Polar Heart Rate Monitors

Posts Tagged ‘heart rate monitors’

• 9 Functions: Clock, Date, Current HR, Avg HR, Calories, 1 settable target zone with alarm, zone indicator, backlight, stopwatch
• ECG Precise
• Digitally Coded
• Water proof
• Includes handlebar Mount

Product Description
Simple to use, focused on the most important functions and a new sleek design characterize the new ONYX CLASSIC. Striking details make all the difference on this digitally coded heart rate watch. The most notable is the very easy to read display with large figures and the watch’s ease of use thanks to a flexible decorative ring instead of buttons. The programmable training zones and the calorie counter pave the way towards healthy training.Amazon.com Product Description
Simple to use, focused on the most important functions and possessing a sleek design, Sigma’s Onyx Classic Heart Rate Monitor Watch is the right choice for both the young and the young at heart. Striking details make all the difference on this digitally coded heart rate watch. The most notable is the very easy to read display with large figures and the watch’s ease of use thanks to a flexible decorative ring instead of buttons. The programmable training zones and the calorie counter pave the way towards healthy training.

Digital coding explained.

Digitally Coding Explained
Sigma Sport’s Onyx models are stand outs due to their digital, coded transmission. Through this technology users avoid wireless disturbances during group training known as “cross talk effect” in specialist jargon. At the start of training, synchronization takes place between the coded chest belt and the heart rate monitor. Consequently the watch only receives data from its own chest belt. The heart rate readings are converted into digital data packages and transmitted to the receiver in the watch. A time coding and ID procedure within Onyx models guarantees that data transmission is significantly more secure compared to analogue heart rate monitors.

Features:

• Digital coded transmission
• Easy to read display with large figures and pictograms
• Easily operated by pressing the flexible decorative ring
• Training mode with 1 adjustable HR zone
• Approved to medica standards NO 93 / 42 / EEC
• EKG-precise
• Backlight
• Water resistant
• Calorie Counter

What’s in the Box?
Sigma Onyx Classic heart rate monitor watch, chest belt with digitally coded radio transmission, handlebar holder to use the Onyx Classic on your bike with an O-ring.

Manufacturer’s Warranty
Five-year warranty on defective parts or products.

About Sigma Sport
Sigma Sport represents German technology at its highest level, combining innovative design with precision engineering. Sigma tests all their products in their in-house laboratories to withstand the harshest conditions, ensuring quality continually throughout production. All Sigma Sport standard lights conform to the stringent German traffic standard, and all Sigma Sport products are CE-approved.

SIGMA ONYX Classic Heart Rate Monitor Watch

• 9 Functions: Clock, Date, Current HR, Avg HR, Calories, 1 settable target zone with alarm, zone indicator, backlight, stopwatch
• ECG Precise
• Digitally Coded
• Water proof
• Includes handlebar Mount

Product Description
Simple to use, focused on only the most important functions, and a new sleek design characterize the new ONYX BALANCE. Striking details make all the difference on this digitally coded heart rate watch. The most notable is the very easy to read display with large figures and the watch’s ease of use thanks to a flexible decorative ring instead of buttons. The programmable training zone and the calorie counter pave the way towards healthy training.Amazon.com Product Description
Simple to use, focused on the most important functions and coming in an attractive powder blue shade, Sigma’s Onyx Balance Heart Rate Monitor Watch is the right choice for today’s active women. Striking details make all the difference on this digitally coded heart rate watch. The most notable is the very easy to read display with large figures and the watch’s ease of use thanks to a flexible decorative ring instead of buttons. The programmable training zones and the calorie counter pave the way towards healthy training.

Digital coding explained.

Digitally Coding Explained
Sigma Sport’s Onyx models are stand outs due to their digital, coded transmission. Through this technology users avoid wireless disturbances during group training known as “cross talk effect” in specialist jargon. At the start of training, synchronization takes place between the coded chest belt and the heart rate monitor. Consequently the watch only receives data from its own chest belt. The heart rate readings are converted into digital data packages and transmitted to the receiver in the watch. A time coding and ID procedure within Onyx models guarantees that data transmission is significantly more secure compared to analogue heart rate monitors.

