Benefits of Heart Rate Monitors and Pedometers

The benefits of heart rate monitors and pedometers boil down to consistency.

However, many of us have realized that the path to consistency, specifically in regards to your health is not that straight forward.

Fortunately there's something within these devices which can really help us navigate the path to a healthy change or improvement in our behavior.

Tracking Leads to Motivation

We know that tracking numbers leads to motivation.

This is a true statement for many different situations. In terms of your health, seeing progress that is measurable will lead to more consistent behavior. Motivation leads to more of the same action.

Anyone who's healthy and in great shape will tell you that it all comes down to consistency. For some of them they don't even realize this because they've made it their lifestyle. So some might not be able to explain it, but by observing their routines it becomes obvious.

You've probably heard the recommendation over and over: “You need to make healthy lifestyle choices”.

Well for some of us who are trying to change, it's not always that easy. Sure, the ones who train everyday and eat healthy find it easy because it's part of their schedule. But for others who are trying to make the switch, consistency can be tough.

So that little kick of motivation is required to stick to whatever changes you're making, whether it's a new diet or exercise routine.

A perfect example would be the program Weight Watchers. People meet up, weigh themselves, and see progress together. This sparks the motivation to continue with their new healthy lifestyle.

How can Pedometers and Heart Rate Monitors Help?

Pedometers for beginners:

For beginners, tracking the numbers first leads to awareness.

One of the biggest benefits of pedometers is that they make you aware. Most people don't realize how inactive they are until they prove it to themselves.

Carrying a pedometer in your pocket or on your waist is going to measure how many steps you take. Most people are shocked at how inactive they are during a typical work day. Having a pedometer tell you at the end of the day you only took a couple hundred steps will make you aware that you need to improve.

After you become aware that you need more exercise, because like always: numbers don't lie, constant motivation is going to help you stay consistent and reach your new goals.

So if your new fitness goal is 10,000 steps per day by the end of the summer, a pedometer is going to help keep you on track each day, week, and month. A pedometer will track your daily steps, and when you look over the data at the end of week and notice an improvement, you're going to stay motivated.

Become aware of inactivity, stay motivated through tracking progress, become consistent in your daily exercise requirements.

What's great about this little formula is that it's fun! People really enjoy tracking their numbers and reaching their goals.

Heart Rate Monitors for Athletes:

If you're already very active, then tracking your daily steps might not be that beneficial for you.

You might be more interested in tracking your heart rate, speed, distance and calories burned.

There are various heart rate monitors and GPS watches which can measure all these different variables. The watches found here are perfect examples.

Training within specific heart rate zones can be beneficial for various types of workouts. It's important to make sure you train enough, but also important to make sure you don't overtrain.

Having a device which tracks your heart rate continuously throughout your workout and even has an alarm when you fall out of your desired zone can be an excellent tool for many athletes.

Although tracking numbers can also be motivational for elite athletes, it's just as important for them to make sure they aren't under training or over training.

Proper preparation can really make the difference when it comes down to a competition, and these tracking devices may help you get the edge over your competitors.

What Types of Products are Available?

Depending on what your fitness level is, and what your goals are, the specific benefits of heart rate monitors and pedometers will vary.

That being said, whether you're looking for a very basic model, or an extremely sophisticated device, there's definitely a monitoring device for you. It will come down to deciding how many variables you want to track, and how much you want to invest.

It is always recommended that you read over some pedometer and heart rate monitor reviews in order to get the product you need most.

If you combine the WLC System with a good heart rate monitor, you will burn as much body fat as you want very quickly.