Heart Rate Monitor Watches – You’ll Be Surprised at the Basic Features

Heart rate monitor watches are useful in helping to improve both the performance and the conditioning of fitness buffs or even those new to exercise. A heart monitor watch tells you how hard you are working based on your heart rate. When you have this kind of information, you can then modify your workout as required.

Finding a heart monitor to suit your needs is easy as there are many different models and types of monitors. Each heart rate monitor has different features. You can choose a basic model or you can opt for a more advanced model. Let’s take a look at some of the features of a basic model. If you have decided to get in shape and so are going to start an exercise program you will probably only need a basic model. There is really no reason to spend money on features you won’t use.

On the other hand, if you think that in time you may get more seriously into your fitness program, then you might want to spend extra now and get a few more features. You don’t want to be faced with a situation in several months where you need features you don’t have. If that happens, you have to buy a new monitor.

You might wonder if as a beginner you really need to use a monitor. Regardless of fitness level it’s a good idea to track how many times per minute your heart is beating. Without a monitor you’ll have to temporarily stop your workout for the half minute or so that it takes to check your pulse rate. You’ll soon get tired of doing that. Heart rate monitors will do this automatically and the readings will be more accurate.

Are you questioning why you need to track your pulse rate while you are exercising? In order to make the most of a workout, you have to know your target heart rate and then keep it within certain limits.

If it falls below the target range, it tells you that you can safely work harder. If your rate exceeds the range, you will know right away that you are putting too much stress on your heart and you need to slow down. The key to an optimum workout is maintaining your heart rate inside of the targeted range during your workout. To choose the right model think about the sport or activity you are involved in. Monitors have different features for different types of workouts.

Basic heart rate monitors will have some of the features found on a standard sports watches, like a timer or a stop watch. A good optional feature to consider is the alarm. This alerts you when you are not staying within your targeted heart rate range. In general, the more features you opt for, the more expensive the monitor. Think in terms of paying for what you get. If you want to cut down on your costs, get only those features that you will really use.

You may be surprised at the number of useful features that you can get with basic heart rate monitor watches. And unless you are seriously involved in a sport and require a specialized monitor, a monitor with these basic features is probably all you need.