Why workout with a heart rate monitor?

Do you tell friends about MYZONE only to hear replies like, “Why workout with a heart rate monitor?” or “Why does measuring heart rate matter?”. Do you have a good answer for them when they question the validity of heart rate tracking with an accurate chest strap? If you want to be prepared with a good answer, or need more convincing yourself that heart rate monitoring during exercise is a way for your to take your fitness to the next level, this blog post is for you!

Why heart rate?

Your heart is a muscle that gets stronger as your exercise it. When you’re doing cardio, weight training, zumba, or however you choose to exercise, your muscles need more oxygen than when you’re at rest. To get that extra oxygen to your muscles, your heart has to work harder to circulate your blood to help pump your lungs. As you work to build your body, you are simultaneously strengthening your heart. This means that your heart rate measurement will show you the true effectiveness of your workout.

Best tracking method

Many wearables are built to help you get the most out of your workout by tracking and recording your heart rate levels during all forms of exercise. A heart rate chest strap is able to stay snugly in place, directly over your heart which heightens the likelihood of consistent  and accurate heart rate readings during your workouts. Many think that MYZONE has one of the most accurate, effective, and versatile chest straps around, just check out this article, and this one, and this review (if you don't want to take our word for it)! If you’re still not convinced that a chest strap is better equipped to give you the consistently accurate heart rate readings you need, in place of a wrist worn tracker, check this blog out.

The problem of undertraining

When you consistently engage in forms of exercise that are not pushing your heart at all, you are missing the mark on a quality workout. If you aren’t working to your body’s specific potential, you will not be burning the calories required to experience weight loss and you’ll miss out on the cardiovascular endurance required to build and maintain physical strength.

The problem of overtraining

Overtraining can be dangerous. Exercisers who are often pushing themselves too hard put themselves at risk for dehydration, injury, dizziness and possible fainting. Prolonged overtraining can even lead to more serious problems like infection or chronic pain in overworked areas of the body. Overtraining has even been linked to problems like depression, fatigue, insomnia, and decreased appetite.

So what do you think about heart rate tracking during your workouts? How have you seen your fitness progress since using heart rate as a fitness metric? How has instant access to your exercise intensity as well as real-time effort readings taken your workouts to the next level?  Have you found that a heart rate chest strap is the most accurate way to track all of your exercise efforts? We’d love to hear how MYZONE’s heart rate-based system has elevated your fitness and helped put you on track toward achieving your goals. Share your stories with us using #myzone or #effortrewarded