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Test Your Pulse

Test your heartbeats per minute.

Material:

- clock (with second hand)

Instruction:

Place the clock in front of you. Place the your index finger and middle finger on the wrist of your other arm.

Try to feel your pulse. You have to feel a regular impulse.

The pulse is usually measure in beats per minute. Therefore you have to count the felt impulse for one minute. You can also count the beats for 15 seconds and multiply the counted beats by four.

 

Explanation:

If you are relaxed, the counted beats per minute are around 90 beats per minute (BPM). Therefore your heart beats 90 times per minute. Your heart is supposed to pump the blood through your veins and arteries, in order to provide your entire body with the needed resources. Every time your heart beats the blood is pumped through your body and therefore this beat is also noticeable at your wrist. The wrist is good place of your body to check your pulse,  because the veins and arteries are right under the skin and not covered by muscles, organs, fat or anything else. The middle and index finger are the fingers you should use for checking your pulse. Do not use your thumb. The thumb is crossed by bigger veins and arteries and therefore the pulse is also measurable. You might count one beat twice, because of noticing the same pulse in your wrist and your thumb.

The heartbeats per minute change dramatically when your are doing sports. Your body need more resources to reach the needed performance and therefore your heart needs to beat faster. Test your pulse after doing some push-ups or any other exercise. How does it change?