More in Sweat

Heart-Pumping Heart Rate Monitors: the perfect workout accessory

You keep track of how long you exercise and the distance you’ve gone, but what about your heart rate?

We all want the most bang for our buck – and our sweat – and there is no better way to ensure a favorable work/result ratio from our workouts than by strapping on a heart rate monitor and keeping your heart rate within The American Heart Association’s recommend guidelines. For fitness novices and professional athletes alike, using a heart rate monitor is the easiest and most accurate way to evaluate your workout progress, measure your cardiovascular strength, and achieve your greatest possible level of fitness – making it the perfect workout accessory.

And it’s easy! Just check out The American Heart Association’s chart to determine your target heart rate range and then gradually work to achieve 85% of your maximum heart rate to guarantee both that you’re workout is effective and that you’re not over (or under)-exerting yourself. Plus, with instantaneous feedback and stored results you can adjust your level of exertion during your workout and keep a record of your progress over time.

Most monitors consist of a (not so sexy, but worth it) chest strap that measures your heart rate (one model actually attaches to a sports bra, see below) and a transmitter (usually worn on the wrist) that displays the results. Here are a few that have our hearts pounding with excitement:

Basic (but still great!): Omron HR-100C, $32.99, amazon.com

High-End (it provides a 16-week summary to help chart your progress!): Polar FT-60, $208.99, bestbuy.com

Fashion-Forward (it’s designed with a sports bra that holds the transmitter!): Numetrex SE200, $99, numetrex.com