There are many different approaches to exercising. Some people just leap out of bed in the morning, inspired and motivated to his the open road, and race off down the street without a thought as to where they’re going, how far they wish to run, and how this run fits into their long term exercise plan. Other people have figured out their VO2max and designed a workout schedule that figures in progressive overloading of their system along with keeping an exact count of calories eaten and any other measurable statistic. Where should you be, and how does a heart rate monitor fit into this sliding scale between complete spontaneity and planned madness? I think you should, as with most things, place yourself somewhere in the middle, and for that very reason alone a heart rate monitor can be of excellent use.
A heart rate monitor quite simply monitors the rate of your heart and provides you with feedback. Some simply tell you your beats/minute, while others track so much information you could keep a science lab busy for a year with each workout. Although not always 100 exact, they can provide you with an excellent sense of your health over a period of time as you track your gains and compare your progress to where you were when you started.
So what are the benefits of tracking your heart rate? The first is being able to gauge whether or not you are exerting yourself too much or too little. Say you’re out jogging: if your heart rate starts to spiral up, you will know that you need to slow down, whereas if it is consistently low you will know you’ve got more to give. It sounds deceptively simple, but given how many people injure themselves, burn out or get frustrated with workouts, that’s a huge deal.
Secondly, it can help you gauge if you are working out aerobically or anaerobically. If you are working out at over 85 of your maximum heart rate you are in the anaerobic zone, and your body will be unable to get enough oxygen to derive energy from fat and instead breaks down carbs. This is also where you generate lactic acid, and as a result many people seek to avoid entering this zone. However! The anaerobic has great fat burning potential in that your body will proceed after your exercise to break down fat for hours upon hours, and often exceeding the benefits of traditional aerobic exercise for a shorter duration of workout.
According to the American Medical Association you can figure out your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) by deducting your age from 220. Of course you never want to get your heart rate up that high unless you’re a professional Olympic athlete, but from that figure you can generate a good idea of what is happening to your body when you hit certain thresholds. Traditionally, those different zones are:
Healthy Heart Zone (Warm Up) – 50 60 of MHR. Easiest zone for most people, and where you should be most comfortable.
Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) – 60 70 MHR. Provides the same benefits as the Healthy Heart Zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories.
Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) – 70 80 MHR. This is the zone most people get into when working out for long periods of time like running or swimming. In this zone you will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system and increase the size of your heart.
Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) – 80 90 MHR. Here is where you improve your VO2 max, and thus rocket up your cardiorespiratory system, as well as develop a higher threshold for lactate acid.
Red Line (Max Effort) 90 100 MHR: Burns the most calories, but is the most intense. Most people can only stay here for very short periods of time.
Having a heart rate monitor can help you decide where you wish to be, and how you can acquire the gains you want given your goals. Is it a good move to get one, then? Sure! Especially if you are looking to maximize results and exercise at maximum efficiency.
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