Better Aerobic Workouts By Using A Heart Rate Monitor

How can you get the most out of your aerobic exercise sessions

? Most specialists agree that the key to effective aerobic exercise is to keep your heart rate, or pulse, within a target zone. A heart rate monitor is a great tool for doing this.

The human body has two alternative metabolic methods for producing energy. The aerobic metabolism consumes glycogen and oxygen; it is most effective for long duration exercise. Short, high intensity bursts of exertion or exercise tend to use the anaerobic metabolism, which consumes glycogen without oxygen.

One of the goals of aerobic exercise is to maintain a moderate to high level of exercise for a significant period of time. The level of exercise can be measured by the pulse or heart rate. This can be checked manually; some people find this effective. Doing the checking with a heart rate monitor tends to be more effective, and causes less distraction from the exercise.

Heart rate monitors measure the rate at which the heart is beating, also referred to as the pulse. There are both portable and non portable models. Non portables work well with fixed equipment such as treadmills or rowing machines. Portables can be used in many different situations, some even when swimming.

It is possible to make a monitor that is essentially a simplified EKG machine. This kind of monitor senses the beating of the heart by picking up its electrical impulses. This requires sensors that are fairly close to the heart. Sports bras or chest straps with built in electrical sensors or both appropriate for this kind of monitor.

The EKG type of monitor usually transmits the pulse information in wireless to a wrist mounted readout devise. The wrist device is usually a watch, and frequently has other sports and exercise related functions. Sometimes additional information such as calories consumed is calculated from the EKG information. Bluetooth signaling (commonly used for cordless headsets, keyboards, and mice) is often used to transmit the data, though other proprietary radio protocols may also be used. The display device may also be a cell phone or perhaps a specialized display.

Another approach is to measure the throbbing throughout the body resulting from the heart beats. A sensor may fit onto a finger, or possibly an earlobe. The distance from the sensor to the display is short enough that a wireless interface is generally not implemented. Some monitors have the sensor as part of the display unit. This would probably require the user to press a finger or thumb against the sensor in the device to get a reading.

Specialized monitors are needed for some sports. For swimming, the monitor obviously needs to be waterproof. Sports where it may be too distracting to look at the monitor may indicate the use of one with audible feedback. This could be either alarms indicating pulse too low or too high, or perhaps a periodic speaking of the actual pulse rate.

Clearly a heart rate monitor can make getting aerobic exercise much more effective. The feedback it provides makes it easier to set the right level of effort. Besides that, some people just like having a lot of data about how they are doing.

by: Alan Walker

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