tone through perceived strength.
Vessel elasticity	Depends on arterial compliance; stiff vessels produce a sharper wave.
Peripheral nature	Reflects events distal to the heart, influenced by vessel distance.
Rate variability	Changes with respiration, stress, and physical activity levels.
Pulse deficit	Occurs when some heartbeats fail to generate a palpable wave.
Bilateral comparison	Comparing both sides helps detect local arterial blockages or narrowing.

Common Examples of Pulse

Radial pulse – felt at the wrist thumb side, the standard clinical measurement site.
Carotid pulse – palpated in the neck groove, used during cardiac arrest assessment.
Brachial pulse – located in the inner elbow, essential for infant blood pressure checks.
Femoral pulse – found in the groin, critical for assessing lower limb circulation.
Popliteal pulse – felt behind the knee, used to evaluate leg artery patency.
Dorsalis pedis pulse – palpated on the top of the foot, a key peripheral vascular indicator.
Posterior tibial pulse – located behind the ankle bone, checked in diabetic foot exams.
Temporal pulse – felt at the temple, relevant for temporal arteritis evaluation.
Apical pulse – heard with a stethoscope over the heart, not palpated, used in infants.
Ulnar pulse – found on the inner wrist, checked before arterial blood gas sampling.

Advantages and Limitations of Pulse

Advantages	Limitations
Requires no equipment, enabling immediate bedside or field assessment.	Cannot be felt in low cardiac output states, giving a false sense of no heartbeat.
Provides real-time feedback on circulatory status during exercise.	Peripheral pulse may disappear with local artery disease despite normal heart function.
Easy to teach and learn for basic first aid and monitoring.	Subject to observer error in counting, especially with irregular rhythms.
Allows rapid comparison between left and right sides for asymmetry detection.	Does not measure actual blood pressure or cardiac output directly.
Useful for tracking fitness intensity zones during training sessions.	Weak or bounding pulses are subjective, varying between examiners.
Helps detect arrhythmias through irregular pulse patterns.	Cannot distinguish between different arrhythmia types without an ECG.
Non-invasive and painless, suitable for repeated monitoring.	Fails at distal sites in cold environments due to vasoconstriction.
Indicates vascular elasticity, offering clues about arterial stiffness.	Pulse deficit may occur, where heart beats but no wave is palpable.
Applicable across all ages, from newborns to elderly patients.	Overestimation of heart rate occurs when counting a dicrotic wave as a beat.
Provides a quick screening tool for shock or dehydration severity.	Not reliable for detecting subtle heart rate changes during sleep.

What Is Heart Rate?

Heart Rate is the number of times your heart contracts or beats in one minute. It measures the actual electrical activity that pumps blood through your body. It exists to quantify how hard your cardiovascular system is working at any given moment.

Definition of Heart Rate

Heart Rate is the physiological count of ventricular contractions per minute, typically measured in beats per minute (bpm). It reflects the frequency of the cardiac cycle driven by the sinoatrial node. This metric is a direct indicator of cardiac output and autonomic nervous system regulation.

Key Characteristics of Heart Rate

Characteristic	What It Means in Practice
Electrical origin	Generated by the sinoatrial node's electrical impulses, not by blood flow felt in arteries.
Resting baseline	Adults typically sit between 60 and 100 bpm when relaxed and seated.
Autonomic control	Regulated involuntarily by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Rapid response	Changes within seconds to meet sudden physical or emotional demands.
Maximum ceiling	Approximate upper limit is 220 minus your age, varying by individual fitness.
Fitness indicator	Lower resting values often signal stronger cardiac efficiency in trained athletes.
Measurable directly	Captured accurately via ECG, chest straps, or optical wrist sensors.
Circadian rhythm	Follows a daily pattern, typically lowest during deep sleep and highest upon waking.
Temperature sensitive	Rises roughly 7 bpm for every 0.5°C increase in core body temperature.
Medication affected	Beta-blockers lower it, while stimulants like caffeine or decongestants raise it.

Common Examples of Heart Rate

Resting heart rate – measured upon waking before activity, typically 60-100 bpm for healthy adults.
Maximum heart rate – the highest bpm your heart can achieve during exhaustive exercise, roughly 220 minus age.
Target zone – the 50-85% of max bpm range used to guide aerobic workout intensity.
Fetal heart rate – monitored during pregnancy, normally 110-160 bpm inside the womb.
Recovery heart rate – the drop in bpm one minute after stopping exercise, indicating cardiovascular fitness.
Running heart rate – a steady elevated bpm, often 140-170, sustained during a moderate jog.
Sleeping heart rate – the lowest daily bpm, frequently 40-60 during deep non-REM sleep stages.
Stress-induced rate – a spike above 100 bpm triggered by anxiety, adrenaline, or a sudden fright.
Arrhythmic rate – an irregular or abnormally fast beat pattern, such as atrial fibrillation exceeding 120 bpm.
Newborn heart rate – a rapid 100-160 bpm in infants, much faster than adult norms.

