My Heart Rate Monitor

So this isn't exactly a beauty tip, but it's an accessory so it fits in the beauty category :)

I love my heart rate monitor! It is a Polar RS 200. I can't work out without it now! I highly recommend getting a heart rate monitor for your workouts. It will enhance them so much. If you don't have a monitor, how will you know what heart rate you're at? And don't tell me you actually still take your pulse. No one wants to stop, turn your music off, and count your pulse then multiply it by 6. Please :) You want to know what percentage of your heart rate max you should be working out at for an effective cardio workout. (See the post, For The Love of Cardio, for more details on how to figure yours out.)

Not only does it tell you your heart rate, it keeps you focused on your workout. It's so easy to get distracted nowadays. I use it for my sprints to know when I've recovered enough to start my next one. By looking at me heart rate, I can see how hard I'm exerting myself and know how far to push myself.

My watch cost $159. It tells me:

• my heart rate
• what Zone I'm in (1 being cool down, 2 my aerobic base, 3 almost at my anaerobic
  
• threshold or where I should be most of the time)
• how many calories I burned
• how long I've been working out
• number of laps
• Stopwatch
  
• the time

There are cheaper watches, that mostly tell you your heart rate and how many calories you burned, which is really all you need to know. Those will be around $90-$120. You can consider an RS 100, or the F6 at Polar. There are other brands out there, but from my experience and research, Polar are one of the best out there. Sometimes you can usually find a deal at sports stores. You can click on the picture above or here www.polarusa.com about the watches.

Having a heart rate monitor has changed the way I work out. I have more structure and it keeps me focused. I LOVE IT!