Getting the most out of your fitness plan involves being able to stay with in your targeted heart rate zone.
You don’t want to go over you zone as it is both dangerous and is also self-defeating and you also don’t want to stay way under your zone as you won’t get an effective cardio workout.
Once you know your particular heart rate zone you want a way to be able to track it and make sure that you are safely, but effectively working out.
One of the best ways to do is through using a heart rate monitor watch. There are dozens and dozens of HRM watches available with a multitude of features and prices can vary from $20 all the way up in to the several hundreds of dollars.
So how do you know which one is right for you?
There are a few things to consider when shopping for a HRM watch and probably two of the most important questions to ask is how often do you think that you will use it and have you owned one before?
Some people go out an purchase the fanciest one available then find that after a few weeks they would have preferred a different type or find that the watch is just too complicated for them to use.
I’m not saying that you can’t purchase the most expensive one and find that you totally love it and wouldn’t change it for the world, but if you are new to wearing a heart rate monitor watch you may have to try a few before you know exactly which features that you want and need.
It’s usually best to start off with a simpler, less expensive heart rate monitor or fitness watch that is easy to set up and figure out.
A good choice is the Omron HC-100 Heart Rate Monitor Watch
The Omron is low cost, priced around $35, yet it is one of the most popular HRM watches. It’s popularity is due to the fact that the watch is very easy to program, it does have an alarm that will sound if you go above or fall you targeted heart rate zone, it includes a wireless chest strap, the watch band is ventilated ( which if you have worn one that is not ventilated you’ll notice how much your wrist can sweat), the watch face is easy to read in the dark with a having a backlight function and will also function as a standard watch with a daily reminder alarm.
If you would like to see what previous customers have to say about this HRM watch just click –>Customer Reviews
It should have the features that you need to start off with. Then as you increase your fitness level you may find that you would want additional features and may may want to step up to a more expensive, fancier watch. Or you may even find that you no longer need a chest strap since you now have an idea of where your heart rate usually runs and you may need less tracking ( however in the beginning a chest strap is a good idea)
But it is better to start off simple, get to know how your watch works, how to stay in your targeted heart rate zone, how this affects your fitness level and how you feel during and after your workout.
Once you get all of the basics down without having to concentrate too much on your watch on not enough on your workout then you can move up if you like.
Most people find that the simpler the features the better and most likely never need to move up to a more expensive model.
If you are using a heart rate monitor watch because your doctor has suggested that you add more fitness into your life they can also suggest a watch for you. Many times they have favorite features that they would like to to use and give you a listing of the features or even suggest a specific model.
Many people don’t like to bother their doctor’s with this information but you may find that your doctor is more than willing to direct you to the type of tracking that you may need.