Ever see those people wearing something around their chest when running on the treadmill, or always looking down at one of those fancy watches when running? Well they are not just there for a little extra bling to add to their workout attire, these are devices worn to measure your heart rate.
They can either be watches or chest straps as mentioned, and are great tools to help find your “exercise sweet spot” while working out, yet are they really necessary?! Some say they are and have found them to be more beneficial to their workouts, while others have found them to not be necessary and discovered their own ways to monitor their heart.
First let’s start with why many people wear them to begin with. Many athletes use these heart rate monitor tools to help them find a so-called “exercise sweet spot” to make sure their heart rate stays within an optimal range. This is range is between where they are pushing their body yet not hard enough to risk any injury or overuse, otherwise known as your target heart rate zone.
