What Is A Heart Rate Monitor?

Cardiovascular exercise, otherwise known as “cardio” is any form of workout that involves the large body muscles. To enhance fitness, proper handling of three variables is needed. These variables are: frequency, duration and intensity. Frequency is how often you exercise, duration refers to the length of the exercise session, while intensity refers to how hard or challenging the exercise is.

Almost all cardiovascular exercises center on intensity. Intensity is described by five heart rate zones, such as : healthy heart zone, fitness zone, aerobic zone, anaerobic zone and red-line zone.

A heart rate monitor is a device with a display screen that shows a person’s heart rate in real time. A heart rate monitor is used by most cardio exercisers so they can alter the intensity of their workouts – accelerating or decelerating, depending on their preferred heart rate zone.

A handful of simple workouts (such as brisk walking) per week is enough if your goal is just to be in overall good health. Having such goal will not generally require the person to use a heart rate monitor because getting the right frequency and duration is relatively easy. But if your aim is to shed some unwanted weight or prepare for a sporting event, getting the correct intensity is vital. At this point, having a heart rate monitor is beneficial.

Using a heart rate monitor is a lot like working with a coach beside you. It helps you reach just the right amount of intensity in workouts. Adults should exercise at moderate intensity (50 percent–70 percent of maximum heart rate) for at least 30 minutes five days a week or at a vigorous intensity (70 percent–85 percent of maximum heart rate) for 20 minutes three days a week, as advised by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To compute for maximum heart rate (max HR), use the formula 220 minus age (220-age). Therefore, if your age is twenty-five, your Max HR is 195 beats per minute.

The main function of a heart rate monitor is to give the person an idea whether or not he is working out at the right intensity. And so regardless of whether you’re exercising to shed some weight, tone up, relieve stress, or just feel healthy, a heart rate monitor can help you become the most top fit person you can ever be.