Heart rate monitor watches can be an asset to anyone who works out. Heart rate monitors tell you how hard your heart is working while you exercise. By displaying your heart rate as you exercise, heart rate watches can help you determine when you need to put more effort into a workout, when to slow down and when it is critical to rest.
Heart Rate Monitor Types
Heart rate monitor watches measure the beats of your heart using a device that sends a signal to your watch to display. Most heart rate monitor watches include a chest strap that measures your heart beat in real time and transmits the numbers to your watch. Some heart rate monitors are strapless and have sensors on your wrist, attached to special gloves, on armbands or on small devices you place your fingers on. Heart rate watches with chest straps tend to be more accurate than strapless monitors, according to The Sports Watch Informant.
Chest Strap Monitors
The way heart rate monitors work depends on the type of monitoring device. Chest strap monitors use either analog or digital signals to send heartbeat information to the watch. Analog chest straps are the most common types. Analog straps send continuous data signals to the watch and can usually be synced with gym equipment. A drawback of using analog straps is that the signals can be affected by interference from any nearby heart rate monitors. Digital straps use FM signals, which are much less likely to be affected by nearby interference, but are also less likely to sync with gym equipment.
Strapless Monitors
Strapless heart rate monitors use electrocardiogram information to read heart rate by detecting your pulse through the fingers, arms or wrist. Strapless heart rate monitors usually only offer intermittent readings and can be less accurate than strap monitors because they are located farther from the heart. Most strapless monitors require touching a sensor, which can interrupt exercise but is still easier than stopping to manually count your heart rate by checking your pulse.
Uses
Heart rate monitor watches can tell you when you've reached your maximum heart rate, as well as the intensity level of your workouts. Some watches can tell you what your training target heart rates should be and even beep to warn you when you reach high or low heart rates. At the bare minimum, heart rate monitor watches display your heart rate, which you can determine is on target for your training goals by manually calculating your optimal training heart rates.
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