Date Posted:21 August 2017
Whether you’re training for a triathlon, preparing for a particular sport competition, or simply want to lose some weight, using a heart rate monitor or HRM can you help measure and improve your fitness level. An HRM measures your heart rate in real time and lets your record it to track your progress.
A heart rate monitor is the best device to understand how your body is responding to physical activity. Just like a car burns fuel to create energy, our heart needs to pump oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the muscles. The harder we exercise, the more fuel our muscles demand, and the harder our heart beats. This process is measured in “beats per minute,” or BPM. Seeing how hard your heart is working tells you when to dial it up or tone it down to achieve the results you want to get with your workout.
Active Stride features several brands that provide heart rate monitoring, and these brands have several models. Here are a few questions that would help you pick one that perfectly matches your needs and lifestyle:
If you would prefer to use strap-less HRMs, you can use optical heart rate monitors instead. Optical HRMs can check your heart rate using a sensor that measures the pulse on your wrists. It uses light to calculate the blood flow under your skin.
If you plan to use your HRM with your mobile device, make sure that it has Bluetooth Smart capability. This lets you transfer workout and performance data transferred wirelessly from your HRM to your phone. You can then view this information through smart phone apps that work with your HRM.
Magellan Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Monitor
TomTom Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Monitor
Suunto Smart Belt
Wahoo TICKR
Wahoo TICKR X (Includes memory features which can be used by Wahoo apps and selected other apps)
If you would be using the HRM for swimming and activities where a receiving unit, like a smart phone, can't be worn or reached by the bluetooth signal), we recommend the following HRM straps.
Wahoo TICKR X (Includes built-in memory features can be used by Wahoo apps and selected other apps). It captures heart rate, calorie burn, and duration from your workouts and syncs them to your phone later.
If you would like to capture data from your treadmill workout on your phone or sportwatch, get an HRM with accelerometer. Accelerometers are movement monitors that can measure vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and running cadence. Here are a couple of HRM straps that has an accelerometer.
Garmin HRM4-Run (Works with Forerunner 630, 920XT, fenix 3, epix)
Wahoo TICKR Run (Works with the Garmin Forerunner GPS watch series and Wahoo apps)
5. Would you like to use an HRM (chest strap) with wrist & bike units?
The following heart rate monitor straps can be paired with compatible sportwatch or cycling GPS with either Bluetooth Smart or ANT+ connectivity.
Garmin Heart Rate Monitor
Garmin Premium Heart Rate Monitor
Garmin HRM4-Run
Garmin HRM-Swim
Garmin HRM-Tri
Wahoo TICKR X
The HRM straps listed below are designed to capture your heart rate data while you swim. These straps store the data on the module and then send it to a compatible watch after you swim, when you are free of the water. The result at the end of a session is a detailed time versus heart rate graph for the entire swim session.
Which heart rate monitor feature is most important for you? Please comment below.
Here are more buying guides that can help make your shopping decision easier:
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