Heart Rate Monitors
With any
exercise program, it is important to know what your goals are in order to achieve optimum results. Do you want to lose weight? Improve your general health? Or train for a sports competition? Obviously, the person training for a marathon will need to work a lot harder than someone just trying to stay healthy. This is where you determine how long and hard must you work out to see results.
So how hard are you exercising, anyway? If you were able to track your heart rate, you'd know since your target heart rate plays an essential part in judging the intensity of your workout. You might be sweating, but are you working out hard enough? Could you be pushing too hard? With a
heart rate monitor you can be sure that you'll stay on track during your workouts so that you exercise efficiently and effectively. This guide will outline some of the major features available for your fitness needs. Remember you should always consult a physician about your target heart rate to make sure you are maintaining a healthy rate.
Why Buy a Heart Rate Monitor
Most people are not aware of how important their target heart rate actually is. In fact, it is a crucial step in meeting exercise goals. If you work too little, you will not be able to burn calories and build muscle. Likewise, if you overwork your body, you are putting yourself at risk of injury. Also, when you go beyond your target heart rate you push your muscles into anaerobic mode, which in turn produces lactic acid, causing cramps and premature muscle fatigue. This directly counteracts your ability to work within your target heart range for the minimum 20 minutes required, thus it reduces the amount of fat that can be burned.
Now that you understand the importance of monitoring your heart rate, you can make the decision to buy a
wristwatch should feel comfortable and be lightweight, adjustable, flexible and not too bulky.
* '''Ease of Use'''
** A big, easyread LCD screen is a must.
** Look for intuitively placed buttons with which you can easily manipulate the monitor's functions. One model by
Oregon Scientific doesn't even have any buttons.
General Features
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