Features:

• Digital coded transmission
• Easy to read display with large figures and pictograms
• Easily operated by pressing the flexible decorative ring
• Training mode with 1 adjustable HR zone
• Approved to medica standards NO 93 / 42 / EEC
• EKG-precise
• Backlight
• Water resistant
• Calorie Counter

What’s in the Box?
Sigma Onyx Balance heart rate monitor watch, chest belt with digitally coded radio transmission, handlebar holder to use the Onyx Balance on your bike with an O-ring

Manufacturer’s Warranty
Five-year warranty on defective parts or products.

About Sigma Sport
Sigma Sport represents German technology at its highest level, combining innovative design with precision engineering. Sigma tests all their products in their in-house laboratories to withstand the harshest conditions, ensuring quality continually throughout production. All Sigma Sport standard lights conform to the stringent German traffic standard, and all Sigma Sport products are CE-approved.

SIGMA ONYX Balance Heart Rate Monitor Watch

Heart rate monitors are electronic equipments used to continually keep track of a person’s heart rates. These devices are sometimes called cardiac monitors. They are used to measure and record heart rates in real time. The very first models that appeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s were initially as supporting instruments for the training of athletes. Electrodes were attached to the chest area and had transmitters that sent data to a receiver. Modern versions are still comprised of a transmitting strap fastened around the chest and then send heart rate information to a wrist-worn receiver.

Strapless variations of heart rate monitors are available. They are worn around one hand but are not as reliable and effective in getting accurate readings as compared to heart rate belts. Some strapless heart monitors require users to put two fingers on sensors on the receiver. Other models have mini straps that are fastened to a finger to get a reading. Heart rate monitors work by detecting a heart beat or a pulse of an individual. A signal is then sent or transmitted to the receiver which then measures and displays the heart rate of the user. This transmission can be through a simple radio wave or coded signals that are unique for every unit. Coding of signals prevents interference, called cross-talk, with similar heart rate transmitters. With this, anyone can have the ability to monitor his or her heart rate which is used as a basis for exercising or maintaining a healthy heart.

Heart rate monitors gained acceptance during the 1990s as people began to consider its effectiveness in measuring heart rates, particularly while training and working-out. Health product industries and manufacturers responded to this by incorporating heart rate monitoring systems into their machines for exercising, such as the treadmill, stationery bikes, and other trainers. Heart rate monitors have become essential tools for safe training and exercising. For athletes and health conscious people, it has become common to train with heart rate belts. The strapless models normally suffice for those who are just keeping a tad on their heart, especially individuals with a history of heart attacks and heart ailments.

An individual can better control his training intensity by using heart rate monitors. It is easier to accomplish training goals with them. If someone wishes to trim down and lose extra weight, he should train within a specified heart rate training zone for that end, which is fat metabolism which is at 60 – 70 per cent of the maximum heart rate. The length of the training when losing weight when using heart rate monitors should be about 60 minutes.

A very important aspect of training with heart rate monitors is an awareness of the heart rate training zones and its concepts. Training zones are stated as percentage of an individual’s maximum heart rate. These percentages of the training zones parallel the type of training desired and the target goals. However, these are made as simply recommendations and are not absolute. They may be uses as basis or starting points. At 50 – 60 per cent zone, the type training is burning fat and keeping fit. At the 60 – 70 per cent zone, the training is losing weight. At 70 – 80 per cent, training is for building aerobic endurance. At 80 – 90 per cent, it is for increasing the lactic ceiling of an individual. At 90 – 100 per cent, training is now to raise the maximum aerobic limits. Each training zone has different purposes.

Used to be heart rate monitors were the sole domain of those in health care. Doctors and nurses seemed to be the only ones interested in monitoring heart functions on a regular basis. This has changed as fitness enthusiasts discovered the connection between heart rate and fitness levels.

A heart monitor is basically an electronic device that can track heart functions as they are happening. The devices you find in hospitals and doctors offices are obviously the high end of heart monitoring technology. These high tech devices give physicians an instant feedback on any life threatening cardiac problems. On the lower end are the monitors that fitness buffs and athletes use. These smaller units allow them to place a numerical value on their fitness level based on their heart rate before, during, and after exercise.