Advantages and Limitations of Heart Rate

Advantages	Limitations
Provides immediate real-time feedback on exercise intensity without lab equipment.	Cannot reveal stroke volume, so a high bpm does not confirm high cardiac output.
Highly sensitive to stress, illness, and overtraining, acting as an early warning sign.	Easily skewed by dehydration, heat, or caffeine, producing misleadingly high readings.
Simple to track continuously with affordable wrist-worn optical sensors.	Optical wrist monitors lose accuracy during high-intensity interval training or cold weather.
Helps athletes calculate personalised training zones for endurance and speed work.	Zone calculations based on age formulas are inaccurate for many individuals by 10-15 bpm.
Reflects autonomic nervous system balance, useful for recovery tracking.	Does not measure blood pressure, so a normal rate can coexist with dangerous hypertension.
Universally standardised in bpm, making it easy to compare across devices and people.	Resting rate varies naturally between individuals, making cross-person comparisons unreliable.
Detects arrhythmias and abnormal rhythms when monitored over long periods.	Intermittent checks miss transient events, requiring 24-hour Holter monitoring for full diagnosis.
Guides medication dosing for conditions like tachycardia or heart failure.	Medications like beta-blockers artificially suppress it, masking true exertion levels during exercise.
Cost-effective to measure manually with just a watch and two fingers on the neck.	Manual counting is prone to error, especially if started after the first beat or counted under 30 seconds.
Correlates strongly with overall mortality risk when resting values exceed 90 bpm.	Correlation is not causation; high rates can be a symptom of anaemia or infection, not primary heart disease.

Similarities Between Pulse and Heart Rate

Shared Aspect	How Pulse and Heart Rate Are Alike
Core Purpose	Both pulse and heart rate measure the same underlying event: the beating of the heart.
Measurement Units	Pulse and heart rate are both reported in beats per minute, abbreviated as bpm.
Primary Indicator	Both pulse and heart rate serve as vital signs indicating overall cardiovascular function.
Exercise Response	Pulse and heart rate both increase proportionally during physical activity to supply more oxygen.
Resting Baseline	Both pulse and heart rate decrease to a stable, lower baseline during periods of rest.
Stress Reaction	Pulse and heart rate both rise in response to stress, anxiety, or emotional arousal.
Fever Effect	Both pulse and heart rate typically elevate when body temperature rises due to infection.
Medication Impact	Pulse and heart rate are both affected by drugs like beta-blockers that slow them down.
Caffeine Response	Both pulse and heart rate increase temporarily after consuming caffeine or stimulants.
Hydration Link	Pulse and heart rate both rise when dehydration reduces blood volume in the body.
Sleep Behavior	Both pulse and heart rate drop to their lowest daily levels during deep sleep stages.
Age Correlation	Pulse and heart rate both follow similar age-based norms, with higher rates in children.
Fitness Adaptation	Both pulse and heart rate lower over time with consistent aerobic training and conditioning.
Arrhythmia Detection	Pulse and heart rate both reveal irregular rhythms that signal potential cardiac arrhythmias.
Clinical Assessment	Doctors evaluate both pulse and heart rate together during routine physical examinations.
Patient Monitoring	Both pulse and heart rate are tracked continuously for patients in intensive care units.
Wearable Tracking	Smartwatches and fitness bands measure both pulse and heart rate using optical sensors.
Manual Counting	Both pulse and heart rate can be counted manually by feeling an artery or listening.
Normal Range	Pulse and heart rate both share a healthy resting range of roughly 60 to 100 bpm.
Autonomic Control	Both pulse and heart rate are regulated involuntarily by the autonomic nervous system.
Blood Flow Link	Both pulse and heart rate directly reflect the efficiency of blood circulation.
Fitness Tracking	Both pulse and heart rate are used to calculate training zones for athletes.
Emergency Triage	Pulse and heart rate are both critical first checks in emergency medical assessments.
Hydration Status	Both pulse and heart rate provide clues about a person's overall hydration level.
Pain Response	Both pulse and heart rate accelerate when a person experiences acute physical pain.
Temperature Effect	Pulse and heart rate both slow down in cold environments and speed up in heat.
Daily Variation	Both pulse and heart rate fluctuate naturally throughout the day based on activity.
Long-Term Health	Both pulse and heart rate serve as predictors of long-term cardiovascular mortality risk.
Recovery Metric	Pulse and heart rate both measure how quickly the body recovers after exertion stops.
Physiological Origin	Both pulse and heart rate originate from the same electrical impulses of the sinoatrial node.

