START
At 7 AM, the alarm clock wakes me up from my warm bed on time. The morning sun has already spilled a ray of light into the living room through the window, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold winter. A beautiful day begins again.
After a quick wash, I warm up for ten minutes and then prepare to do two sets of bodyweight squats, 30 reps each. The first set is completed effortlessly, and after a 10-second rest, I suddenly find my heart rate has skyrocketed to 179 during the second set. However, my breathing is steady, and I feel that my body is not in an unbearable state; it still feels relatively easy and not too tiring. What is going on?
After inquiring from various sources, I finally understood that the smartwatch was not worn correctly, leading to inaccurate heart rate monitoring data. My worries were finally put to rest, and after adjusting the wearing method, the heart rate monitoring returned to normal.
Today, I take this opportunity to explain “how to wear a smartwatch correctly” so that your smartwatch can truly realize its value.
01 Why is the heart rate inaccurate when worn incorrectly?
Currently, mainstream smartwatches use the PPG (Photoplethysmography) method: The sensors on the back of the watch emit green light, which penetrates the skin, and the hemoglobin in the blood absorbs some of the light. When the heart beats, the volume of blood vessels changes regularly, and the intensity of light reflected back to the sensor also fluctuates. The algorithm then calculates the heart rate based on these fluctuations.
In simple terms, the core of this system is to “stably capture light signals”. If worn improperly, causing unstable contact between the sensor and the skin or interference in light transmission, the data will naturally be inaccurate.
02 Wearing position: Wearing it on the wrist bone is equivalent to “wasting the measurement”
The most common mistake is wearing the watch directly on the wrist bone (the protruding bone on the inner side of the wrist). Many people think that “wearing it on the bone prevents slipping,” but this position actually prevents the sensor from functioning properly. (I made this mistake today, which is why I had the false reading).
Correct method: The watch should be worn 2-3 fingers above the wrist bone (closer to the elbow side). This position has rich subcutaneous blood vessels and is far from the joints, making the sensor more stable during movement.
03 Tightness: Both too loose and too tight can “interfere with the signal”
Too loose: There is a noticeable gap between the watch and the skin, allowing light to leak out from the gap or external light to enter, causing the signals captured by the sensor to be intermittent, resulting in heart rate data that is either too low or suddenly fluctuating.
Too tight: A strap that is too tight can compress the blood vessels in the wrist, affecting local blood circulation. The fluctuations in blood vessel volume will weaken, and the signal strength received by the sensor will decrease, potentially leading to a “falsely low heart rate.” Long-term tightness may also cause numbness in the wrist and redness of the skin.
Correct method: The strap should be adjusted to a tightness where one finger can fit in. Use your index or middle finger to insert between the strap and the wrist; it should fit easily without wobbling. This tightness ensures that the sensor is in contact with the skin without compressing the blood vessels.
04 Strap material: Choosing the wrong one can cause it to “slip” when sweating
For daily wear, you can choose leather or metal straps, but during exercise, be sure to switch to breathable and sweat-absorbing sports straps (such as quick-release silicone or nylon straps); ensure that your wrist and the sensor surface are dry before wearing, and if you sweat excessively during exercise, promptly wipe off the sweat and adjust the strap position.
Finally, I believe that the heart rate monitoring of smartwatches is essentially a “health reference.” Even when worn correctly, it cannot achieve the precision of medical-grade devices (like an ECG machine). However, as long as you avoid the mistakes mentioned above, the data can fully meet the needs of daily health monitoring and exercise intensity control.
If you find the content I shared this time useful, don’t forget to like and follow, and share the correct wearing method with your family and friends!
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