Blood Pressure Monitors

Blood pressure monitors usually consist of a cuff for your arm and either a manual pump or automated pump that inflates the cuff with air. As the cuff tightens on your arm, it measures your blood pressure, which is read in two numbers. The upper, or systolic, number represents the pressure against the walls of your blood vessels as your heart pumps blood through them to your organs.

The bottom, or diastolic, number measures the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels when your heart is resting, or between beats. The latest medical guidelines state that normal blood pressure should be at 120/80 or lower. Drug treatment might be recommended when pressure regularly reaches 140/90 because of the extensive damage high blood pressure can do to many organs of the body.

Blood Pressure Monitors Can't Go on Workouts

Exercise has known benefits for those in distress--it can reduce stress, blood pressure, and insomnia. Exercise tones your mental, emotional, and physical aspects, and gives a boost to your self-esteem by helping you to lose weight, stay fit, or meet the next physical challenge. Fitness accessories provide critical feedback about your workout so you can make adjustments or be confident that you are exercising properly.

Fitness equipment does not have blood pressure monitors, but heart rate monitors measure body performance while exercising. It would be impractical to wear a cuff and carry blood pressure monitors around while working out. There is a close correlation between heart rate and blood pressure, however, so keeping an eye on the handy fitness watch on your wrist will give you valuable information.