The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity cannot be underestimated. Everyone benefits from exercise, irrespective of age, sex or physical ability. One way or the other you have heard it many times before, that engaging in regular exercise is superb for improving your health, and it can help you lose weight. But due to the fact that majority of people are busy, have a sedentary job, hence, are yet to change their exercise habits.
The good news here is that it is never too late to start. You can actually start slow, and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. To get the most benefit, you should try to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age. If you can do it, the payoff is that you will feel better, help prevent or control many diseases, and likely even live longer.
To lay more emphasis, It’s important to recall that we human being have actually evolved from nomadic ancestors who usually spent all their life time moving around in search of food and shelter, travelling large distances on a daily basis. Our bodies are designed in such away that is elastic and have evolved to be regularly active.
In this vein, relating this phenomenon to a sports car that is designed to go fast, we are designed to move. Normally if the sports car is taken out once a week for a 3 mile round trip through a town center then it would probably develop engine problems fairly quickly, such is our body.
ALL ABOUT CROSSFIT
Now that you know, you can actually improve your health by engaging in some sporting activities like crossfit. Crossfit is actually a form of lifestyle featured by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. It can be used to accomplish many goals, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program really works for everyone, people who are just starting out their sporting activity for the first time and people who have trained for years.
Now coming to your aid is a device that will effectively help you in keeping your health status and record of how well you have gone in this exercise. As well as,how effective it is on your overall health performance. The device is no other than a Heart rate monitor.
A heart rate monitor is a device that allows you to measure your heart rate during training. It usually consists of two elements: a chest strap transmitter and a watch/wrist receiver. The chest strap has electrodes in contact with the skin to monitor the electrical voltages in the heart. A radio signal is transmitted, which measures the users heart beat. The receiver then translates this into beats per minute or percentage of a theoretical maximum heart rate.
How the Heart works
Your heart rate is the rate at which your heart beats. The heart has an intrinsic rate, which is how fast it would beat if you took it out of your body. This rate changes with age. Additionally, sympathetic nerves speed it up, and parasympathetic nerves slow it down. Exercise causes parasympathetic nerves to be less active, which increases your heart rate during activity. Intense exercise further causes the sympathetic nerves to speed it up even more.
But, heart rate is affected by more than just your activity. Numerous other factors come into play, including medicines you are taking, diseases or conditions you may have, the amount of sleep you get, caffeine intake, startling noises or actions, your age, your fitness level, the humidity, the temperature, your mindset, etc.
Clearly, your heart rate is comprised of many variables. This makes heart rate difficult to analyze, especially when it comes to fitness. Unfortunately, for many athletes and trainers, the heart rate is a magical marker of fitness. They dutifully measure and record their heart rates and base their training and self worth on this number.
Frequently, the importance of heart rate is overemphasized in training programs and the quest for actual, real fitness is lost. Everyone’s heart have a different capacity, and therefore, different maximum heart rate. The size of your heart and strength of your muscles surrounding your heart will have to determine what your heart is capable of doing, and this will be different for everyone. If we can’t accurately calculate our maximum heart rate, and hence our “heart rate zones”, are we chasing something intangible?
Your heart and the heart rate monitor
The answer to all these questions is actually in this device called heart rate monitor. It will give you an accurate insight on the level of your health by using simple illustration, both expressed arithmetically and verbally but in simple terms that can be well understood.
The importance of a heart rate monitor cannot be overemphasized. This is simply because there are no other specified means by which you can accurately and reliably access the level of wellness and functionality of your heart except by using this heart rate monitor. It explains why even athletes and trainers like to measure their fitness and intensity using a heart rate monitor because they have not defined fitness and performance in any other way than this.
Obviously, this allows them to make pretty graphs,charts and check, you can even download information from your monitor onto your computers these days and come up with all sorts of cool stuff. But, does it really tell you anything about your fitness level? Being able to say that you “were in your ‘target’ heart rate for 20 minutes” or “I put forth such a great effort, I nearly ‘maxed out’ my heart rate” does not translate into improved fitness or greater work capacity.
Heart rate monitors may have a place in training for special populations, such as pregnant women and people who have had serious heart trouble in the past, but many people strap on their monitors as some kind of false safety blanket. To them, staying in their “heart rate zone” means they aren’t pushing too hard and aren’t pushing too little. This causes them to ignore how they are feeling.
What to look for in selecting best heart rate monitor for Crossfit
While there are many heart rate monitors to choose from, picking the right one isn’t as overwhelming as it may seem.
When it comes to selecting the best heart rate monitor for Crossfit, there are some features you must consider, like things you must look out for in order to have a heart rate monitor with optimum functioning that suits you. It’s actually pretty good to optimize and maximize the benefit of what you use your money to purchase.
In most cases, you simply do not need tons of features, but only those that will actually give you an insight into your overall well being. On the other hand, a heart rate monitor is an investment that lasts for years, and we would advise that you select the highest level heart rate monitor you think you’ll need so you’re not “penny wise and pound foolish.” I will like to itemize some features here that are going to serve as a guide in your choice of selection.
Accuracy
Accuracy is one of the best feature of a good heart rate monitor for cross fit,. Accuracy of any system define the level of reliability of the system and in actual fact a heart rate monitor with high accuracy will give you undiluted and uncompromising result of the state of health of your heart.
Calorie Counter
Another importance of heart rate monitor is that it helps to estimate the amount of calories burned during exercise. This can be especially handy if your workouts are part of a weight loss program.
Fitness Trainer
It provides alerts for intensity levels that fall above or below your chosen training zones.
