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The benefits of a heart-rate monitor.

Using a heart-rate monitor brings a whole new dimension to your training. The biggest benefit is that you get a continuous readout that you can use for interval training or pacing. It also tells you when you should back off and it can provide you with early  warnings of health related issues. My brother for instance picks up that he’s got the flu coming on and then takes precautionary medicine that prevents the flu from taking a hold.

Pacing yourself using a heart-rate monitor.

When you are riding with a monitor you will notice that your heart settles in a zone where you can ride or run all day long without getting tired. (Well maybe that’s stretching it  a bit), but the idea is that you are not pushing yourself too hard and it allows you to perform better for longer.

You also notice that although your heart-rate goes into the max zone when you push hard up a hill, it will recover rapidly once you back off. Of course this recovery rate is not necessarily that rapid in the beginning when you are still unfit, but pretty soon you start seeing your heart rate recovery improving.

If your recovery remains stubbornly slow, it could be an indication of an underlying medical condition and I would recommend a good physical checkup by your physician in that case.

Your aim should be to keep your heart rate in the average zone on level and down sloping roads if  you are pushing hard and in the 70 to 80% of maximum heart-rate zone when doing moderately steep hill climbs and allowing yourself recovery when the slope decreases.

The occasional hard sprint up to 100% is fine as long as you allow yourself recovery afterwards. As you become fitter, you will notice that you can push harder and longer with improved recovery.

Measuring fitness using recovery rate as an indicator.

A person’s heart-rate is supposed to drop by 25 beats per minute within a minute from pushing it to its maximum for an average fitness level. Measuring this without a heart-rate monitor is very difficult and in my opinion almost impossible. The latest wearable devices provides this as an automatic function but any monitor with a readout can be used to measure this very accurately.

My view on heart-rate monitors.

I personally will never again exercise without a heart-rate monitor, as I see it as an indispensable part of my training equipment and a great help in ensuring I perform at my optimum level and that I don’t push beyond my limits.

Please let me know if you require more in depth information on this topic or if you need assistance in deciding which device to purchase once you are convinced of the merits of a heart-rate monitor.