Exercising in your target heart zone leads to more efficient workouts and it gives you the ability to pace your exercise to your fitness level, which helps you avoid injury. The most popular zone range is 50% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. When you are in the 50% to 80% range you can achieve heart healthy cardio benefits such as building up endurance, and burning calories, which leads to burning fat. When you use a wrist heart monitor while working out you can easily track your heart rate. So a wrist heart monitor makes it easier to get more out of each workout.
. Here are some things you should look for in a wrist heart rate monitor for exercise:
- Accuracy. Trying to take your heart rate while running or exercising does not lead to accurate results or data that you can trust. A heart rate wrist monitor does not require you to stop and check your heart rate, it does the work for you so you have data that is not compromised by human error. Accurate results will help you stay in the target zone longer which leads to better more efficient workouts
- Fitness Monitoring: It is difficult to know when you are in that heart healthy exercise zone, especially when you are actively exercising. By using a heart rate monitor during a workout you can use the data to track how hard you are working. You will have the feedback needed to determine if you should speed up, slow down, push harder, or ease up. By using a heart rate wrist monitor you are in control of your workout.
- Mobility: A wristwatch heart rate monitor needs to give you accurate data and help you maximize your workouts but it also must be comfortable. It needs to be compact, light, and it can't impede movement or inhibit your cardio workouts. It needs to be comfortable and wearable. No one wants to use a tool that is cumbersome and uncomfortable. Traditional blood pressure monitors are great for home, but they are not helpful to wear during an exercise class.
Here is a great chart that can be used to help you find your heart healthy target workout zone!