Heart Rate monitor?

Question

how important is it to use a heart rate monitor for exercise?
I am quite unfit right now having just started exercising in a gym - apparently its important to work within your target range... but right now am finding it quite hard to just walk on the treadmill for half an hour but obviously i will build up from that. Howver, I was told that its better to exceed to target range, cos the monitor is not accurate and also, its better to work harder.

Answer 1

Yes, it is VERY important to work WITHIN target heart rate range.

Unfortunately, most people don't like to use a HRM because it makes them work LESS VIGOROUSLY than they'd like. (Some people feel that the exercise can't be doing any good unless they are 'punishing' themselves.)

Try to ignore them. Unfortunately, because Gym staff are recruited from the population of exercise enthusiasts, they will also want to train at an 'athletic' level of intensity.(and they might tell you to do the same)

(The commentators on city Marathons always used to try to avoid calling the majority of the participants 'fun runners', because people would complain; they wanted to be seen as 'serious athletes'. In fact, the vast majority of people will injure themselves if they try to train like a serious athlete. Many do.)

Your monitor's instructions will include an 'upper' and a 'lower' training range calculation. Try to stick to the LOWER range until YOU are comfortable to regularly use the upper range.

It is much better to increase the frequency of your workout, and train at a low intensity, ('LITTLE AND OFTEN') than to work too hard too soon.

Low intensity work will also concentrate your effort on the 'slow burn' muscle fibres which use FAT as a fuel. Increased intensity will not burn extra fat; you simply start to recruit 'fast firing' fibres, which burn SUGAR and make you feel hungry.

Answer 2

you can use one but you can also do the talk test. you should be able to carry on a conversation while walking out of breath a little is OK if you can't talk then you are working you hear to hard. you can also take you own pulse but that is a pain while you are trying to work. I would recommend possible contacting some stores or search on the Internet. The price ranges can be vary. The target range is wide enough that the gym where you works monitor should be ok. ask them how accurate they are or how old their equipement is. I have only been to a couple differnent fitness gyms but have found the heart rate monitors to be fairly accurate

Answer 3

I wear a polar and love it. It is a pain to replace the battery ,but you do not have to do that often. I have an F11 and it is about $180 in stores. I got it for $120 on ebay. I do not have the Polar HR monitor and bike combo. My fiance has that and has issues with it. It seem something on it is always malfunctioning. I have a $30 bike computer with the basics, cadence, distance, MPH, time lapsed . My polar can travel to the gym with me easily. ( I also have an F6 for back-up and an old A5 - I cannot be without my HRM and will only use Polar.) Polar is also compatible with most cardio machines at gyms. PS: the Polar s720i is like $300. I think it is discontinued, too.

Answer 4

Well of course it is better to work harder, but I mean if you don't work until your almost out of breath, then the whole excersize routine was worthless. But heart monitors and be expensive, some treadmills actually come with them, but might I sugest a pulse wrist watch. They're nearly the same thing, and of course, well it looks like a watch!

Answer 5

WHEN YOU PUT OF BREATH STOP.