 A treadmill test measures how well the heart works when it's beating fast and working hard. On the day of the test, avoid eating, drinking or smoking 3 hours before the test and male patients must shave off excessive chest hair for the procedure. You can continue your regular medications but if you take any heart medicines, you may need to change or stop them before the test. You need to change into a hospital gown and remove all accessories post which the technician will disinfect the chest area, apply gel and place the electrodes. After demonstrating how to walk on the treadmill, the technician will monitor your blood pressure and ECG while you walk. The test ends when you are tired or when the ECG shows abnormalities. You will be asked to rest for 4 minutes after which the blood pressure and ECG will be recorded again. Reports are issued the same day.