Anyone else here use a heart rate monitor?

[JudyS]

I just started using a heart rate monitor while I exercise, and I love it! Before, I never knew whether I was doing too much and risking keeling over, or too little and not making any progress. Now, I can tell how hard I'm working. I've also started getting interested in how much my heart rate goes up doing just ordinary tasks like housework, as well as what happens when I do aerobics or the treadmill.

The heart rate monitor I use is by Polar; it is the type that has a sensor band you wear around your chest, and a display device that looks like a wrist watch. Apparently, Polar invented this type of home heart monitor.

The one I'm using is an old one that doesn't tell you how long you've been exercising or what your average heart rate has been. If I was getting a new one, I'd look for one with those features. I'd also like the monitor to display the time of day, rather than just my heart rate. Still, even without those features, this heart monitor has been really helpful. It seems quite accurate, unlike the one on the handlebars of my treadmill. (The one on my treadmill seems to produce completely arbitrary numbers!)

It looks like new Polar heart rate monitors start at about $60 from Amazon. There are some cheaper brands, too. Seems like money well spent to me!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

For all the reasons you mentioned I used the Polar HR Monitor. It also is picked up on the displays of the bicycle, Treadmil and elliptical I will use at the gym. Sadly, not my home treadmill.

I've fallen away from using it since my focus has changed and I am mostly working in my target HR range now. Such good info to use to avoid losing benefit from the precious time we have to exercise.

 

[ohMom]

i bought a Garmin with a HR this summer and it!! i too want to make the most of my time spent exercising and burn as much fat during that duration as i can!