Train Smarter, Live Longer - Measure your Heart Rate

How do you train smarter and live longer?
According to industry colleague Simon Drabble from POLAR International, get yourself a heart rate monitor like the RS400. So I did. My training has picked up from a 10 year low and with better bio-feedback I estimate adding another 10 years to my life. That's a deal worth checking out. See http://www.polar.fi

By monitoring heart rate, the simple observation that the harder we exercise, the faster our heart beats is put to good use. Professional athletes and amateurs alike have for decades been relying on the information provided by their heart rate monitor for the following reasons:

1.A heart rate monitor is like a rev counter, giving a precise measurement of exercise intensity.
2.Training at your own ideal pace is made possible with a heart rate monitor.
3.Direct measurement of heart rate during exercise is the most accurate way to gauge performance.
4.Progress can be monitored and measured, increasing motivation.
5.It maximizes the benefits of exercise in a limited amount of time.
6.It introduces objective observation. Are you on the right track? Are you improving?
7.It is a tool for regulating frequency and intensity of workouts.
8.Because of the immediate feedback it provides, heart rate monitoring is an ideal training partner.

How does it work?

When you start training, your heart rate increases rapidly in proportion to the intensity of the training. In Polar Heart Rate Monitors, the transmitter belt detects the electrocardiogram (ECG - the electric signal originating from your heart) and sends an electromagnetic signal to the Polar wrist receiver where heart rate information appears.

The heart moves blood from the lungs (where the blood picks up oxygen) to the muscles (which burn the oxygen as fuel) and back to the lungs again. The harder the training, the more fuel the muscles need and the harder the heart has to work to pump oxygen-rich blood to the muscles.

As you get fitter, your heart is able to pump more blood with every beat. As a result, your heart doesn’t have to beat as often to get the needed oxygen to your muscles, decreasing resting heart rate and exercise heart rate on all exertion levels.