Heart Rate Monitors for Women

Here’s a typical morning for me.

This annoying buzzing starts about 4:45 am, my instincts are telling me to turn the alarm off and bury my head in the pillow. My mind jumps in and gets all practical reminding me that I didn’t loose all that weight burying my head in the pillow and I’m sure not going to reach any goals that way! So I roll out of bed and stumble through a shortened morning routine that consists of trying to find clothes that match, socks, shoes and a hair band.

I’m finally dressed, out the door and off to the gym. It’s a cardio morning. Oh goody. (Did you hear the sarcasm?). I get on the treadmill and warm up to a run and manage to get through 20 minutes of grueling interval training without doing any permanent damage. I wipe down the treadmill and go stretch.

Somewhere along the way I start to wonder. Did I really push myself hard enough? Did it only seem like a good workout because I was still half asleep? Was my heart rate up or was that just the remnant of a dream?

Well ladies we can stop wondering if the amount of effort in our head is equaling the actual output of effort.

No matter what time of day or what condition you’re in, heart rate monitors can help you establish your intensity levels!

And you’re in luck, there are several affordable heart rate monitors out there designed specifically for women. And really girls, who doesn’t love a new gadget to play with!

Check out this one from Nike, Nike Imara Women’s Heart Rate Monitor . It lets you time your workout and track calories burned. It also has 2 countdown timers to help you alternate between hard and easy pace for interval training or run/walk.

Another option is from New Balance, New Balance N3 Mini Women’s Heart Rate Monitor. As you can tell by the name, it’s “mini” and better designed to fit a female’s body size. It offers ECG-accurate continuous heart rate monitoring, programmable heart rate zone alarms, and “on time” calorie monitoring.

Polar, the self-proclaimed leader in heart monitors offers two choices for women. The Polar F4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch , that comes in black and ice blue. It features a visible and audible feature on the display of your heart rate monitor showing your target heart rate zone and where your current heart rate is within that zone. Another feature shows your energy expenditure during one exercise session as well as over the long haul. The other similar Polar monitor for women is Women’s Polar F6 Heart Monitor . This model includes everything the F4 offers (and it comes in pink!) as well as a setting that will guide you through an appropriate warm-up routine and automatically determines a safe and effective exercise heart rate zone–your OwnZone–while taking into account your current physical condition.

I have to admit the bells and whistles on the Polar F6 leaves me drooling a bit. Hmm… I do have a birthday coming up.
Birthday or no birthday, a heart monitor might be the way to go. Having an accurate reading on your heart rate may be key to getting the most out of each and every work out.

Whether you run out and buy a heart monitor or do it the old fashion way (you do remember, right? Two finger on your wrist!) monitoring your heart rate is a great way to measure your intensity and help you sweat like a girl.