For those who are interested in using a heart rate monitoring device for fitness purposes there are several things to keep in mind when choosing which type will work best for you.

The most accurate monitors use a chest strap to detect and transmit heart activity. The strap is strapped around the chest just below the breast bone. It works by detecting the electrical impulses of the heart which are transmitted to the receiver where it is displayed.

The receiver is normally worn on the wrist and functions much like a watch. In fact many high end heart rate monitors are also multi-functional sport watches. Cardio specific exercise equipment such as treadmills, stair-steppers, and exercise bikes will also include heart rate monitoring technology with the receiver and display built into the control console.

Heart rate monitors also have different features that can help meet your fitness goals. Of course the amount and type of features are dependent on how much you are willing to spend. Low end base models will normally only display heart rate and in some cases elapsed time you have exercised.

Higher end models offer a wider range of features, for a higher price of course. You will find things such as heart rate zone alarms, timers, and number of calories burned. Many are also programmable to the point that you can pre-program workouts and targeted heart rates.

All these bells and whistles are useless if the heart monitor you choose is less then easy to use. It?s a good idea to read reviews of various brands and models to see what actual users have to say about ease of use. Is it easy to read the display? What about low light or no light situations? Are the buttons easily accessible and labeled in a way that makes sense?

For the fitness enthusiast a heart rate monitor can be the last piece of the fitness puzzle. It can help break through those fitness plateaus by allowing you to customize your workouts to meet specific goals and a faster rate.

Personal heart rate monitors are all over the place now. I’m sure that you’ve seen them. All of the contestants on the weight loss reality show, The Biggest Loser wear them. Heart rate monitors can have a huge impact on your fitness and health.

Most treadmills, ellipticals and exercise bikes come equipped with some type of heart rate monitoring system. The “norm” is a system whereby you grasp the balance bar, or pulse grips which allows your heart rate to be calculated and monitored. I call this a passive system as there are systems that, once you have entered all your personal data such as weight, height, percentage of body fat, etc. will actually increase or decrease your workout (automatically) exertion level based on your heart rate. The machine actually does your calculating for you!

But a personal heart rate monitor isn’t quite that sophisticated. The components of a personal system consist of a tank top or bra with wires interwoven through the fabric. There is an a snap attachment for inserting the transmitter and then a monitor, usually in the form of a watch, to pick up the signal. The system is great because it gives you a real time heart rate with which to adjust your exercise level.

It’s known that you need to achieve and maintain your target heart rate for 20-25-30 minutes for maximum effectiveness. Too much or too little and you lose that effectiveness. A Target Heart Rate is actually a “zone”. In other words, based on your age, current level of conditioning and personal fitness goals. The American Heart Association recommends working out at a Target Heart Rate Zone of between 60% and 75% of your maximum heart rate. A beginner will want to workout in the 60% range while a more experienced exerciser will want to workout in the 70-75% range.

To calculate your target heart rate you can find many calculators on the internet to do it for you. I found an excellent one at healthchecksystems.com – be sure to find one that allows for your resting heart rate as well as age as they are more accurate and reliable.

In a way, personal heart rate monitors become your personal trainer. By monitoring your heart rate and adjusting your workout level accordingly, you are much more likely to stay within your desired zone, and avoid over or under exercising. Doing so will take your exercise sessions to the next level where you can work out smarter!

Heart Rate monitors are devices that allow the user to gain a real time measurement of their heart beat. They consist of a transmitter in the form of a chest strap and a receiver, usually worn on the wrist and doubling as a watch.

The chest strap transmitter measures the number of times the users heart beats per minutes by monitoring voltages across the heart through electrodes which are in contact with the skin. As a heart beat is detected the transmitter sends a radio signal to the receiver which is used to determine the rate at which the heart beats. In higher end models this signal is coded in order to prevent “Cross Talk” between nearby monitors.

