To get the best results while working out, managing your heart rate is key. After all, it is not just the AMOUNT of exercise you do that matters, but the INTENSITY at which you do it!
Heart rate monitors are useful technology designed to help you make sure you’re exercising at an optimal heart rate somewhere between not too high and not too low.
Amber from El Lay is seeking advice on heart rate monitoring, so she wrote to the woman who knows them best, Fitperez trainer Jennifer Cohen, asking:
Hey Jen,
Thought you could help me as I know you are the spokesperson for Polar Heart Rate Monitors.
I’ve been working out for the last three years. I’m about 5’11 and weigh around 170. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t take much to get my heart rate up to 160-170 bpm and i can sustain that for an hour but i’m exhausted after the workout. I thought that the fitter you get the lower your rate gets. I haven’t noticed it. am I doing something wrong?
According to Jennifer:
If you’re running for an hour on the treadmill, take note of your distance covered in that hour, and your average pace. If you run outside, use the heart rate monitor to calculate your distance.
Are you running farther for that hour than you were before? Is your average pace improving? If you’re doing the same workout, you’ll need to look at all these factors – heart rate, distance and intensity – to gauge just how much you are improving.
Monitor those factors – and your heart rate – for a few weeks and write back!
If you’ve got a question for Jennifer, tweet her @JenCohenNGR or write us at [email protected]!
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