To monitor breathing rate it is necessary to take a measurement over an extended period of time. The easiest way to do this is with a watch or other device that has a stopwatch function, as you cannot wear a monitoring equipment on your body. By wearing the device on your wrist, you can ensure you can accurately take your measurements. Most importantly though is consistency and dedication when tracking breathing rate levels. If you take measurements only sporadically, it will be difficult to tell what changes have been made in the process. It’s important to track breathing rate data over time so that patterns can be noticed and solutions implemented if they need to be.
Tips on how to monitor breathing rate
- Attach the monitoring device to your wrist
The first step in monitoring breathing rate is to do so effectively. The easiest way to do this is to attach the device you are using (either a watch or some other piece of technology with a stopwatch function) to your wrist. This ensures that you can accurately and quickly take measurements. If the measurement is taken too far from where your heart is, it can be inaccurate. By keeping the measurer on your wrist, you ensure that it will remain close to where your heart is located and can more easily be measured accurately and effectively.
- Use consistent measurement times
Consistency when measuring breathing rate matters. If you only measure at random times throughout the day, it will be hard to discern any patterns that are going on with your body. It’s important to try and keep the measuring time consistent to maximize the effectiveness of your measurements. If you must take measurements during certain parts of the day, try and keep these consistent as well so that there is not too much variance in your numbers.
- Be dedicated to tracking breathing rate over time
The most important aspect of monitoring breathing rate is how long you do it for. If you only track it for a week or two and then stop, there won’t be much benefit. After you have been tracking for a period of at least a month, it is important to keep doing it consistently. If you only measure breathing rate in spurts, there is no way to see patterns or trends in the data that may reveal what is happening with your body. It’s important to be dedicated to tracking breathing rate for at least a few months in order to draw any conclusions about what is happening.
- Take measurements over a long enough period of time
The final thing that is crucial when trying to track breathing rate is how long the measurements are taken for. If the measurement periods are too short, then you won’t see much benefit from even doing them, but if you measure breathing rates over many months, you will notice changes in your body quite quickly. If you are tracking breathing rate for the first time and have never done it before, you might find it helpful to measure breathing rate for one month consistently. After that point, you may be able to more easily discern patterns and start to notice if your breathing rate is getting worse or better over time. If you are doing this because of a specific issue that has come up, it’s best to take measurements for at least a few weeks. This allows you to see trends in the data and determine whether or not there is a real problem occurring or if it’s just a passing phase.