A heart rate monitor works by keeping track of when when your heart rate is in the optimal zone for the fitness targets you have set. The best heart rate will be dependent on on how old you are, and the fitness goals you want to achieve.  Commonly, you must exert yourself at an intensity sufficient to maintain your heart going at a rate between 65% and 80% of max heart rate.  You can then exercise within the lower or upper range to achieve different benefits.

Having the sensor band attached to your chest and the heart rate monitor on your wrist, you can easily see the tracking as you work out.  Many monitors now also have alarms that tell you when you are in the right “zone” for your desired results.  Some also have features that allow you to upload your workout results to the Web.   Other features include counting how many calories you are burning, how many steps you’re taking (using a pedometer feature) and training routines you can follow.

While there are cheaper heart rate monitors for sale, you can expect to get what you pay for.  Spending under $100 will purchase a serviceable hear rate monitor, but it will not have the best functions. Remember that there are excellent outlets online to purchase your heart rate monitor at a lower price, such as Amazon.com, as well as taking advantage of a sale at area retailers.

You can find top selling heart rate monitors, in a range of prices.  Polar heart monitors are very popular as they have many of the functions to match any fitness requirements.  Polar also has a website where users can add results to track. One of Polar’s popular heart rate monitors is the Polar F7,including many features such as average heart rate, number of calories burned, how much time has been spent in your target zone, and lots of other features to help you stay on track to reach your goals. If you’re missing your fitness target you’ve created for yourself, the Polar F7 alarm will alert you so you can get back to the “zone”.