Why track my heart rate during my workout?

The easiest and most effective way to monitor your heart rate during your workout is to use a heart rate monitor.  This is a simple device that is operated with a chest strap and a watch.  It monitors your heart rate in real time.  If you are serious about your workouts and weight loss, it is worth the investment because it is a great tool to keep you on track with your goals.  They can be purchased for under $65, and are a tremendous help in monitoring the intensity of your cardio sessions.




What does your heart rate tell you?

When starting a cardio program, it is extremely helpful to know your intensity levels in order to track your progress, goals and results.  Here are some reasons why knowing your heart rate is important:

• You can find out if you are working to hard.  When beginning an exercise program, it may be difficult to understand exactly how hard to push yourself.  Often times, people tend to start out to hard and then end up in burn out mode.  Knowing your heart rate will help you keep track of exactly how hard you are working so that you can avoid overworking yourself and ending up with an injury or intense soreness.

• You can track your progress and results.  The more fit you become, the quicker you recover.  If you start a program, and it takes you 10 minutes after your workout for your heart rate to get back to normal, and then 3 months later it is only taking you 5 minutes to get your heart rate back to normal, you know that what you are doing is working.  Also, if you are doing a cardio workout at 145 beats per minute, and several weeks later that same cardio only gets your heart rate to 125 beats per minute, then you know it is time to step your training up a notch to continue to see gains in your fitness.  Knowing your heart rate can give you a lot of usable data to keep you on track with your goals.  

• You can track your workout recovery.  You can track your recovery from day to day by keeping up with your early morning pulse each day.   If on any particular day you wake up and check your heart rate and it is 10 beats higher than normal, then you know you probably haven't recovered from your workout the previous day, or you are over trained and might need to take an extra rest day to allow your body to repair.  

Whatever means that you use to keep track of your heart rate, the important things is that you keep a record of it so that you can utilize that data to your benefit.

Until next time, keep choosing the healthy, happy life you deserve.



Want to work with me for FREE?  Go to www.coachellen.idlife.com and take your free health assessment or contact me at ellenidlife@gmail.com to set up your free health assessment and consultation.