Investing in and using a heart rate monitor provides many good benefits,
regardless of fitness level. Just a few of the paybacks are discussed here.
Accuracy
Did you know that taking your pulse manually is inaccurate? In fact, this
method provides only an estimate of your performance. During exercise, many people
stop to take their pulse, usually for ten seconds. The combined acts of
reducing activity in order to perform the task and even the pressure of your
finger on your artery can alter results and give you a wrong reading. Cardio
machine estimates which rely on heat can also be very inaccurate.
A monitor records every heart beat throughout exercise. The HRM will give
you an accurate reading at all times so that there is no reason to pause your
routine often in order to judge your performance. You will save time and have
an accurate representation of your cardio fitness level.
Keeps the Body Working Aerobically
It’s a familiar story. Person makes New Year’s Resolution; person buys
running/walking/fitness shoes; person goes to gym and exercises; person feels
good, feels the burn; person cannot walk for an entire week afterward; person
gives up on Resolution.
Beginners tend to make the mistake of doing too much too soon, damaging or
injuring their bodies. It is a vicious cycle, making a new fitness program difficult
to stick with. A heart rate monitor can help beginners exercise at an optimal
rate, improving fitness while protecting the body from over-training.
When you exercise consistently at 85% of your maximum heart rate and above
(very easy to do), your body produces lactic acid. Lactic acid builds in your
muscles, making them less efficient. Your body is expending more energy for
less result, you are working anaerobically. Your risk of injury and
over-training fatigue are much higher. A monitor will help to keep you within a
good aerobic range.
Beginners also make the mistake of under-training. They may not be working
hard enough to attain their fitness and weight-loss goals. Results are slow to
come if they come at all. For a lot of people, especially those not used to
exercise, judging the correct level is difficult. Hardness of breathing is not
an accurate indicator. A person could be breathing heavily, and still be
working slightly below the optimal level to increase health benefits.
If you’re an advanced fitness buff, don’t make the mistake of believing you
are immune to over- or under-training. In fact, I find that the more
experienced a person believes himself to be; the more likely he is to make
mistakes. So if you find that you are not achieving results with your program
or you are experiencing decreased effects, a HRM could be the answer.