The Heart Activity 4 (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

The Heart Activity 4 Page 2

The Heart—Activity

Name ________________________________________________ Date _________________ Class Period ___________

Measuring the carotid pulse.

Place the tips of the

index and second fingers of one hand on the side of

the neck just beside the windpipe.

Measuring your resting heart rate.

Your pulse

fluctuates during the day due to activity, stress, caf-

feine, medications, and other factors that might influ-

ence your heart rate. A resting pulse is the lowest

your heart rate would go during the day. You can

get your best reading when you first wake up in the

morning, before any activity. Relax your body, and

follow the steps below for measuring your pulse.

The following are steps to take when measuring your

pulse:

Measuring the carotid pulse

is another way to manually

• Step One: Apply light to moderate pressure with the

measure your pulse.

fingers until the blood pulsing beneath the fingers

is felt. If no pulse is felt, move the fingers around

slightly, up or down, until a pulse is felt. Do not

C01-08A

apply excessive pressure. This may compress the artery and distort

the measurement. Once the pulse is felt, move to step two.

• Step Two: Using a watch or clock with a second hand, count the

number of beats felt in 30 seconds, then multiply that number by

two to compute a heart rate, expressed in BPM (beats per minute).

Fitness Zone Online The Heart

The Heart Activity 4 Page 2