Benefits of Heart Rate Monitors

Heart rate monitors measure, record and analyze your heart rate. They are an effective tool for tracking and recording your progress of your exercise or sports activity.

Are you exercising to lose weight? A monitor can show you if you are working out hard enough to burn calories. Measuring your heart rate allows you to determine how much benefit you are getting from your workout.

A monitor can tell you if you are exercising safely. It will prevent you from stressing your body too much and it can minimize chances for injury.

To get the most from a heart rate monitor, you need to establish your maximum heart rate. The formula for calculating the maximum heart rate is: 220 minus your age for men and 226 minus your age for women.

Once you know your maximum heart rate, you need to decide at what level you want to work out. Generally, the target heart rate is 50-75% of you maximum heart rate. If you are a 40 year old man and you want to work out at 70% of your maximum, the formula is as follows: 220-40=180. 180x70=126 is your desired heart rate (target) during your workout.

Summary of benefits when using a heart rate monitor:
1. It keeps you in your target zone
2. If your heart rate is too high, you tire too quickly. If it is too low, you will not receive a benefit, like weight loss or increased endurance.
3. It can prevent injury by keeping you heart rate in a comfortable zone.
4. It provides feedback, which can be analyzed using your computer.

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