Keep your ticker up – the truth about heart-rate monitors

Do these technological trackers put our minds at rest, or lull us into a comfort zone?

As an old-school runner, I've always had a rather scathing attitude towards heart-rate monitors, fitness trackers and associated technology. But as an older runner - I'm 53 - I find I am increasingly susceptible to health scares. I was scared indeed when I witnessed a far younger fellow parkrunner being brought back from the brink by paramedics after he collapsed on the finish line. He went on to make a full recovery, but his near-death experience had a positive legacy: the London Ambulance Service provided our park cafe with a defibrillator, and gave our parkrun team CPR training.

We found out later that the casualty had had a narrowed aorta since birth, and that his collapse could have come at any time, but the episode made a big impression on everyone, especially us more mature runners. Mental notes were made to check in at our local GP surgery for an MOT.