While you spend time sweating at the studio, you’ve probably heard talk about Heart Rate Training and Heart Rate Monitors (HRMs). More than just a fitness fad, heart rate monitoring can be an important component of effective fitness training. You can do old school heart rate monitoring by pressing your two fingers to your pulse, but today’s HRMs combine convenience, tracking, and data storage to help you maximize your exercise efforts!
The three most important heart rate measurements are Resting Heart Rate, Working/Training Heart Rate, and Recovery Heart Rate, and HRMs help you track each of these. Measuring your Working Heart Rate is the most accurate way to determine how much benefit you are deriving from your workout. To get an effective aerobic workout, you need to stay within your ideal Working Heart Rate Zone for a minimum of 20-30 minutes. A HRM will help make sure you are staying within this zone by alerting you to work harder if your HR dips too low, or to back off if your ticker is beating too fast.
As your HRM tracks your working and resting heart rate each day, you can see your fitness level improving over time. HRMs are built to be smart, and learn how your body works. It will let you know when you aren’t reaching certain goals, and give you kudos for your improvements. It’s like a digital pat on the back! Many HRMs also track sleep, which is a vital component for building muscle, avoiding injury, and proper recovery. Seeing statistics such as what time of night you sleep best, how often you wake, and how many hours you spend in deep sleep can help you fine tune your bedtime routines so that you are getting the rest you need to perform at your best.
Clunky watches and awkward chest straps are a thing of the past! Thanks to new technology, HRMs now come in a variety of sleek and stylish models, so you can make a statement about your style, and reap the health benefits of heart rate monitoring!
Two of our favorites:
Fitbit (click to see on amazon)
Garmin (click to see on amazon)