Heart Rate Monitors: Polar F11
Doctors and trainers have long known that the heart rate is one of the best ways to measure if a workout regimen is effective or not. Measuring the heart rate is nearly impossible to do while running or working out just by taking your pulse. As electronics got smaller, so did the capabilities of capturing this information. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of the mess of wires that researchers have used in the past to wire up an athlete in order to measure their heart rate as they worked out. Fear not, you don’t have to get wired up anymore. Thus enters today’s heart rate monitor, like the Polar F11, into the picture.
A heart rate monitor comes in a few different formats. The most commonly used are the watch type monitor, chest band and the arm band. Of course our favorite would be the Polar F11.
Polar F11: Watch Monitor
The watch type is worn on the wrist and uses tiny electrodes to monitor the heart rate on the wrist. This gives you the ability to get instant feedback on your heart rate and then you can adjust your exercise to either ramp up your heart rate, or to slow down in order to make your exercise the most effective. The advantage to the wrist mounted monitor is mostly this ability to read instant readings.
Polar F11: Arm Monitor
The other type is the arm mounted monitor. This is usually an elastic strap that wraps around your upper arm. It has small electrodes that rest against the skin and then records your heart rate levels as you exercise. These are not designed usually for instant feedback, but more for recording your entire workout session for later analysis.
Polar F11: Watch and Chest Band
One other option is the combination of a chest band and watch heart rate monitor. They have a band that you put around your chest, which is the sensor. This sensor then communicates with a watch that will display all your vital signs and will log them for later analysis. The problem with this type is that you have to put on the chest monitor, however the location gives it a solid reading on your heart rate. It can be uncomfortable to wear but it’s a great option.
Whichever type you choose to use, having access to this information will enable you to really dial into your body’s abilities and allow you to customize your exercises so that they will be most effective for you. You don’t have to rely on some generic exercise program created for the masses. After a using it for a period of time, you’re going to start noticing how you feel when your heart reaches a certain level and you will instinctively start to hit the zone where you are at your best faster than ever. Learning how to listen to your body as you exercise is going to help you reach your goals and get the most of your time, by using a heart rate monitor like the Polar F11.
So take your time, explore all the options available to you and choose the one that is going to work best in your situation. Everyone is different and wasting time using something that doesn’t work well for you is just a waste of money. But either way you go, having more information available to you, is certain to help you in the end. One of the better products we’ve found for monitoring your heart rate is the Polar F11 heart rate monitor. Check out our information here on the Polar F11.