A number of you have asked for information on Heart Rate Monitors. Okay, so Andrea asked, but I'm sure that the rest of you were nodding right along with her.
I was preparing to write an entire treatise on the benefits, usage and selection of HRM's. But, I discovered that Polar (a company renown for it's Heart Rate Monitors) has a wonderful resource on its website. So, following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" premise, here's a link that provides all the information you'll need. This link will take you to the home page. Point your mouse over the type of activity you primarily engage in (or hope to move up to) and follow the navigation provided. You may want to read through several profiles to see what fits you best.
Polar USA Home Page
Of course, they are selling HRM's here. And, no duh, they are selling their own brand. Feel free to take the information you've acquired on the Polar site and use it to research other models.
What do I own? Shockingly, the base model Polar A1. While all the data provided by the other models is a huge turn on for me, I only really need (for the foreseeable future) a continuous heart rate readout along with elapsed time.
My problem, unlike many people, is not getting my heart into the proper training range (that I do just fine), it's keeping it low enough not to put myself at too much risk by exceeding it. Having that readout available helps me to moderate my effort and not only reduces the risk of physical harm, it helps to keep me from burning out too fast. So, the end result is a safer workout of longer duration. And, duration -- not speed -- is what you really need for weight loss.
For you data freaks out there, HRM's can be a real blast. Especially when you can see tangible improvement in your fitness level over time.
Sara
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Linear Mode
