Compare Heart Rate Monitor Watches by Their Functions
If you’ve started walking, running or do any kind of aerobic exercise, then perhaps, you are wondering how to keep your heart rate within your fat burning target zone, which is about 50-75% of your maximum heart rate. As you get fit, your fat burning zone percentage will change accordingly.
Here is how to calculate your Fat Burning Zone: Calculate Your Heart Target Zone
One non tech way in keeping within your desired heart target zone is taking your pulse several times during a work out. Yet, this can be cumbersome compared to using a heart rate monitor which makes it easier for keeping your pace while staying within the zone, and for checking your recovery time after a hill or sprint.
Well, not all of us are athletes, knowing exactly what to look for in a heart rate monitor. I was a bit overwhelmed , so I’ve created the following list to make it a little easier for people to see right away the features to look for if needed.
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Heart Rate |
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Programmable Target HR Zones |
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Recovery Time Feature: |
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Max Zone Calculation |
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Time in Zone / Zone Training |
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Calories Burned |
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Chronograph |
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With Chest Strap |
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Without Chest Strap |
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Water resistant |
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Battery Life |
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Battery Type |
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Foot Pod |
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Digital Transmission |
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Wireless Upload |
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GPS-Enabled |
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Training Software |
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Virtual Partner |
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Back-Lit |
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Colors |
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Important Fitness Watch Features Explained:
- Heart Rate (HR): Pulse, count of heart beats per minute
- Max HR Zone: Your maximum heart rate in beats per minute, ties to your age, but can deviate from the norm, should you’re taking, for example, blood pressure medication. Best, to talk to your doctor and ask him or her to help you find your Max HR zone.
- Target HR Zone: Is 50 to 75 percent of your Max HR Zone. That’s the Zone you want to exercise in. You may increase this zone, gradually working your way up, between this zone starting at at 50 percent, ending at 75 percent.
- Programmable HR zone: Set your own heart rate and percentage limits.
- Recovery Time Feature: See how many beats per minute your heart rate drops in one minute.
- Time in Zone / Zone Training: Interval timers and beeps warn when you’re out of zone. Use your hearing instead of looking at your watch. Also, helps you know your exertion levels.
- Back lit: important when you run at night
- Digital Transmission: Download your workout history to your computer. Higher priced watches can upload data within a wireless environment.
- Battery Life and Battery Type: Some batteries last only fewer hours. In some brands, you can replace the battery easily yourself. For other brands, you might have to send the watch back to the company to replace battery.
- Chest Strap or Without Chest Strap: The CHEST STRAP allows for CONTINUOUS monitoring, even after an event or exercise is over, although, the chest strap does not seem to be an important factor in assessing the reliability or accuracy of the heart rate monitor’s basic functions. Exercising without the chest strap might be more comfortable for some people, and a factor for choosing a heart rate monitor watch.
- Calories burned: keeps track of the calories you burn during a workout.
- Chronograph: provides a stopwatch ideal for timed training
- Foot Pod AccessoryPedometer,Transmitting distance and pace data to monitoring device
Features you’ll want to look for in your FIRST heart rate monitor watch:
- Strapless for ease of use
- ECG Accurate Heart Rate Measurement
- Programmable heart rate zone – High and Low Target Zone Alarms – Audible and Visual Alarm, telling you when you are out of range of your ideal heart rate zone
- Night Vision
- Gender Settings (Male/Female)
- Calorie Counter
- Water resistance
Prices start at around US $25.00 up to $75.00 depending on the model. You can find great bargains at Amazon.com, Ebay.com, or Overstock.com
Low priced brands include: Pro-Form Fitwatch, New Balance Heart Fit Watch, Black Bowflex Fit Watch, Mio MOTION PLUS ECG. Great for walking, jogging or running.
Medium and High priced brand include: New TIMEX Marathon GPS Watch Speed Distance Fitness, Garmin FR70 Fitness Watch with Heart-Rate Monitor, Suunto M5 Heart Rate Monitor – Men’s, Polar RS300X GPS G1.
Other more expensive heart monitors provide GPS tracking, important for hikers or cyclists. Those models also store heart-rate data for download to your computer. Prices range from US $100.00 up to $500.00 + and often are only available with chest strap.
Note: When using monitors without a chest belt, make sure to place the pads of your fingers, not the tips, firmly over the sensors to pick up ECG signals.
Technorati Tags: Heart Rate Monitor Watches, Fitness Watch
