At 4 AM, you wake up to study for a distance-learning course you have enrolled in. You do this for the next two hours before you hastily prepare yourself to leave for the office. In the process, you grab the closest edible thing you can find from the fridge, which on this occasion happens to be a chocolate cake from the previous day. From here on, it is a mad dash to the office beating traffic or catching the subway. The rest of the day is no different and one could go on and on about the hustles of everyday living.
Does this almost chaotic schedule sound familiar? I am sure it does and it is because either many of us are living it or are familiar with someone living on the superfast lane. The result has been poor health as people engage in activities and eating habits that are in conflict with what would be expected for a healthy life.
One of the ways that is often used to address this free fall in health is physical exercise and especially cardio. Actually, exercise is now big business as companies and fitness experts strive to participate in the physical exercise movement and keep pace with the fast changing demands. When coupled with proper eating habits, regular, planned and measured exercise can be fulfilling as you see your quality of life improve over time.
That said, even well-intentioned exercise can go terribly wrong if it is not coupled with proper monitoring of your vitals. There is probably no vital sign that is as important as the heart rate. As you do your cardio exercises, it is important that you are always aware of the effect the routine is having on your heartbeat and at what point you need you need ease a little on the physical exertion. Heart rate monitors allow you to check these important numbers on demand.
Heart rate monitors come in two main forms. The first are the heart rate watches or wrist-based heart rate monitors. The device serves as an ordinary and only activates the monitoring role when a strap is wrapped around the chest of the participant. It is this strap that sends signals to the watch providing readings of the heartbeat. The second type of monitor is the strapless monitor. No need for a chest strap on for this type as all you will do is place your fingers on a sensor for a couple of seconds and you get your reading.
Either type of monitor is great to use. As you grapple with making up your mind as to which one would be best to use, your decision should be based first on the purpose for and environment in which the heart rate monitor is to be used. Second consideration should be personal preference. A third factor is of course cost. That said you must be careful not to select a particular type of monitor solely based on its lower unit cost. Quality must override cost as a primary determinant. Remember, any decision that touches on your health demands utmost care and serious deliberation.
