All I wanted for Christmas was a Myzone heart rate monitor. I already had two Polar heart rate monitors with dead batteries and a Suunto HR monitor that still works. I don't use the Suunto HR monitor anymore but I wear the watch that came with it everyday. This monitor is different. What I like about it is that when I work out with it at my athletic club, the results of my efforts appear on a TV screen. A tile displays my heart rate, the percentage of my maximum heart rate and the meps (Myzone energy points) I've earned.
I usually resist the urge to get the latest fitness gadgets. I was very tempted by Fitbits at one time but I never bought one because there were too many kinds to choose from.
But now I need motivation to work out harder. Since I started working out in the morning a year or so ago, I've neglected the cardiovascular part of my workout. When I drag myself to the gym 10-15 minutes later than I intend to, I don't have time to do 30 minutes of cardio. I spent several weeks doing rehab exercises for the back of my knee and that also cut into my cardio workouts. So even though I exercise at least five times a week, I've gained several pounds.
How does having this fitness gadget motivate me? The process of measuring effort motivates me to push myself harder. Myzone shows how hard you are working with five color-coded heart rate zones. The lowest level, grey, is 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. The highest level, red, is 90-100% of your maximum heart rate.
I have always found that the maximum heart rate calculation is too low for me. Maximum heart rate is usually calculated as 220 minus your age. Myzone uses the formula (206.3 minus .711 times your age) which is a few beats higher. At my age, the maximum heart rate is 168 per the formula.
The first time I used the monitor, it said I was in the red zone (90% of the maximum) when my heart rate hit 150. But I don't feel like I am working hard at 150. I am not gasping for breath. I asked Renee, a trainer, about this and she said that Myzone would recalibrate itself. I can already see that happening. After using the monitor a few times, I didn't reach 90% until my heart rate was 154 or 155. Now Myzone shows a maximum heart rate for me of 173.
Myzone initially showed my resting heart rate as 75, typical for a person my age. After I used it a few days, it adjusted my RHR to 65. Renee said that I should put the fitness belt on while I am still in bed to measure my resting heart rate more accurately. I measured my resting rate this morning at 51. I thought it would be between 55 and 60.
My goal is to burn 500 calories each time I go to the gym, unless it is a rest day. I can reach my goal by running a 5k or by exercising about 40 minutes on other machines.
1/31 Update:
I've been using the My Zone heart rate monitor for just over a month now. A couple of weeks ago, I did a fitness test on a treadmill.
How does having this fitness gadget motivate me? The process of measuring effort motivates me to push myself harder. Myzone shows how hard you are working with five color-coded heart rate zones. The lowest level, grey, is 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. The highest level, red, is 90-100% of your maximum heart rate.
The first time I used the monitor, it said I was in the red zone (90% of the maximum) when my heart rate hit 150. But I don't feel like I am working hard at 150. I am not gasping for breath. I asked Renee, a trainer, about this and she said that Myzone would recalibrate itself. I can already see that happening. After using the monitor a few times, I didn't reach 90% until my heart rate was 154 or 155. Now Myzone shows a maximum heart rate for me of 173.
Myzone initially showed my resting heart rate as 75, typical for a person my age. After I used it a few days, it adjusted my RHR to 65. Renee said that I should put the fitness belt on while I am still in bed to measure my resting heart rate more accurately. I measured my resting rate this morning at 51. I thought it would be between 55 and 60.
My goal is to burn 500 calories each time I go to the gym, unless it is a rest day. I can reach my goal by running a 5k or by exercising about 40 minutes on other machines.
1/31 Update:
I've been using the My Zone heart rate monitor for just over a month now. A couple of weeks ago, I did a fitness test on a treadmill.
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