why is my pulse rate not steady when I'm on treadmill

[ihern]

Every time I exercise on treadmill @ home or equipment @ gym my pulse goes haywire it can go from 98 to 153 to 45 all in a row. Am I using grip monitors wrong. I hold them for about three readings every time and this is what I see.
My daughters and husband all have used our treadmill and pulse rate is steady with them.
My resting heart rate is 75 and 68 when I wake up. I also get heart palpatations on and off when stressed or right before my period, but they don't bother me @ all. Just reminder to slow down.
I'm pretty healthy and not on any meds.
Worried should I keep exercising or make dr. appt?

[Wisconsin2007]

As strenuously as I can say this, DO NOT WORRY about a reading on your treadmill.  Those things are notoriously bad.  The only ones I would trust are the ones that can receive the signal from a chest strap heart monitor, and it doesn't sound like you have one of those.

When I was a kid, about a year after I learned to take a shower by myself, one day I decided to read the back of the shampoo bottle.  It said "Do not take internally."  Because I didn't know what "internally" meant, I was worried I wasn't using it right and would get myself sick, so I didn't use it for awhile.

This is kind of the same thing.  

The heart monitors on the exercise machines are cute little gizmos, but they are inherently limited in their ability.  If worried, go to a sporting goods store tomorrow and buy a Polar heart monitor.  Probably cost you $70-120 and they work (usually) like a charm (but even those ones give off bad readings once in awhile).

[ihern]

No, I felt fine It just freaked me out.

Thanks everyone yeah I think it's grip monitor. I didn't go on treadmill this morning because I was worried but I'm planning on going back on tonight,

[Wisconsin2007]

Can you take your own pulse?  A watch and your finger is all you need to determine if the treadmill reading is correct or not.  My guess?  Based on my own treadmill vs. my chest strap heart monitor?  The treadmill monitor is junk.  If my heart beat as erratically as my treadmill said it did, I'd have been dead on my first run.

[Jerry_NJ]

I think you've got some good advice.  I have used a chest strap and wrist monitor when jogging on a TM, can't hold on to the bar.  Most of the time erratic readings were technical problems, but sometimes they were not.

So, ask yourself: How do I feel?  What is my pulse when I measure "manually"?

If you're walking, not running, a pulse of 153 is probably too high, but be sure that is a true measurement.  Of course, maximum HR is a function of age.  153 is too high for my age, maybe it is not for yours.

[SassyLassie]

My doctor said those grip monitors on the treadmill are NOT accurate at all and to ignore them. She said you are better off taking your pulse before and after. When I use the treadmill and hold those bars, my pulse rate is recorded at being 68, then 90, then 150 and so on, talk about erratic. I know my heart rate is not that way, so, I just hold on to the side bars now. As I said, my doc who is very informed regarding this subject said to ignore those readings, they are NOT accurate and only server to scare the heck out of ya.

[lasvegasgirl6]

do you feel differant ?