During the test, you’ll be asked to exercise — typically on a treadmill — while you’re hooked up

to an electrocardiogram (EKG) machine. This allows your doctor to monitor your heart rate.
A nurse or technician will place sticky patches (electrodes) on the patient’s chest, legs and
arms. Instruct patient that some areas may need to be shaved to help them stick. The
electrodes have wires connected to an electrocardiogram machine, which records the electrical
signals that trigger your heartbeats. A cuff on the patient’s arm checks the blood pressure
during the test. You may be ask the patient to breathe into a tube during the test to show how
well the patient was able to breathe during exercise.