Heart rate is one of the most direct ways of measuring exercise intensity. As a result, heart rate monitors are used by athletes who want to gain an edge on their training and exercise routines. A heart rate monitor can help guide your training routine and measure your fitness improvements.
Calculating Maximum Heart Rate
One of the most useful aspects of using a heart rate monitor is guided exercise in your target aerobic zones. From 70 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate is an athlete's aerobic zone, which helps to tone muscles and increase endurance and speed. Calculate your maximum heart rate by performing a stress test with your heart rate monitor. To perform a stress test, begin the activity you normally engage in with a short warmup. Gradually increase the intensity over the course of 20 minutes, until you are working at maximum capacity for at least one minute. Check your heart rate at this point, and record it as your maximum heart rate, which you can use to gauge your target exercise zone.
Endurance
Athletes can use a heart rate monitor to help monitor and increase their endurance. When training, monitor your intensity by your heart rate, rather than your speed or time. This ensures that you are always pushing yourself, even as your body's fitness improves. For example, if at the beginning of your training you can run three miles in 20 minutes at a heart rate of 160, continue your training to always maintain a heart rate of 160. Over time, you will begin completing the same distance in less time at the same heart rate value.
Interval Training
Interval training is the practice of varying the intensity of your exercise through an individual workout session. Research has shown that interval training may increase the efficiency of your endurance training. Use your heart rate monitor to track your intensity, moving between the upper and lower boundaries of your fitness zone, from 70 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. Some heart rate monitors have programmable alarms that will sound if you drop below or rise above your target fitness zone.
Considerations
Consider your training routine before you decide on which heart rate monitor to purchase. Different heart rate monitors have different features that may prove beneficial for your specific sport or training. Water-proof monitors are recommended for swimmers, and GPS-enabled monitors that measure speed and distance are favored by runners and cyclists. Beyond features, choose the heart rate monitor that fits your wrist, is easy to use and easy to read.
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