The first wireless EKG Heart rate monitor was invented in 1977 by Polar Electro. It was invented as a training aid for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski team. The concept of ‘intensity training’ infiltrated through the athletic world in the eighties and in 1983 the first wireless heart monitor was introduced. The portable Polar PE 2000 consisted of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter was attached to the chest by either disposable electrodes or an elastic electrode belt, whilst the receiver was a monitor worn as a watch on the wrist. By the 1990s individuals were not only looking at heart rate monitors for performance training needs, but also for their individual everyday fitness requirements.

The wireless Polar heart rate monitoring method was developed at the University of Oulu’s department of electronics, and was originally aimed at coaches and sportsmen to help raise the quality and efficiency of their training. Exercise scientists also used them in their work after researching them.

The selection of monitors available today includes easy-to-use products for everyone with a keen interest in their physical health. There are also a wide number of receiver designs that have many different advanced features. These include, average heart rate over exercise period, time in a specific heart rate zone, calories burned during exercise period, along with detailed logging that can be downloaded to a computer.

In December 2005, Textronics Inc. introduced the first garment with integrated heart sensors in the form of a sports bra. Special materials in the sports bra sense the number of beats of the heart from the body and transmit it to a wrist receiver. The garment provides a comfortable alternative to the chest strap.

Modern receiver designs are wide ranging and can perform many advanced functions including average rate, calories burned & stride length. The data can then be logged by downloading it onto a computer.

It was only a matter of time before the sports bra found another function. The sports bra has been quietly waiting for a high tech upgrade. Sure the sports bra has seen design improvements and has been made out of numerous materials over the years but recently the sports bra has been injected with some high tech gadgetry that allows a women to monitor her heart with out having to use the typical strap that can be especially annoying and uncomfortable for women. For those women who are running hours at a time. One of the biggest complaints of the heart rate monitors is that the strap is uncomfortable and can leave marks from excessive running. It appears that the sports bra has solved this solution. It may be so much more comfortable that men may want to start wearing sports bras.

A company has found a way to put the electronics into the fabric of the bra. The company is NuMetrex, which specializes in integrating electronics into spandex fabrics. The company designed the bra to work with Polar WearLink system the goes into a special pouch in the bra. There is no need for the standard strap that users are accustomed to wearing. It seems that this should give women an edge up on the men for comfort when it comes to wearing a heart rate monitor. Women who tested this bra seemed to find the bra very comfortable especially when compared to the past style of having to wear a strap around the chest. The one down side seems to be cost. The bra can add up to $100 dollars to the cost of heart rate monitor system.

The sports bra heart rate monitor system is really pretty simple idea, it’s surprising that something like this has not appeared before. There are sensors in the bra that detect the women’s heartbeat and then instantly relay it to the link transmitter in the front of the bra. The information then is simultaneously beamed to the heart rate monitor watch where the athlete can get real time stats on their heart rate and other critical information to their workout. Many times this data can be transferred to the computer where you can track your progress. These Heart rate monitor watches also can link up with gym equipment with treadmills and other equipment build for heart monitor linking. Right now the bra is limited to certain heart rate monitor watches. It’s only a matter of time before the bra is compatible with more brands and models.

What is a Heart Rate Monitor?

Sometimes called a cardiac monitor, a heart monitor is an electronic device that is used to continuously track your heart rate. Using this information you can determine the target heart rate at which you will maximize the cardiac benefits from your exercise. There are more complex versions of heart monitors which physicians use to detect any signs of deterioration in your heart functioning and make the necessary adjustments immediately.

Types of Heart Monitors

Today a wide range of heart monitors are produced – designed to cater for the specific requirements of different types of individuals.

Some heart monitors are primarily designed for weight loss programs – allowing the person to keep close monitoring of their heart rate during exercise and dieting to ensure they are not pushing their weight loss regime too hard.

Other kinds of heart rate monitors are designed for use by athletes in training and for people regularly involved in fitness programs.

Most heart rate monitors operate with a battery and emit wireless/electromagnetic waves.

Most personal use heart rate monitors can be portable – such as having the monitor fixed to your body by a strap and the display on your wrist – and not interfere with your movements, particularly if you are exercising.

Other types are built into standard exercise equipment like treadmills and exercise bicycles. In these situations you can read your heart rate by holding on to the handle of the equipment and checking the displayed result.

