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Should You Get a Heart Rate Monitor?

FitSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 04:00:00 -0700

You've heard me talking about them and you've probably seen them on people at the gym: Heart Rate Monitors. Duh, duh dom.

I know they can seem scary and you may be thinking my heart is fine, I don't need to monitor it. True as that may be, heart rate monitors are used as a training tool more than a heart health monitoring device. They are not only for people with known heart conditions, everyone can benefit from wearing a heart rate monitor but some people will benefit more than others.

OK, so is it right for you? If you've ever thought one (or more) of the following, then I'd say you'd benefit from a heart rate monitor:

"I think I am getting a great workout, though I don't seem to be breaking a sweat."
"How do I know if I am really working out?"
"When I try and take my pulse, I often feel like I miscount or miss a beat."
"I want to try to use a variety of machines, but I am worried that I am not going to know if I am getting an effective workout from machine to machine."
"Sometimes I think my heart is going to pop out of my chest because it is beating so fast -- How do I know if it's beating too fast?"
"I have a really hard time holding on to those sensors on the machine while I am exercising and they never seem to really work anyway."
"I would like to shorten my workouts once a week by training really hard for a shorter period of time, but I am not sure how I will know if I am accomplishing this."
"I love this beginner group class I have been taking for a few months now, but should I move onto the intermediate level?"
"How do I know if I am warming-up or cooling-down?"

A heart rate monitor really takes the guessing out of working out. All you have to do is know where you would like your target heart rate to be and keep on keeping out until it gets there. Once you get there, keep it there. Can't get it there, work harder. Simple, eh? Not sure what your target heart rate should be? Check out Fit's Calculator to find out. There are lots of great heart rate monitors out there, but a good one to start is the Polar SF3.

Gear Review: Polar RS300X Heart Rate Monitor With Foot Pod

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:00:29 -0700

I love training with a heart rate monitor, and Polar is my favorite brand. These days I have been working out with the RS300X ($170). Designed with running in mind, this HRM is great for other sports as well.

For me, the feature that distinguishes this heart rate monitor from others I have used in the past is the big red lap button at the bottom of the watch face. Press it, and the watch saves your stats for that lap, but keeps on recording the rest of your workout. When you're done with your workout, the RS300X breaks down your workout data by lap as well as giving your info on your overall workout. It is great for working out at the track when running repeat distances or when training with negative splits. When combined with the S1 Foot Pod ($130), the heart rate monitor tracks your speed and distance as well - perfect for all the type A runners out there.

For more of my opinion, keep reading.

Interest Rate Cut Not the Best News For Your Savings Account

SavvySugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 04:27:04 -0700

Yesterday the Federal Reserve announced its seventh interest rate cut since September, lowering the federal funds rate by a quarter-point to 2 percent. Interest rates are now at their lowest since 2004 and reflect the Fed's ongoing concern about a weakening economy. The prime lending rate that affects consumers and businesses dropped correspondingly, which could have a positive effect on some credit cards and loans. Also, homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages should have benefited from the seven rate cuts as rates would have been reduced as the Fed has made their moves.

The rate reductions are bad news for savers, because the interest rates available on savings accounts are lower than they used to be. The average rates barely keep up with the country's 4 percent inflation, which essentially means you're losing money by saving. But don't take that too literally and abandon your savings efforts - shop around for the best interest rates, and keep in mind that earning any interest is better than earning no interest.

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You Asked: Max Heart Rate and Sprints

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:30:00 -0700

You're asking and I'm answering.

Hi Fit,
I've been working out with a heart rate monitor and I've noticed that when I work out, my heart rate is around 174 sometimes spiking up to the 180's when I sprint. I have always worked out at this intensity and certainly don't feel any worse for the wear. I did notice on your heart rate calculator that I should only be in that range briefly. Are there long term effects that I should know about? Should I slow down my efforts?
Thanks,
Be Still My (Over?) Beating Heart

This is a great question and to see my answer read more.

I take matters of the heart and heart rates quite seriously. I checked in with Carla Sottovia, an expert personal training spokesperson from IDEA Health & Fitness Association for some clarification on this matter.