Pulse or Heart Rate: Which Should You Choose?

Choose based on where you measure. Pulse is the physical beat you feel at your wrist or neck. Heart rate is the electrical count your heart produces per minute. For most people, pulse equals heart rate in a healthy resting state, so either works for daily tracking.

When to Use Pulse

Choose Pulse when you need a quick, equipment-free check without a chest strap or smartwatch. Use it for manual spot checks during rest, after waking, or to verify a device reading. It works best with irregular exercise routines or when you prefer a 15-second count multiplied by four.

When to Use Heart Rate

Choose Heart Rate when you need continuous, real-time data during workouts or for medical monitoring. Use it for zone-based training, interval sessions, or tracking recovery trends overnight. It is essential when accuracy matters most, such as detecting arrhythmias or managing cardiac conditions under professional guidance.

Common Misconceptions About Pulse and Heart Rate

Common Myth	The Reality
Pulse and heart rate are two completely different body measurements.	Pulse is the physical arterial pressure wave you feel, while heart rate is the actual number of ventricular contractions per minute.
Your pulse rate always equals your heart rate exactly.	Pulse and heart rate match in healthy people, but conditions like atrial fibrillation cause a pulse deficit where heart rate exceeds pulse.
A normal resting heart rate is exactly 60 beats per minute for everyone.	Normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, but well-trained athletes often rest between 40 and 60 beats.
You can only measure heart rate with a medical-grade ECG machine.	Heart rate can be measured accurately with chest strap monitors, smartwatches, or by counting carotid or radial pulse for 60 seconds.
Your heart rate stays constant throughout the entire day.	Heart rate fluctuates continuously with activity, stress, digestion, caffeine intake, body position, and even breathing patterns throughout each day.
A higher resting heart rate always means you are more physically fit.	A lower resting heart rate usually indicates better cardiovascular fitness because a fit heart pumps more blood per contraction, requiring fewer beats.
Feeling your pulse at your wrist gives you a different number than your actual heart rate.	Palpating the radial pulse provides the same count as heart rate in healthy individuals, assuming no cardiac arrhythmia or pulse deficit exists.
Heart rate and pulse are measured in different units of measurement.	Both heart rate and pulse are measured in beats per minute (bpm), making the units identical even though the physiological sources differ.
Your maximum heart rate can be calculated precisely as 220 minus your age.	The 220-minus-age formula estimates maximum heart rate with wide individual variation, so actual maximum may differ by 10 to 20 beats per minute.
Pulse is only detectable at the wrist or neck locations on your body.	Pulse is palpable at multiple sites including radial, carotid, brachial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, and dorsalis pedis arteries.
If your heart rate is normal, your pulse will automatically feel strong and regular.	Pulse strength and regularity depend on stroke volume and rhythm, so a normal heart rate can still produce a weak or irregular pulse.
Children and adults have the same normal resting heart rate ranges.	Children naturally have faster resting heart rates, with infants around 100-160 bpm, while healthy adults typically rest between 60 and 100 bpm.
Your heart rate drops instantly the moment you stop exercising.	Heart rate recovers gradually after exercise, and the recovery speed is actually a useful fitness indicator, with faster recovery suggesting better conditioning.
Stress and anxiety only affect your blood pressure, not your heart rate.	Stress triggers adrenaline release that directly increases both heart rate and pulse, which is why anxiety often causes noticeable palpitations and racing pulse.
Counting your pulse for 15 seconds and multiplying by four is always perfectly accurate.	Multiplying a 15-second count by four introduces error, so a full 60-second count is more accurate, especially for irregular rhythms like atrial fibrillation.
Your heart rate is the same whether you are sitting, standing, or lying down.	Heart rate typically rises 10 to 20 beats per minute when moving from lying to standing because gravity reduces venous return and cardiac output.
Females and males always have identical resting heart rate averages.	Adult females typically have resting heart rates 3 to 7 beats per minute higher than males, partly due to smaller heart size and lower stroke volume.
Taking your pulse at the neck is always the safest and most reliable method.	Carotid pulse palpation is effective but pressing too hard can trigger a reflex that slows heart rate, making radial pulse a safer option for most people.
Your heart rate only increases when you are physically moving or exercising.	Heart rate rises during emotional arousal, fever, dehydration, pain, and even mental stress, so it can increase without any physical movement at all.
A pulse oximeter measures your heart rate, not your pulse.	Pulse oximeters detect the pulsatile blood flow in capillaries, so they actually measure pulse rate, which equals heart rate in healthy individuals without arrhythmias.
Your heart rate is always lower at night than during the day.	Heart rate generally drops during deep sleep, but it can spike during REM sleep or nightmares, so nighttime rates are not always uniformly lower.
If you feel your pulse, you are directly feeling your heart muscle contracting.	Feeling pulse detects the pressure wave traveling through arteries after each heartbeat, not the direct contraction of the heart muscle itself.
Dehydration has no effect on your resting heart rate.	Dehydration reduces blood volume, forcing the heart to beat faster to maintain blood pressure, which can raise resting heart rate by 5 to 15 beats per minute.
Your heart rate is always higher after eating a meal.	Heart rate often increases slightly after eating due to digestive demand, but it can also decrease in some individuals, so the response varies between people.
Only doctors can accurately measure your heart rate.	Anyone can measure heart rate accurately using a watch and pulse palpation, a smartphone camera app, or a consumer wearable device with optical sensors.
Your heart rate and pulse rate are the same thing as your blood pressure.	Heart rate measures beats per minute, while blood pressure measures force against artery walls in mmHg, so the two are entirely different cardiovascular measurements.
Fever always makes your heart rate slower to conserve energy.	Fever typically increases heart rate by about 10 beats per minute for every 1 degree Celsius rise in body temperature due to increased metabolic demand.
Your pulse is always easier to feel when your heart rate is slow.	A slow heart rate can produce a weak pulse if stroke volume is low, while a fast heart rate often creates a stronger, more easily palpable pulse wave.
Heart rate variability and heart rate are the same measurement.	Heart rate variability measures the time variation between consecutive beats, while heart rate is the average beats per minute, so they are distinct metrics.
Your resting heart rate never changes as you age.	Resting heart rate tends to increase slightly with age as the heart's conduction system changes, though fitness level remains a stronger influence than age alone.