Battery Strength
The stronger the battery the better the usage. Today’s gadgets are power drainers and, unfortunately, do require frequent charges. To make your life more easier and less complicated , go for a heart rate monitor that has a decent battery life.
Simple Design
Everybody likes something that is portable and fit, you wouldn’t want to buy something that will be too heavy for your hand to withstand, so that it won’t eventually become a burden on you, what ought to be of benefits . So for a best heart rate monitor, it must be made up of simple design that is easy to use and read. That kind of design makes checking your heart rate a painless task.
Sleep Tracking
You can also look out for this feature, its very important, as no dose of drug can be compared to sleep when it comes to body wellness.In this line,having a heart rate monitor with this kind of feature will ensure adequate sleep which in turn can guaranty superior health for both young and elderly. Many heart rate monitors help you get the duration of your sleep compared to your body requirement.
24/7 Tracking
Yes! It adds to the value of your heart rate monitor as it gets an adequate view of the condition of your health. Moreover, It’s important seeing your heart rate continuously. This will help aging adults manage stress, comprehend resting heart rate,optimize exercise and make them reach daily activity goals.
LED Display
Having a large and clear screen, an LED display makes it easier to see information on screen better.
Why Best Heart Rate Monitor for Crossfit is Advisable
Recovery Heart Rate
Today’s heart rate monitors have the ability to gauge recovery heart rate. This is a reference to measuring of the time required to return the heart to the normal, resting stage. Recovery heart rate is an excellent indication of heart health. Those who sprint or participate in high intensity interval training will find their recovery heart rate especially important.
Pulse Monitoring
Pulse monitors function by detecting the pulse. This is done by placing a finger or two on the sensor buttons and you will have an accurate reading of your heart beat.
Heart Rate Target Zones
Heart rate monitors have upwards of half a dozen target zones for heart rate. You can set one or several target heart rate zones. Go ahead and preset the heart rate monitor for your different workouts from aerobic to endurance, anaerobic and beyond. The phrase “time in target zone” actually refers to the amount of time spent exercising within the specified amount of time.
Distance and Speed Monitoring
This feature calculates speed during exercise. It can also measure the amount of space covered during a workout. Such monitoring is typically accomplished with a GPS receiver in outdoor environments. Indoor workout warriors make use of a foot pod with an accelerometer that gauges the length of strides.
Measuring workout intensity
Heart rate tracking is the most reliable method to judge progress from your workouts. Plus, heart rate monitors create data that can be analyzed from multiple angles, giving you deeper insights into your overall health and fitness levels.
Safer Workouts
Working out too hard and over training sometimes can lead to injury and put unnecessary stress on your heart.That’s why heart rate monitors are there for you, in order to allow you workout safely so that you can readily tell when your heart is working too hard and you can quickly change behavior to reduce its load.
Advanced heart rate monitors can also help you tailor your workouts step by step, by demographics, such as your height, weight and age group – thus making your workout more effective and keeping you safe from injury.
Being Your Own Personal Trainer
Heart rate monitors can go in a long way by making you act as your own personal trainer. A monitor can tell you when you are ready to increase the intensity of your workout, when you need to tone it down a bit or when you’ve hit the sweet spot.
Modern heart monitors are also very accurate, so you can use one as an encouragement to know if you are on the right track and doing the right thing.
Best Heart Rate Monitor for Crossfit
1. Fitbit Charge 3
Fitbit is one of the biggest brands in the smartwatch and fitness tracker industry, and the Fitbit Charge 3 is one of their best. It doubles being good for monitoring heart rate during exercise like crossfit. Other features include being waterproof up to depths of 50m (164 feet), it looks great and it also provides pretty accurate readings.
- Pros
- Strong battery life
- Great interface
- It has SpO2 sensors to analyze your sleep and provide you with the ultimate sleep tracking package.
- 24/7 activity tracking ensures you can track your heart rate and overall health at any time you need to do so.
Cons
- Charge 3 doesn’t come with built-in GPS.
2. Garmin Forerunner 935
This is one of the most popular activity tracker for all kinds of sports activity along with Crossfit.
Specifications
- Weight : 49 Gram
- Battery life: up to 2 weeks in watch mode, up to 24 hours in GPS mode or up to 50 hours in UltraTrac mode
- Wi-Fi connectivitY
Pros
- Premium wrist based heart rate monitor made for Triathlon purpose.
- Have multi sport features.
- The device has an in built barometer.
- It also has an additional performance monitoring features to track if you’re under performing or overdoing.
Cons
- In built device
- Not Waterproof
3. Garmin vivosmart HR Crossfit Activity Tracker
On the list of best heart rate monitor for crossfit is vivosmart from the same company Garmin. It does everything and super helpful during your Crossfit seasons
Specifications
- Strap material: silicone
- Width: 21.0 mm
- Thickness: 12.3 mm
- Regular: 137 188 mm circumference,X large: 180 221 mm circumference
- Support : iPhone,Android,Windows
Pros
- Wearable for all day.
- Super awesome display even visible on sunlight.
- Reminds you to stay active with move bar
- vibration alert to get instant notifications.
Cons
No Guided Breathing Sessions
4. Apple Watch Series 3 For Crossfit
If you are an iphone lover, then you want to get this for your crossfit purpose. It would be really unfair if we only show you device that supports only android or windows. Here’s the one of the best heart rate monitor for crossfit with apple model.
Specifications
The Apple Watch Series 3 38 mm has a display size of 340 x 272 pixels with a resolution of 326 ppi.
Pros
- Built-in GPS and GLONASS
- Water resistant 50 meters2
- