A heart rate monitor measures your heart rate while you are exercising so you can see at a glance how hard you are working. Personal trainers have recommended the use of heart rate monitors in their training to their professional and amateur clients alike, to help improve their fitness and performances, in particular, running and cycling. It is the very best tool for modifying the intensity and frequency of your training, so you get the very best from your workouts and because feedback is immediate, it is like having your own personal trainer.

For the most accurate readings, the best heart rate monitors use a wireless transmitter strap that goes around your chest that sends a signal to the wrist watch giving a constant heart rate reading. Strapless heart rate watches use a pulse button that you have to touch every time you want to check your heart rate. This is difficult to do while exercising and is not very practical.

The heart moves oxygenated blood from the lungs to the muscles which burn the oxygen as fuel. The harder you exercise, the more oxygen the muscles need and the harder the heart has to pump blood to the muscles. As you become fitter, your heart is able to pump more blood with every beat. As a result, it doesn’t have to beat as often to get the needed oxygen to your muscles. Using a heart rate monitor gives an exact measurement of the intensity of your exercise and is the most precise way to assess performance. This increases motivation as you can easily see the results of your training and you can see how you are improving over time. Eg: If you run the same training sessions over a period of several weeks and your average heart rate gets lower, it clearly shows your fitness is improving.

Recovery On rest days, it is vital that you do not overdo things. Your body needs rest to repair damaged muscles and get used to faster or harder running. On recovery runs therefore, you can use your heart rate monitor to ensure your heart rate stays below a certain rate. This allows the body and muscles to be properly rested to get the maximum benefit from your next workout and also reduces the risk of injury.

Preventing Overtraining If you reach a plateau in your training and aren’t able to improve you are probably overtraining. You may get frustrated and try even harder but the problem just becomes worse. Unless you use a heart rate monitor to stop overtraining, you could become disillusioned with your lack of progress and even give up your sport.

Make sure you keep your heart rate well within the recommended limits and you will get excellent results. You will become stronger and fitter much faster using a heart rate monitor and your endurance and speed will both increase.

How to Calculate your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and Training Zones The simplest and best-known method is to use the formula 220 – your age. (For example, a 30-year-old would have an MHR of 220 - 30 = 190 beats per minute.) For adults under 30, it can overestimate MHR, for adults over 45, it can underestimate MHR. This is especially true for very fit over 45s whose MHR does not reduce as much as with sedentary people of the same age.

In an attempt to be more accurate, several studies have been done to look at the relationship between MHR, age etc. The following methods can also be used:

Londeree and Moeschberger suggest an alternative formula of:

206.3 - (0.711 x age). Similarly, Miller et al from Indiana University suggest the formula 217 - (0.85 x age)

Training Zones - Once you have calculated your MHR, you can then work out your heart rate training zones, which are as follows:

Heart Rate Zones Table:

Zone % Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) Description

1 , 60 - 65 Easy running, recovery training, fat burning

2 , 65 - 70 Endurance base training, fat burning

3 , 70 - 75 Aerobic capacity training, fat burn/cardio workout

4 , 80 - 85 Lactate threshold training, cardio workout

5 , 86 - + Maximum aerobic training

Take your MHR and multiply by 0.60, 0.65, 0.70, 0.75, 0.80 and 0.85 to determine the percentage number for each heart rate zone this training guide uses. If you are 30 years old, your MHR using the simplest 220- your age method) is 190, you would multiply that number by 0.60 and 0.65 to determine what your MHR range is for zone 1 (which would be 114 to 124 beats per minute).

You do not always have to stay in the target zone, but make sure you don’t stay over the upper limit for too long. The target zones are only guidelines, but the longer you train within these target zones, the greater the benefits. You will become stronger and fitter much faster using a heart rate monitor and your endurance and speed will both increase.