When you're working out, do you ever notice those hard-core gym fanatics seem to all have heart-rate monitors on? No? Maybe it's just my gym. But I see them so much that I've started to wonder whether I need one. Heart rate monitors aren't a bad investment, but as fitsugar points out, they're usually more for keeping track of your workout than your heart. You know those heart-rate charts they have all over the gym? Well, in a nutshell, they're telling you what your heart rate should be at depending on what you're aiming for. For cardio-vascular conditioning, your heart-rate should be a bit higher than if, say, you're trying to burn fat. So the heart rate monitor helps you monitor that, and it's a heck of a lot easier than trying to count your pulse while your running on the treadmill.
I don't think I'll be buying one anytime soon, since all the machines seem to have one anyway. What about you?
1. I thought I was working hard in my gym until I got a monitor and training on how to use it from my cardio rehap class. It helped greatly in loosing 35 lbs. It supplements the readout on the machines and is more accurate. End of session click to get average HR for the time spent. My prescribed goal is above 111 BPM for one hour---usually I do 115.
Posted at 10:58AM on May 21st 2007 by ed