I'm pretty much sold my soul to Garmin and bought in to the system - watch, scales, bike computer and HRM unit. It all works well and the Connect App seems to work well.
I'm now thinking I should start monitoring my blood pressure and reckon it would be handy to have this data point also on my Garmin Connect setting, help builds an overall picture of why I'm so crap on a bike but also might help show some early signs that I may be able to counteract.
Garmin don't appear to do a blood pressure unit but are their any smart units out there that can sync to Garmin?
I'm assuming Garmin can do something with BPM readings, so would be good if it could sync between systems.
Omron do a system that can also do ECG - which also now appeals...but unsure if it can be set to sync to Garmin.
Withings also do a fancy unit that does BPM, ECG and has a digital stethoscope to listen to the heart, but again, unsure if they sync with Garmin.
I get regular checks at hospital and I reckon this data could also be useful for that, so although the fancy units that measure ECG are expensive, they appear to offer a more detailed picture which might be useful for the doc at my reviews.
So anything out there that can sync to Garmin or any better systems to look at?
Money is an object so I'm not looking to spend hundreds but if there is one that is a definite contender then it would be considered.
Aware I can export the report from the native app and that is what I'd do to send to doctor.
Thanks.
Didn't appear so having to bump it...thought that had been fixed.
Haha, so Garmin doesn't seem to do blood pressure so I'm kind of left with offerings from either of those companies, so what would be recommended from either of them?
I got a withings Bluetooth bp monitor. I also use a bar in for hr and fitness tracking, nav etc.
Didn’t get the ecg withings monitor.
Should use the bp monitor more often! It’s very slick and effective though.
help builds an overall picture of why I’m so crap on a bike
is there any reason that blood pressure would affect bike performance?
I'd love to hear more on this. I'm currently monitoring my BP before returning to the GP having been off the pills for 6 years. I'm probably fitter than then, but despite all my efforts, i'm older now, too, and i'm now getting up around stage 2 hypertension 🙁
Doing my BP a couple of times a day with the standard Omron offering at home seems a bit 'false'. I have to find a spot where the kids, wife, life doesn't annoy me and then take it. The only info i've found for alternatives were Samsung Galaxy watches, but reviews suggest they're a bit of a PITA (calibration etc).
I've had a look just now and it looks like Omron are doing a watch now, too (not available where I am).
I have no evidence that blood pressure would be affecting performance on the bike but I appear to be fine when riding with the kids, but the pace is a couple of miles an hour slower and there are more stops, so perhaps it is just a poor warm-up as with adults the pace is a wee bit quicker and I'm blowing out my backside in less than 5 minutes and I don't feel as though I recover.
Time spent on bike is up and on my own I can easily ride all day, clearly the pace isn't fast but what would be described as slightly offroad (so not massively technical), I can knock out 30 miles in 3 hours - so it isn't fast, but the fitness is present.
I am about 2 stones heavier than I'd like and despite my efforts, I can't seem to shift it - but lockdown has got me cooking and I'm aware my idea of portion control isn't portion control at all, so I need to sort that out and I'm sure I'll have more success with weight reduction.
I'm thinking doing some sort of monitoring of blood pressure and general heart bits might be sensible, I don't have a bad diet and my cholesterol is below average, but I'm thinking I'm needing to get a better overall view of how my body is doing, so figure this would be a good move.
I started out hoping to get this info in to Garmin Connect so I had it in 1 place but that doesn't appear possible and having slept on it, I'm not overly bothered about getting in to Garmin now as I've woken up convinced this is a good idea (to start monitoring my blood pressure), so now I just need an idea of a good unit to purchase. The idea of the ones that do ECG is appealing and looking at the 2 I have found, the Withings one looks more portable and smaller in size, so I'll do some more digging about on that.
Basically, I'm thinking as I'm getting closer to the half century I maybe should be doing a bit more to check how I'm doing so I'm starting to take an interest in bits. Hopefully if this does show anything, if it can be fixed, it might also help me ride better on the bike as the fitness will be generally improved.
I find the same, but it's lack of fast riding that does it @DickBarton . Can ride at my own pace no bother but go out with faster riders and they're off at their warm up pace and I never get on par. Only answer is ride with them more often. I just can't push the pace the same on my own.
As far as blood pressure readings go be very wary of one off readings. If you really want to know whats going on do a week on twice daily readings. Avoids any day to day variation and also shows (hopefully) a difference between am and pm readings. Randomly timed readings during the day don't do this.
Not convinced by the usefulness of home ecg readings unless you are monitoring a specific issue or have been told by a health professional to look out for certain trends. Single lead/points readings are also not exactly reliable/repeatable in normal circumsatnces. There's a reason that medical ones use a number of leads in different positions.
As far as diet goes, cut the carbs. I'm 2 months in from my previous post on that subject and have now lost 7.5kg. Basal dose has dropped to 60% of what it was. Had my diabetic bloods done last week and wow. HB1Ac down from 75 to 65 (9.0 to 8.1) not as low as I'd hoped but it takes three months to get the old cells out of the system, so hopefully next time it will be better. Cholesterol has always been around 5 but now 3.7 and triglycerides down from 4 to 1. Consultant actually said to me "how did you manage that?"
It takes discipline but really works. In some respects it's easier, as instead of how much carbs can I have/need to count for, you just don't have any. PM me if you want any advice.
Hmmm, I had thought it might just be lack of fast riding, so I'll work on that as well.
Plan would be to check when I first wake up and then go to bed as I'm aware random times won't paint a picture.
I figure if I can provide a regular result then it gets added to the medical notes and may result in easing of medication (or change it!)...
I’m thinking doing some sort of monitoring of blood pressure and general heart bits might be sensible, I don’t have a bad diet and my cholesterol is below average, but I’m thinking I’m needing to get a better overall view of how my body is doing, so figure this would be a good move.
I found monitoring it just makes it worse... HR monitor was the same though you can forget about wearing it ... when I remembered I was wearing it my HR would shoot up...
I track my HR via a chest strap whilst out riding, been doing that for over a year and I'm ok with it, it shows some lovely figures but they seem generally consistent so the heart rate appears to be ok.
I'm looking to do similar for blood pressure now so I can flag that to the doctor with my regular check-ups, again just to make sure there is a consistency rather than doing it for 3 days and then claiming something is seriously wrong.
I can look at my watch to see my heart rate and it will rise just by staring at it...so I'm aware that watching things like this can also have an impact, however, having figures is better than having none.
I’ve got an Omron Bluetooth BP monitor and it will sync with tha Apple Health app. Strava and Komoot also sync with that as do my Omron scales....