Lungs are Burning: I Discovered A Nifty Little Gadget To Help With My Running!

Here's a little different product review today. I'm going to write about this cool fitness gadget called an Oximeter. 

This is great! I love to run and work out and one of my pet peeves is trying to use the stupid heart rate monitors on the treadmill. Trying to hold onto the handlebars while you're in the middle of the run is inconvenient, awkward, and most likely, dangerous. This cool little gadget is small enough to bring with me and it reads my pulse rate and oxygen levels in a few seconds and I barely have to break stride.

There are other options, but I personally do not like the heart rate monitors that strap to your chest, at least not while running. I do have a smart watch fitness tracker thing too, but I have to hit buttons and blah blah blah and I've almost fallen more than once. 

The unit is operational right out of the box. Just pull the little plastic tab covering the batteries and insert a finger. Press the small button on the front and wait a few seconds. You can see your pulse on the display and then in a few seconds, your pulse rate and oxygen level appear. The unit turns off automatically after a few seconds. It runs on 2 AAA batteries, which are included! The unit is comfortable and doesn't pinch. It is so great to take while running. The lanyard is nice if you want to wear it (not ideal while running) or attach it to a belt or whatever.

The oximetry works because blood with oxygen in it absorbs light in the red spectrum at about 660 nanometers. Blood without oxygen absorbs light in the infrared spectrum around 900 nanometers. Due to the difference in wavelength, the pulse oximeter works by passing infrared and red light through a blood vessel. It measures the amount of the red and infrared light coming from the blood. Then using some equations (beer- Lamberts law), the amount of oxygen saturation is determined.

The device has a pulse range from 20-250 beats per minute with a resolution of 1 and accuracy of 2 beats per minute. The oxygen saturation range is 0 to 100% with a resolution of 1% and an accuracy of 2% above 70% saturation. The pulse intensity is given via a bar graph.

This is a very handy piece of equipment to have if you’re a serious runner. It’s a good idea to make sure your heart isn’t working TOO hard when you’re running. Plus, I just love devices like this because, SCIENCE! 

The lanyard is super easy to attach and it does come in handy. I don't have to worry about losing it, unless I misplace it, which of course, opens a WHOLE OTHER can of worms...

The batteries are very easy to replace too. I haven't had to do so yet, but they just pop in and out. 

What is your favorite way to work out?