Selecting Your Suitable Heart Rate Monitor

If you are into exercise, heart rate monitors will prove to be an excellent addition to your kit bag. Together with your trainers and other kit the HRM will take you to the next level with your exercise. It will mean that you will have, literally at your fingertips, all the information professional athletes use to reach world class performance standards. Perhaps you don’t have aspirations to become world class but if you exercise with a monitor it will enable you to get the very best out of your training effort.

The very earliest monitors were introduced in the early eighties and since then they have continued to evolve. Features that cost hundreds only years ago are now fitted as standard on even the most basic monitor.

Exercise heart rate monitors measure and display your heart beats. Why is this important you may ask. Your heart is a muscle and like any muscle the more it is exercised the stronger and fitter it becomes. If you correctly exercise your heart it means that it will pump blood around your body without having to overwork and cause stress.

What is the best way to exercise? A simple formula to work out your maximum HR that you should go up to is taking your age from 220. Lets say you are 30 years old by. You maximum heart rate would be 220 -30=190. Now this does not mean that you must exercise so that your rate is 190 beats per minute, It is a very simple calculation of the maximum permissible HR that you should reach during exercise. This is just a rough guide.

The benefit of using a heart rate monitor to record your heart beats is that you know instantly when you reach this peak level. Many monitors allow you to set a Zone for your heart rate. This will let you exercise between a specified range or zone. Usually the zone is a percentage of your maximum hearts rate, and will vary depending on your fitness. So going back to our example a 30 year old who has never exercised would be advised to set their zone to 50 to 60 %. So in this example you would be exercising and trying to keep your heart beats to within 90 and 100 beats per minute. If whilst you are working out you exceed or under achieve you will be warned either with an audible alarm or via the display. You will then know that you should either increase or decrease your effort to stay within your zone. This will give you heart the most beneficial work out for the exercise or effort expended.

Want to accurately determine your heart rate? Do you need to know how many calories you burned while doing a 30 minutes workout? Like to be able to chart your progress as you become fitter? Well now you can.Read on to take your exercise to the next level.A heart rate monitor that will take you to the next level can be found here.

• Basic wrist heart rate monitor, watch, and stopwatch functions
• Easy to use with one-button functionality
• Measures your heart rate accurately and guides you to exercise in your target zone
• Watch features include time of day and stop watch; extra-large digits
• Water resistant to 50 meters (165 feet)

Product Description
Exercise safely and effectively with the Polar FS1 heart rate monitor. With an added watch feature, a new element on our basic monitor, the Polar FS1 has extra large digits and one-button functionality for ease of use.Amazon.com Product Description
The stylish Polar FS1 heart rate monitor helps you to easily and accurately measure your heart rate to help you get to just the right intensity or your exertion level. This basic HRM features added stopwatch and time-of-day watch features, extra-large digits for easy readability, and one-button functionality. It provides a visual and audible alarm when you reach your target heart rate zone. It provides information on total exercise time and average heart rate during total exercise time. It’s water resistant to 50 meters.

Display features (in beats per minute, or bmp):

• EKG accurate heart rate
• Manual target zone

Manufacturer’s Warranty
The original purchaser of this heart rate monitor is backed by a limited warranty that states that this product that the product will be free from defects in material or workmanship for two years from the date of purchase.

Note:
Polar heart rate monitors are precision instruments; consumers are not advised to change their own battery. Polar recommends that all service be done by an authorized Polar Service Center which will include a warranty for 90 days on repairs and 6 months for batteries.

About Polar
The first EKG accurate wireless heart rate monitor was invented by Polar back in 1977 as a training tool for the Finnish National Cross Country Ski Team. The concept of “intensity training” by heart rate swept the athletic world in the eighties. By the 1990s, individuals were looking to heart rate monitors not only for performance training needs, but also for achieving everyday fitness goals. Today, the same concept of heart rate training is being used by world-class athletes as well as everyday people trying to lose weight. Polar is the leading brand among consumers, coaches, and personal trainers worldwide and the company is committed to not only producing the best products, but also being the leading educator on the benefits of heart rate based exercise.

Polar FS1 Heart Rate Monitor Watch