Heart Monitors Help Exercisers Keep Pace

If you want to keep tabs on your body while working out, a heart rate monitor is a valuable accessory.

The monitors generally keep track of your heart rate and can be programmed to sound an alarm to indicate when you have gone above the maximum rate.

“Heart monitors aren’t a bad idea for anyone, especially older people, or people with a history of heart or lung problems,” said Dr. Craig A. Olson, medical director of HealthSouth’s Spokane area clinics.

Mike Champine of Spokane’s Kustom Built exercise equipment store would encourage anyone to use a heart monitor.

“Your body goes through cycles. Some days you don’t want to go out (and run) and other days you feel like you could run forever. A monitor helps to get an accurate reading of what your body is doing,” Champine said.

Heart monitors can also add to performance on treadmills. Most treadmills, bikes and stairclimbers have monitors built in, but they are somewhat limited.

“Monitors on treadmills give you a standard 220 beats per minute-minus-age reading. It’s a ballpark reading at best because some people have a resting rate of 90 beats per minute and some have 40,” said Champine.

Heart monitors are a definite asset to people trying to lose weight, whether they exercise in the home, or outside.

“When you’re trying to lose weight, there’s a narrow optimal window for fat-burning heart rate. A heart monitor would help you keep at that rate,” said Champine.