How to Use Fitness Monitors
Consider monitors to track speed or distance., Use a target heart rate monitor., Consider a multi-tool fitness monitor., Decide whether a calorie monitor is essential., Determine the level of precision you need.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Consider monitors to track speed or distance.
If you walk, run, bike, hike, or swim, monitors that track speed and distance can help you monitor improvements in endurance, timing, and agility.
These monitors can be especially useful for people exercising outdoors with no track, trying to increase the number of steps they take each day, or those biking or swimming with no distance markers.
Some specialty shoes accommodate a computer chip “App” that can be programmed to track speed, distance, and duration and then charted in a computer program to display your progress over time. -
Step 2: Use a target heart rate monitor.
This is particularly essential if you have a heart condition or other health problem that requires close monitoring of your vital signs.
Target heart rate monitoring is also very useful for ensuring that you exercise within the optimum heart rate range for burning calories and improving cardiovascular health. , Certain watches or wrist monitors track the time of your workouts, the distance you walk or run, your pulse (with an audio warning if target heart rate is exceeded), and other useful data.
If you perform a variety of activities or if you wish to have the information provided by a multi-tool monitor, a single device may be useful for you. , Although devices that estimate the number of calories you burn may be appealing, they are often inaccurate unless adjusted closely for your current fitness level, age, and other health indicators.
Calorie burn monitors may be useful if you have a general idea of the target number of calories you would like to burn at each session, but they should not be considered extremely reliable if factors such as BMI, resting heart rate, and other in-depth indicators are not taken into account in the calculation. , Consider the importance of accurate measures to your fitness routine and health, particularly for monitoring time, distance, speed, and heart rate.
If you are simply trying to reach 10,000 steps each day, the level of precision in your pedometer will be different than if you are training for a race or another competitive event.
While even low-cost monitors often track time and number of steps with good precision, more expensive monitors may be necessary for accurate speed and heart rate monitoring. -
Step 3: Consider a multi-tool fitness monitor.
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Step 4: Decide whether a calorie monitor is essential.
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Step 5: Determine the level of precision you need.
Detailed Guide
If you walk, run, bike, hike, or swim, monitors that track speed and distance can help you monitor improvements in endurance, timing, and agility.
These monitors can be especially useful for people exercising outdoors with no track, trying to increase the number of steps they take each day, or those biking or swimming with no distance markers.
Some specialty shoes accommodate a computer chip “App” that can be programmed to track speed, distance, and duration and then charted in a computer program to display your progress over time.
This is particularly essential if you have a heart condition or other health problem that requires close monitoring of your vital signs.
Target heart rate monitoring is also very useful for ensuring that you exercise within the optimum heart rate range for burning calories and improving cardiovascular health. , Certain watches or wrist monitors track the time of your workouts, the distance you walk or run, your pulse (with an audio warning if target heart rate is exceeded), and other useful data.
If you perform a variety of activities or if you wish to have the information provided by a multi-tool monitor, a single device may be useful for you. , Although devices that estimate the number of calories you burn may be appealing, they are often inaccurate unless adjusted closely for your current fitness level, age, and other health indicators.
Calorie burn monitors may be useful if you have a general idea of the target number of calories you would like to burn at each session, but they should not be considered extremely reliable if factors such as BMI, resting heart rate, and other in-depth indicators are not taken into account in the calculation. , Consider the importance of accurate measures to your fitness routine and health, particularly for monitoring time, distance, speed, and heart rate.
If you are simply trying to reach 10,000 steps each day, the level of precision in your pedometer will be different than if you are training for a race or another competitive event.
While even low-cost monitors often track time and number of steps with good precision, more expensive monitors may be necessary for accurate speed and heart rate monitoring.
About the Author
Martha Murphy
Creates helpful guides on cooking to inspire and educate readers.
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