Sottovia advises to never train to your maximal heart rate (220 minus your age), but you may increase your heart rate up to 90 percent of your max heart rate (220 minus age, multiplied by .9). You should however, of course build up to working at this intensity. Doing sprint and anaerobic training should be added to your regimen after you have a strong base in aerobic fitness. Keeping your heart rate in the high intensity zone is safe to do for about 90 seconds. The body's energy system is not designed to sustain high intensity activity for over a minute and a half. Remember sprinting is an anaerobic activity, meaning without oxygen.

Also you should make sure that your heart rate drops to at least 80 percent of maximum heart rate during your recovery period.

Bearing all that in mind, you may want to slow down a bit. In any exercise session gradually increase to your sprints and quick intervals. Make sure to warm up your heart just as you would your legs.

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Fitness 101: Resting Heart Rate

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0800

When it comes to matters of the heart, numbers matter. The number of times your heart beats per minute, when you are at rest, indicates the strength and efficiency of your cardiovascular system. A strong heart is able to pump more blood with every beat, so you want a low resting heart rate (RHR). A lower RHR tends to correspond with a higher aerobic fitness level. Take Olympian Michael Phelps as an example; his resting heart rate is somewhere in the 30s, which is about half the normal RHR of the average American.

Figuring out your resting heart rate is easy; you just need to be able to count and a watch with a second hand. The time of the day is important, though. You will get the most accurate reading of your resting heart rate first thing in the morning. Here's how to do the test:

Find your pulse at your wrist (the radial artery) or at your carotid artery in your neck.
Using your index and middle finger, count the number of beats you feel in 10 seconds. Do not use your thumb since it has a light pulse that can confuse you while counting.
Multiply the number of beats you count in 10 seconds by six to find the number of beats per minute. You can take your pulse three times, then take the average rate of all three to be super scientific.

To see what your results mean, just read more.

60 or less = Good
61 to 80 = Average
81 to 100 = High, but acceptable
101 or more = Abnormally high and not good!

The great thing about this test is that as your RHR lowers, you know you are getting more fit!

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What's the Deal With: STRAPLESS Heart Rate Monitors

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:30:00 -0700

In case you're not familiar with heart rate monitors, they usually come with a watch you wear on your wrist, and a chest strap transmitter that you wear around your chest, since it is after all a chest strap. This strap goes next to your skin (sometimes you have to wet it a little with saliva or water to activate it) and it reads your heart rate and transmits the beats per minute to the watch.

Heart rate monitors can be expensive, depending on how many bells and whistles you get, but these strappy heart rate monitors will give you a constant readout of your heart rate, whether you're moving or not.

Then there are STRAPLESS heart rate monitors, like this one from Reebok called the Fitwatch 10S Strapless Heart Rate Monitor Watch. Don't be fooled! These sound innovative and amazing, but here's the deal. They don't give you a continuous readout. You see those two little grey buttons above and below the screen? You have to stop moving and stand still, press down on those buttons, and after 2-10 seconds, it'll tell you what your heart rate is.

These may not be good for people who have low resting heart rates, irregular heartbeats, or poor circulation in your fingertips.

You may be okay with having to stop every time to check your heart rate just so you don't have to deal with that annoying and constricting chest strap (that can slide down your torso when you get sweaty). If that's the case, this Reebok model got some great reviews. It's easy to use, gives you just as accurate a reading as strappy heart rate monitors, looks more sleek and feminine than other bulky watches, and is only $63.07 through Amazon.

Fed Cut Rates Yesterday: Now What?

SavvySugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:54:07 -0800

Yesterday's news isn't the last we'll hear from the Fed regarding interest rates. Their two day regularly scheduled meeting is just next week, and another rate reduction may be announced by the time the meeting is adjourned. Rate cuts are being used to calm the markets and instill consumer confidence to keep us investing and spending. The three-quarter percentage cut yesterday and any future cuts could affect you in several ways. To see what they are please read more

Borrowing costs are lower for banks and so it's the Fed's hope they will pass these rates along to consumers and businesses.

Mortgage rates should be cheaper for those with good credit and money for a down payment.

If you're shopping for a car, you may be able to find a cheaper rate for a car loan.

If your credit card has a fixed rate nothing will change, but if your card has a variable rate you should see changes in about a month. Call your credit card company and ask them to lower your rate.

