Heart rate monitors are a simple device that allow athletes to measure and record their heart rate during exercise. They are especially helpful for high-intensity cardio workouts such as running and cycling and when used in conjunction with a heart rate training plan. The technology has advanced significantly in recent years, making heart rate monitors smaller and less expensive now so more people can use them as an effective way to improve performance.
Instant Feedback
The fitness of your heart is the key to cardiovascular endurance. Knowing how to train your heart properly and make it stronger will result in increased aerobic endurance and stamina during your workouts. Heart rate monitors provide instant feedback about your heart rate on your watch so you don't have to stop and take your pulse. They also provide a complete record of your workout detailing the average and maximum heart rate. Many athletes use this to assess their workout and monitor their fitness over time.
Zone Training
Using a heart rate monitor allows you to work within key training zones. The first zone is your maximum heart rate. The simplest way to calculate this is to subtract your age from 220. So if you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate during a workout would be 180. Anything above that could be dangerous. The second zone is your anaerobic training zone. This is typically described as your hard workout and done once or twice a week at 80 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. The third zone is your fat burning zone, which is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. This is where the majority of your workouts should be and is described as a slower, more comfortable pace.
Prevents Over and Under Training
Monitoring your heart rate lets you know when to speed up or slow down. Once you know what the target heart rate for a specific workout, you can monitor how close you are to this zone during your run or ride. This helps avoid over-training, which is a common cause of injury, fatigue and burn-out. It also prevents under-training, which will slow your conditioning. Many athletes are not aware of over or under-training until they have over-stressed their bodies or have a lack of progress with their fitness.
Pacing
Athletes who don't use a heart rate monitor tend to gauge the effectiveness of their workout by how fast they ran or rode. This is not always an accurate measurement. Terrain, heat, cold, wind and different energy levels can affect how hard your heart is working. For example, if it is 80 degrees outside, your run may be a little slower, but your heart may be working just as hard as it did during a faster run in 60 degrees temperatures.
See Results
When you train with a heart rate monitor, eventually you will find that you will be able to exercise longer and harder at a lower heart rate. The same run or ride becomes easier. This is directly related to the increased fitness of your heart. Wearing a heart rate monitor allows you to see and track these results and can serve as a good source of reinforcement that your efforts are paying off.
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