Conclusion

Difference Between Pulse and Heart Rate is that pulse measures arterial wall expansion from each beat, while heart rate counts actual ventricular contractions per minute. Choose pulse for quick peripheral assessment. Choose heart rate for precise cardiac electrical activity, especially with arrhythmias or medical monitoring.

FAQs on Difference Between Pulse and Heart Rate

What is the difference between pulse and heart rate?: Pulse is the physical throbbing you feel in arteries, while heart rate is the number of times your heart contracts per minute, and they are usually equal in a healthy person.
Are pulse and heart rate the same thing?: No, they are closely related but not identical, because heart rate measures the heart's electrical contractions while pulse measures the resulting blood flow you can feel in peripheral arteries.
Which is more accurate, pulse or heart rate?: Heart rate is more accurate because it directly measures the heart's electrical activity, whereas pulse can be weaker or missed entirely if blood flow is obstructed or irregular.
What is the normal resting pulse rate for an adult?: A normal resting pulse for a healthy adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, though well-trained athletes often have resting pulses below 60 beats per minute.
Is a pulse rate of 50 dangerous for your health?: A pulse rate of 50 can be dangerous if you experience dizziness or fainting, but it is often safe and normal for physically fit individuals or those taking certain heart medications.
Can you measure your heart rate using a pulse oximeter?: Yes, a pulse oximeter measures your heart rate by detecting blood volume changes in your finger, and it displays the result as beats per minute alongside your oxygen saturation.
What is the most common beginner mistake when checking pulse?: The most common beginner mistake is using the thumb to feel for a pulse, because the thumb has its own pulse that can be confused with the patient's heartbeat.
Can I use my pulse to track my heart rate during exercise?: Yes, you can use your pulse to track heart rate during exercise, but it is less practical than a chest strap monitor because stopping to count manually causes your rate to drop quickly.
Why is my pulse lower than my heart rate on a monitor?: Your pulse is lower than your heart rate on a monitor because some heart contractions are too weak to produce a detectable pulse wave, a condition called pulse deficit often seen with arrhythmias.
Can I switch from tracking heart rate to tracking pulse for fitness?: Yes, you can switch to tracking pulse for fitness if you have no heart conditions, but you must count immediately after exercise because your pulse slows down within seconds of stopping.