Improve Your Heart Health with Heart Rate Zone Training

Since February is heart health awareness month, diet and exercise tips are now hard-pressed on the minds of men and women.

According to information from the American Heart Association, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in women, and since mens’ arteries can harden more easily than womens’, heart health is of great concern to men and women throughout the U.S.

In regards to exercise, the American Heart Association suggests men and women complete moderate activity at least two and a-half hours a week or try vigorous activity at least one and one-quarter hours a week. During these workouts, the association also suggests completing activities that get your heart rate between 80 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate to increase your heart health and cardiovascular endurance.

Maximum heart rates can vary from 160 beats per minute to 220 beats per minute. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by going by the following formula: subtract your age from 220 and multiply by 85%, but always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

If you want to do a fast and highly-efficient cardiovascular workout, you can maximize your calorie burn by working out within 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. To maximize your warm up and cool down, you can workout at 65 percent of your maximum heart rate.

Heart rate monitors are a great way to track the intensity of your workout and your heart rate throughout the day. When exercising, they can motivate you to push yourself to an increased heart rate and they can help you realize when it’s time to slow down to prevent burning muscle instead of fat. As you become more physically fit, so will your heart and you will need to increase your level of intensity to maintain your target heart rate for weight loss.

Polar is a leading brand of heart rate monitors. Push Pedal Pull offers the Polar FT1 Heart Rate Monitor. This heart rate monitor, in which you wear like a watch, provides your average and maximum heart rate and a summary of your exercise session. The heart beat zone alert will sound an alarm when your heart rate drops below the minimum level or rises above the maximum. The Polar FT1 can even be used as a regular watch when it’s not being used as a heart rate monitor.

Push Pedal Pull also offers Polar’s T31 non-code transmitter. This transmitter with belt is part of Polar’s heart rate monitor system and measures heart beats per minute when you place the belt around your chest.

Most of Push Pedal Pull’s cardio line-up has built-in heart rate monitoring technology and/or are compatible with Polar heart rate monitors. For example, all of Precor’s treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes have heart rate monitoring grips, which allow your heart rate to be read by gripping onto the handles of the machine. The monitors are equipped with Smart Rate technology, which instantly analyzes your heart rate after you enter your age and weight.

With the help of heart rate monitoring technology and some of Precor’s equipment designed with heart rate monitoring technology, you are on your way to putting some of the American Heart Association's best exercise tips into full action.