There are thousands of people who enjoy the benefits of using a heart rate monitor. They provide every bit of information that is needed in order to monitor performance, whether is for someone who wants to stay within safe limits or a professional athlete. Heart rate monitors are used across the full range of sports. Many people who use a sports club or a gym use them, as do people who do running, hiking or cycling for their exercise. As technology has improved, so the number of features and general complexity of heart rate monitors has accelerated.
To start with, let’s look at the main advantages of using a heart rate monitor. As you would expect, the main benefit is the fact that you will be able to see your current heart rate in beats per minute. All the basic heart rate monitor watches have this feature. Usually there is a transmitter that detects your heart beat and transmits this to the watch where you can read the display. These are very accurate and will allow you to monitor your current heart rate without having to break your exercise routine. A quick glance at the monitor will tell you everything you need to know. This is particularly useful if you are worried about exceeding a target heart rate.
Whether you just want to maintain a particular pace, or you want to do interval training, a monitor will allow you to do this accurately and repeatedly. Most heart rate monitors come with proprietary software that will allow you to upload your figures and view graphs of your performance. There is also the opportunity to compare your current performance with previous figures so that you can view your progress over the weeks and months.
For anybody who is particularly weight conscious then many heart rate monitors have this covered as well. You can view the number of calories that you burn during each exercise session. This can act as a very good motivator. Another form of motivation is the exercise buddy feature that comes with many heart rate monitors, including the Garmin Forerunner and most of the Polar monitors. Once you have programmed it, in effect, you will be exercising along with an electronic buddy and it will be up to you to keep up with it during your workout routines.
With respect to outdoor exercise, you will want to get additional GPS features such as an altimeter, compass and map displays. These are great for planning a route in advance and monitoring your progress as you follow it. You can also display details of your progress and heart rate using the software program.
Precisely how would you typically use your heart rate monitor in your wourkout sessions? You can program most monitors into zones that relate to your safe maximum heart rate. For example the healthy heart zone is considered to be about 50% of your maximum and would typically be reached by a brisk walk for a few minutes. The temperate (65% of maximum) and aerobic (75% of maximum) zones are reached by a medium jog and a fast jog respectively. When you reach the anaerobic threshold zone your heart will be at 85% of maximum and will be reached by running at a good pace. The so-called redline zone should only be reached during interval training and then for only a short time.
Stop by Heart Rate Monitor Facts for reviews and advice on the top HRMs just like the bestselling polar heart rate monitors
Check out this review of our current recommended heart rate monitor – the nike triax c3 heart rate monitor.