Interest on your savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit will drop. But that doesn't mean you should give up on saving!

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Low Resting Heart Rate?

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Have you noticed that since working out your resting heart rate is lower than it was? This is no cause for alarm as most athletes (yup, you're an athlete now) generally have low heart rates.

Runner's World gives us this analogy:

...consider a bricklayer lifting bricks. If his arm muscles are strong from lifting lots of bricks, he can move 10 bricks with each lift rather than just two or three. Similarly, if your heart muscle is strong thanks to running, it has a higher stroke volume, which means that it can pump more blood with each beat than an untrained heart. It can also pump the same amount of blood in a minute using fewer beats.

The average resting heart rate of adults is 60-100 beats per minute (bpm) while athletes are around 50-60 bpm. Other numbers to know: The infant/neonatal rate of heartbeat is 130-150 bpm, the toddler's is 100–130 bpm, the older child's is 90–110 bpm and the adolescent's is 80–100 bpm.

The worry would (and should) come in when a resting heart rate is lower than 30. However, even that can be completely normal (and usually is) if the athlete is totally healthy. The slow heart rate usually just indicates a strong heart. If you are concerned, it never hurts to consult a physician when dealing with your health.

Fit's Tip: The best time to determine your resting heart rate is when you first awaken in the morning or after sitting down and relaxing for at least 5 minutes. Get a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart while working out. Don't know your target heart rate? Check out the Fit Calculator to find out!

You Asked: Hold On for Heart Rate?

FitSugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 09:30:00 -0800

You're asking and I'm answering . . .

Dear Fit,
I know it's a bad idea to hold onto the handles when using a cardio machine at the gym, however, whenever I am on the treadmill at my gym it is constantly beeping and asking me to, "Hold on for heart rate." What should I do?
-Confused Carrie

Great question! I know exactly what you mean, and I also know how annoying those interruptions can be, so here is my advice: Just hold on as long as you need for the machine to read your heart rate, and let go after the number appears - avoid the urge to lean-on or use the handles as a crutch to make your workout easier. If the machine keeps asking you to hold on to read your heart rate so frequently that you're not getting a good workout, then select another program that does not ask for your heart rate (i.e. not "fitness test"). If you still like to see your heart rate, but hate the machine begging you to hold on all the time, then you may want to get your own personal heart rate monitor, which will automatically transmit your heart rate to most cardio machines. Above all, keep up the good work!

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What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:17 -0800

Welcome to a very special Monday edition of What to Download! Instead of Tuesday, all the hot music releases are happening today. In addition to the dance-floor-ready releases I've handpicked below, Shakira's She Wolf also dropped today.

Good girl gone bad makes good: Rihanna has had a tough year, but if her release of Rated R is any indication, she's ready to pick herself up and be back on top - of the charts, at least. Considering her last album gave us modern classic "Umbrella," I've been trying to sniff out this year's mega-hit. "Hard" probably comes the closest, but while it's catchy, this isn't a candy-coated pop musing. Sounding weary but more mature, Rihanna brings a darkness with her singles, particularly on "Wait Your Turn," probably my favorite on the album. Speaking of dark, "Russian Roulette," a stirring ballad, conjures up gun metaphors for love. Its heaviness, along with the album's, may or may not translate to chart success, but it's a tough, brave declaration that Rihanna isn't going anywhere.

Feel the fame all over again:The Fame Monster is the re-issue of Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame, but has enough new tracks on it to justify all the buzz around it. You'd have to be fighting it pretty hard to not have heard "Bad Romance" - the track and its great hook are exactly what I like to hear from Gaga. But I think the real winner here is going to be "Telephone" - featuring the only diva fierce enough to go head to head with Gaga: Beyonce. If you still need more fuel for your dance party, play "Monster" a few times and you'll be spinning around your room in no time.

See one more new release when you read more.

Worship your glam idol: Kris Allen may have won American Idol, but Adam Lambert is your rock king. For Your Entertainment is as glittery and fun as its crazy cover promises. I've been loving the bouncy, sexy title track since Lambert performed it in his scandalous AMA performance. Swaggering glam rock track "Strut" is more of the same fun, and the fabulously '80s "Music Again" features the capable vocalist hitting high notes like a modern Freddie Mercury.