QuickAdvice: Take Your Pulse With Instant Heart Rate - Plus Win A Promo Code!

I started by taking my resting heart rate. First, I took my pulse the old-fashioned way; two fingers to the carotid artery for ten seconds, and then multiplying by 6. I took it three times, and the results were: 96, 90, and 96. I then took my resting pulse using Instant Heart Rate. I took it three times, with the results: 85, 89, and 90.

I hopped on to my elliptical machine, taking it slow and easy, and took my heart rate again. Taking my pulse by hand: 150, 162, 150. And, with the app: 133, 73, 137.

Obviously that 73 is a mistake. Whether it’s the app’s mistake, or my mistake in misreading the results, I can’t be sure. I’m having a hard time figuring out when exactly the app is DONE taking my heart rate and it’s time for me to read the results. The directions say to hold your finger in place for 10 seconds, and then a few more seconds to stabilize. I held my finger in place WELL over 10 seconds each time, usually 20-25 seconds, but my heart rate never really stabilized. I expect there to be some fluctuation, as your pulse surely isn’t exactly the same from minute to minute, but there is no way my heart rate could be 73 while exercising. Not when it’s in the 80’s or 90’s while I sit on the couch.

A little “beep” to tell me when it’s time to read my results would be very helpful, much like digital thermometers. Perhaps a future update will have something like that.

I don’t have a more advanced heart rate machine or any medical equipment on hand with which to compare my results. I have certainly taken my carotid pulse many times in my life (in exercise classes and such), but I don’t claim to be an expert at it. I would say that the results using Instant Heart Rate were mostly accurate, but I wouldn’t rely on it if your health is at stake.

If you’re an avid exerciser, and you want to keep track of your heart rate just to ensure you are mostly staying in your Fat Burning or Cardio zone, this app will work just fine for you. You’ll be able to sort out and discard any anomalies. It certainly is easy to use, no searching for your pulse or math needed. It is cool that the app will point to Warm Up, Fat Burn, Cardio, Xtreme, or Max, depending on where your heart rate falls. And, you can share your results via email, Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

For some people, the necessity of putting your finger on your camera lens is a deal-breaker. Also, I had to remove my iPhone’s full-body silicone case in order to get a reading. It’s only a few millimeters thick, but I couldn’t get my whole fingertip flat on the lens with the case on the phone. If you just have a paper-thin decal/skin, or just a bumper on your phone, you should not have to remove it. But if all that direct finger-to-glass contact gives you the willies, this is not the app for you.

As of now, this app is only for iPhone 4 users. The developer is working on making it compatible with the newest iPod Touch and with iPhone 3GS.

I think Instant Heart Rate is such a cool idea, and hopefully it will continue to improve in accuracy and consistency.

Want to give it a shot yourself? We have four promo codes to give away. If you have an iPhone 4 and a US iTunes account, simply retweet this article or comment below (or both). Contest ends October 23, 7:00 p.m. EDT. Good luck!