Heart Rate Monitors - How To Get Started

Runners and athletes often use a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) to reach their maximum potential - if you're new to running, or new to the HRM how do you get started? A heart rate monitor works by using radio signals to measure the electrical activity of your heart. This information is sent to a receiver, where your heart rate is displayed. Heart rate monitors are worn around the wrist or neck, are easy to use, and extremely crucial to athletic training.

Some heart rate monitors can display additional information, such as the number of calories burned, the duration of the workout, your speed and distance. You can also see whether you are within the limits of your target zone.

How to Get Started

In the early days, using a heart rate monitor could make you feel like you're learning to run all over again, and many runners will be surprised by the new training paces. The first thing you should do is work out realistic targets for your workouts. The right benchmarks are required to help you work towards finding your maximum heart rate, and remember that this is will unique to you, your strengths and abilities.

If you are a complete beginner and wish to start your training with a heart rate monitor, then you can use a general (but approximate formula) and then tweak it to suit you:

• 214 - (0.8 x age) for men

• 209 - (0.9 x age) for women

Please remember that this is an approximate formula used for new starters, but this figure can be wrong by up to 24 beats per minute. So once you have started running, you can find your ideal methods for training.

Always warm up before you start running to get your heart pace up. After you have warmed up your heart and muscles, run as fast as you can at an even pace for three minutes. Recover with two or three minutes gentle running, then repeat a fast run for three minutes. The second time, you should notice a higher maximum heart rate.

Once you have adjusted yourself to your gear, you will be able to increase your targets and push yourself in your zones.

Get Started with Heart Rate Monitors from Fitsense

Fitsense Sports is a specialist retailer of sports equipment and fitness accessories. Whether you are a marathon runner, or you have just signed up to your local gym, Fitsense Sports can provide you with the accessories to get you off on the right foot.

Get a heart rate monitor from Fitsense today - call today for more information.