Sunday, August 9, 2009

Purchasing A Heart Rate Monitor

By Henry Calhoun

Heart rate monitors are best buys when you have decided that you want to lose weight through workouts. This is because they help you take note of the intensity of your training and they also help you stay in your targeted heart zone. There are many heart rate monitors out there in the market. Some can just display plainly your heart rate, while others have certain features such as informing you of the number of calories you have burned or reminding you if you are straying away from your training zone.

Since there are so many different heart rate monitors on the market, it is often a difficult to decide on which one is the right one. This device should be looked at as any other investment and therefore you have to take many important factors into consideration before choosing the right heart rate monitor.

One of the most important factors is your own level of fitness. Many can make do with a basic monitor that has the basic functions and one just button on it. On the other hand, athletic people would be better off with a monitor that has more functions built-in, like GPS or downloadable data. If a heart rate monitor is to be purchased as an aid to losing weight, then one with more information, such as calories burned, is a better choice.

Of course your allowed budget must be taken into consideration. This means you must have the money and be willing to spend hundreds of dollars for the heart rate monitor. If you want to purchase a cheaper model, then be aware that it will not have as many great features as the more expensive devices. Generally speaking, for those not wanting to spend more than $100, nothing more than a device that can monitor the heart rate, count calories burned and time the session should be expected.

If you are able and willing to spend $100 to $200 on a heart rate monitor, then you are allowed to have higher expectations. These monitors most likely will include more advanced functions, such as the ability to download data and keep track of your progress over time. If you have a budget of $200 or more than you can purchase the most advanced devices with features such as GPS, multi-sport tracking and comparing of workouts.

If you are able to settle your needs and your budget, the last factor to consider would be the heart rate monitor's ease of use. Of course, more features complicate the operations and navigations, which could pose a problem once you are currently in a workout. You might buy some time to get comfortable with certain heart rate monitors, just keep in mind to study the monitor in order to get used to it.

Women may also want to consider the comfort provided by the chest strap. Usually, heart rate monitors are bulky, although there are now models that are manufactured for women, which are smaller in size compared to the regular monitors. There are even strapless monitors available for more comfort.

When buying heart rate monitors, you must consider your needs instead of your wants. It would not be a wise idea to buy something so expensive yet you don't have any real intention of using these features into good and practical use. As with any product, shop wisely for a healthy living.

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