Heart rate monitors have been developed to measure healthy people’s heart rates and help people exercise safely and effectively. An ideal exercise session includes a correct balance of frequency, intensity, duration and different types of activity, both indoor and outdoor. Your heart rate monitor can tell you how hard you are working, for how long, how many calories you have burnt and how many times a week you should exercise to get the maximum benefit. Professional athletes, regular runners and fitness fans at all levels have, for decades, been relying on the information provided by their heart rate monitor for the following reasons:

• A heart rate monitor is like a rev counter, giving a precise measurement of exercise intensity.
• Training at your own ideal pace is made possible with a heart rate monitor.
• Direct measurement of heart rate during exercise is the most accurate way to gauge performance.
• Progress can be monitored and measured, increasing motivation.
• It maximizes the benefits of exercise in a limited amount of time.
• It introduces objective observation. Are you on the right track? Are you improving?
• It is a tool for regulating frequency and intensity of workouts.
• Because of the immediate feedback it provides, heart rate monitoring is an ideal training partner.

There is an array of heart rate monitors available on the market and it can be difficult to select the ideal monitor to suit your own exercise and training needs. Some models are specifically geared for the gym goer or aimed at the outdoor runner so in order to get the most out of the heart rate monitor, it is important to understand the features available and how these can be used in exercise.

Target Heart Rate Zone
Heart rate allows you to accurately measure workout intensity and maximum heart rate, (or HR max) it is the highest number of heart beats per minute in all-out effort. During training the optimum position you are seeking is a balance between; frequency, intensity, duration and exercise type. So by monitoring your heart rate you can record how your body is coping with the training at that point in time. To evaluate the intensity you are training at a HRM displays your Heart Rate in beats per minute (bpm), or as a percentage of your maximum heart rate (HRmax).
The HRmax is the highest number of heart beats per minute during maximum physical exertion. Intensity is an essential part of the traditional exercise recommendation for aerobic fitness. This is measured as maximum oxygen uptake, known as VO2 max. This refers to the highest rate of oxygen consumption measured during exercise. Exercising at a moderate intensity will improve endurance and overall aerobic condition. Higher intensities are only recommended to regular exercisers and athletes for short times when improving performance.
The majority of regular gym users will spend too much time at a higher intensity rather than a moderate intensity with no overall benefit. So a heart rate monitor can tell you exactly what level to exercise at for maximum benefit. However it is beneficial to spend time exercising in the different heart rate zones. The American College of Sports’ (1998) latest recommendation for developing and maintaining aerobic fitness in healthy adults gives 50/65% - 90% of maximum heart rate (HRmax), or 40/50% - 85% of oxygen uptake reserve as exercise intensity limits.
There are three different exercise zones: Hard, Moderate & Light. By determining your end goal be it, weight loss, maintaining aerobic fitness or improving your endurance you can easily determine what intensities your training session should include, as shown in the training intensity guide, below right.

Burn Calories
Monitors with an OwnCal® feature allow you to determine how many calories are burnt during exercise, giving you an idea of how hard or how little you have worked. Different types of exercise vary in their effectiveness and in the amount of calories they make you burn, as shown in the table below (Polar Fitness Guide)
Polar Own Cal estimates the energy expenditure at all heart rates and provides the additional feature of fat consumption in selected models. The user can adjust the HRsit and HRmax figures to ensure that Polar Own Cal is tailored to the individual and is accurate.

Walking - 200 - 300
Fitness group exercise, light - 200 - 400
Fitness group exercise, intense - 450 - 700
Circuit training - 450 -500
Cycling - 250 - 700
Indoor cycling - 250 - 750
Swimming - 300 - 700
Tennis - 400 - 500
Running - 600 - 900

The amount of calories burnt during exercise depends on workout duration and intensity, and your body weight. Keeping tabs on calories is a great motivational tool, aiming to burn e.g. 2000 kcals / week during exercise is a goal you can easily verify.

Testing your fitness
Polar Own Index is the Polar Fitness Test™ which allows you to check your fitness progress by accurately predicting your maximum oxygen uptake - as you train and become fitter your VO2 max will increase as you become more fit.
The Polar Fitness Test can be carried out at home, in five minutes whilst sitting, ideally first thing in the morning when you are most relaxed. The test is based on several variables (heart rate, heart rate variability, age, body weight, gender and level of physical activity). The result of the fitness test is OwnIndex®. OwnIndex rises as you get fitter, and can range from about 25 for sedentary or unfit persons to 96, a level reached by some Olympic level endurance athletes. Progress in your OwnIndex will gradually occur over time. Testing yourself once or twice a month will help you to track the improvement in your aerobic fitness.

Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Programme
Your current fitness levels and fitness goals will determine your exercise programme. The Polar Own Workout Programme is designed for any indoor or outdoor training and will recommend an exercise dose based on the individuals fitness level and goal. But ultimately you determine:
how often - the number of exercises sessions per week
how hard - the intensity of each exercise session (as heart rate, hard, moderate, light)
how long - the duration of each exercise session.

Polar Body Workout
The workout is a strength training routine that caters for all fitness levels. A workout consists of one to three sets of a variety of strength movements using free weights or weight resistant equipment. Once activated on your wrist unit, the programme provides a recommended number of sets, repetitions and weights. Sets and weights may be reduced or increased according to preference. Strength training should be made part of any fitness programme as it; defines muscle, tones the body and decreases body fat.

Heart Rate Variability
Polar use heart rate variability in a number of its ‘Own’ Features to determine how the users’ heart rate is reacting to training, physiological and environmental conditions. Heart rate variability (HRV) provides an individual method for target heart rate determination.

OwnZone Training
The unique Polar OwnZone® defines your personal exercise zone for effective and safe training. The OwnZone function guides you through your warm-up and taking your present physical and mental condition into account, will automatically determine an individual exercise intensity zone, your OwnZone.
As warm-up routines differ for different types of exercise, so do physical and mental states (due to stress or illness) using the Own- Zone function for every session guarantees the most effective heart rate target zone for that particular exercise or day.

OwnZone training within your heart rate limits will:
• improve overall fitness
• support your weight management goals
• decrease stress level
• improve health
• boost general performance.

Recovery
Polar OwnRelax® can help you manage your stress levels, with a five minute relaxation session where measurements are taken of your heart rate and heart rate variability, this value then corresponds to your body’s state of relaxation resulting in your OwnRelax. By taking OwnRelax readings regularly you can calculate your average OwnRelax and monitor changes over time. As a rule, the higher the figure the lower the heart rate (bpm) and the more rested and relaxed your body is. Own Optimizer helps you optimize your training load & recovery time and tells you if your training programme is developing your performance by using heart rate variability. Becoming more knowledgeable about what is right and what is wrong in fitness can make all the difference, and a heart rate monitor is a crucial tool in determining this. By using your heart rate monitor for all types of exercise you can ensure you are exercising safely and with maximum benefit to suit your individual requirements. For full details of the Polar Fitness product range see www.polarelectro.co.uk. The examples are for Kcal burnt per hour by a person weighing 155lbs / 70kg. A person weighing less than 155 lbs / 70kg will burn less calories than indicated, while a heavier person will correspondingly burn more.

If you’re thinking of getting active or increasing the intensity of your work-out, speak to any Elverys Sports trained advisors who will help you find the best clothing and equipment for your chosen activity. To shop online or to find your nearest Elverys Sports store visit: www.elverys.ie