Welcome back to this week’s edition of 2-Minute Tuesdays where we are talking about one exercise topic for two minutes and giving you three reasons why you should follow our advice. Now this week, we are talking to those of you who rock the heart rate strap. You are monitoring your heart rate while you are working out, but what things do you need to keep in mind to make sure this data is actually useful?
1) Be Mindful Of Heart Rate Ranges
Tip number one – be mindful that when heart rate ranges are recommended to you, those are recommended for the general population. Remember, you are an individual so your, for example, 60% of your heart rate max might be a little lower than the average, or it might be a little higher. So keep this in mind when you are using heart rate ranges.
Action Step: If you are doing a workout with the goal of keeping your heart rate within a certain range, keep in mind that the range that is being prescribed may actually be different than what you are being told. Don’t be so married to the exact range as you are to the general range.
Related: 3 Facts About Cardio That You Don’t Know
2) Use It Consistently
Tip number two – if you are going to use a heart rate strap, use it consistently across all of your workouts. Don’t use it intermittently every once in a while with your workouts. See the data as it changes from one workout to the next to be able to get a consistent feel to how your body is responding to your exercise.
Action Step: If you are going to wear a heart rate monitor, wear it! Throw it in your gym bag so you don’t forget it. Use it with all of your workouts so you can continue to track progress and see results.
Related: Get the most from your fitness tracker
3) Don’t Sacrifice Your Joints For Your HR
Tip number three – a lot of times when we are using a heart rate monitor, we are using it as a main point of focus. Don’t allow your body and your joints to become compromised just so you can get your heart rate into a specific range. Remember, when you are working on your health, other areas of your body cannot be losing health. For example, when you are working on your heart health, your joint health cannot be paying for that. So, make sure you are listening to all parts of your body, even when you are trying to do some heart rate training.
Action Step: Listen to your body! If your workout says to be at 75% of your heart rate max, but your knees and back are bothering your every time you push about 60%, back it off today. You can always try again at a later day, but the only surefire way to eventually NOT be able to exercise for your heart is to neglect your muscles and joints in the process.