It's important to know how intensely you're working out so that you can train at sufficient levels while keeping yourself in check to avoid overuse injuries and over-training burnout. According to the Mayo Clinic, you usually can tell how intensely you're running by how you feel. If you're in pain and having a hard time breathing, you're probably overdoing it. A heart rate monitor can help you maintain the optimal levels of training, so you don't have to rely on subjective measurements or your own assessments.
Basics
A heart rate monitor consists of a watch that shows you measurements as it takes them and a transmitter that you wear directly on your skin, usually strapped around your chest. The best heart rate monitor for running includes a watch with buttons that are easily accessible. You should be able to change functions without looking at the piece for long and disrupting your stride. The transmitter should fit snugly, yet comfortably around your chest. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends trying on the equipment before you purchase it to make sure it won't interfere with your comfort while running.
Therapy
Depending on why you run and what you hope to achieve, you'll need various functions in a heart rate monitor. If you are running as part of a medically supervised rehabilitation program, you may need to use a heart rate monitor, or HRM, that stores data your doctor can later refer to. Many HRMs come equipped with computer cables to send your information directly to your physician after you run.
Training
If you are running for weight loss, look for an HRM that counts calories burned or keeps track of miles run. If you're in training for a competition, you may prefer the functions that include a stopwatch or lap timer and that signals when you've reached your maximum heart rate training zone.
Features
The best heart rate monitor also can serve as a training tool by helping you identify your ideal training zone, or the state at which you are most effectively burning calories. You can use the information you glean from the monitor to plan your training strategies and set goals. A heart rate monitor can come equipped with alarms and buzzers to warn you when you may be reaching dangerously high heart rates, indicating you should slow down or stop. Particularly if you run with other runners or in places where you may encounter others wearing HRMs, the ideal heart rate monitor does not pick up interference from nearby monitors, but sticks with your own measurements.
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