heart rate monitors

Using Heart Rate Monitors Without Chest Belts

reebok-heartrate-monitor-iAs we talked about earlier this week and in posts over the past several months, using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with your workouts can be extremely beneficial to your overall fitness training program. They are an excellent tool to keep you on target for reaching your goals and to monitor your cardio-progress. Now, as a matter of preference, let’s take a look at heart rate monitors without chest belts and those that use chest straps.

 

There are many types of heart rate monitors currently on the market. Each offers different features from the next. Because there are so many options, it is crucial that you thoroughly research your choices before making a purchasing decision. From varying brand names to aesthetic features, the possibilities are numerous. Choosing heart rate monitors without chest belts is just one of the many options you will need to look at.

 

Whether you choose a monitor with a chest strap or not is largely a matter of comfort. Monitors with chest straps are more common and likely more affordable. However, they have a tendency to feel awkward. Heart rate monitors without chest belts offer a bit more freedom of movement.

 

Does this mean chest strap heart rate monitors are in some way second best? Not at all. As stated, it mostly just a matter of preference. You can get the same read out time after time on a wrist monitor as you can with one that includes a chest strap. If you value freedom of movement over cost, however, heart rate monitors without chest belts may be worth the investment.

 

Take a look at the Reebok Heart Rate Monitors we sell here, for instance. Both are superior quality fitness tools, with one minor difference: the chest strap. Consider what is most important to you when making your purchase, as one of these monitors likely fits all of your needs.

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Why Do People Use Heart Rate Monitors Part II

imagesSo why do people use heart rate monitors?  In summary people use a heart rate monitor to protect their most important organ, their heart. With these monitors you can not only improve heart health, but also prevent yourself from putting your heart in danger due to over exertion.

A few good options for heart rate monitors are the Reebok Heart Rate Monitor and the more commonly used type of monitor Reebok Heart Rate Monitor/Strap.  It is more common just because most people think that most heart rate monitors require a chest strap to get an accurate reading, but the Reebok Heart Rate Monitor does not, and you have the convenience of wearing it like a watch, around your wrist. Just press the touch sensors and this Reebok Heart Rate Monitor provides the most accurate heart rate readings.
It’s Features Are:

  • Anytime heart rate
  • High and low target limits with alarm
  • Time of day and calendar
  • Night vision
  • Daily alarm
  • Easy-to-read, large displays
  • Simple to use
  • Accurate ECG heart rate

So if  you think these are good reasons for people to use a heart monitor look into purchasing a good one that works well for you in your lifestyle.  With these good reasons and if it could make a difference in your workout and the results you get, along with possibly keeping your heart safe, why wouldn’t you?

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Why Do People Use Heart Rate Monitors Part I

imagesWhy do people use heart rate monitors?  The main reason that people use them is that when combined with an exercise regimen, they have a significant impact on improving your health and specifically in helping to ensure that your heart stay healthy.
The areas of benefit can be divided into 2 main areas.

  • Improved exercise routine
  • Ensuring safe exercise

But how does a heart rate monitor improve existing exercise?
As people exercise, their body gets used to the level of exercise that they are performing. For some this can happen relatively quickly. Using a heart rate monitor is one easy way to tell whether or not the exercise routine you are using is still challenging your aerobic levels. Whether you are training for a marathon or just looking to lose a few pounds this can be extremely useful in helping to determine the optimal exercise routine.

Some useful questions that can be answered by a heart rate monitor.

  • Length of the exercise timing
  • Maximum and minimum heart rates during exercising.
  • Average heart rate during exercising
  • calories burned during the exercise session.

Can a heart rate monitor really save my life?
I am sure we have all done it once it a while where we get caught up in the heat of the moment whether running or playing sports and push ourselves too far. Whether you are in perfect shape or recovering from a heart injury a heart rate monitor can help you stick within the desired range to ensure you do not put yourself in risk of heart attack.  Without using a heart rate monitor it is difficult to determine whether or not you may be overexerting yourself which is a very big risk to take.

P90X Equipment 0

How Do Heart Rate Monitors Work?

j0438743Many people involved in fitness and training use heart rate monitors to ensure they are working at an appropriate level. You commonly see runners using the gadgets and you also see them used in some of the more strenuous workout programs like P90X. But how do heart rate monitors work?

 

Technically, the answer to “how do heart rate monitors work” involves electrical impulses that occur when the heart beats. These impulses are picked up by the small electronic monitors which turn the beats into a readable text.

 

Some heart rate monitors do far more than tell you your heart rate. For those that have advanced functions, the question, how do heart rate monitors work is far more complex. Without giving you complex mathematical equations, we can just say the heart rate monitors can use complicated equations to determine things like how many calories you are burning during a specific time period.

 

How do heart rate monitors work is a common question among curious fitness folk. While the features may vary from monitor to monitor, they all work off of the same basic principle. A small computer within the monitor is responsible for processing the electric impulses and translating them into something we can understand on the display.

 

Learning how do heart rate monitors work can help clue you in to their usefulness in a workout program. Your heart rate during exercise effects how many calories and how much fat you burn off. You will see Tony Horton, for example, continuously checking his heart rate monitor to ensure he is in a good fat burning zone during cardio routines.

 

Heart rate monitors are a great tool when interested in getting the most out of your workouts. They can help ensure you are working hard enough to get maximum results without overdoing it. For additional information about how do heart rate monitors work, be sure to click the “heart rate monitors” tag at the top of this article.

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What is my target heart rate for weight loss?

Exercising for your health is an excellent idea. However, more people exercise with a weight loss goal in mind. For those people, maximizing their calorie and fat burning during exercise is very important. Knowing your target heart rate for weight loss can be a good tool in ensuring that you are exercising at an intensity that will maximize your fat burning and weight loss potential.
 
There are a few ways of determining your target heart rate for weight loss. The easiest is to take your age and subtract your age from 220. This is what is called your maximum heart rate. When doing a cardio workout, you can maximize your calorie burn by working out within 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. To determine this number simply multiply .70 x your maximum heart rate and .80 x your maximum heart rate. This will give you the optimal range for cardio workouts.

Example for a 30 yr. old man:
220-30= 190 (maximum heart rate)
.70 x 190= 133
.80 x 190= 152
Target heart rate: 143- 162 (approximately)

A quick internet search will show you there are several ways to determine your target heart rate for weight loss. Any of them will do as they come up with very similar results. This one is simply the easiest. If you are looking for more precise results, you could try the Karvonnen formula or a newer formula from the Harvard’s Men’s Health Watch, available here.

Once you have determined that ideal range for caloric burn, you can periodically monitor your heart rate during cardio activity. Keep in mind that as you become more fit, so does your heart. The intensity that once brought you to your target range may now not be enough. As you get fit, you will have to increase your level of intensity to maintain your target heart rate for weight loss.

A heart rate monitor is a great tool for staying on top of your heart rate. One that helps keep an eye on your target zone is a perfect companion to your fitness and weight loss goals. There are heart rate monitors available that use a chest strap to send ECG readings to a watch style receiver on your wrist. There are also slightly higher end heart rate monitors that require no chest strap and deliver quick results with the push of a button.

Heart health is just as important as weight loss. By being aware of your resting, target, and maximum heart rates, you can ensure you are working within a healthy range for your goals and your overall health.

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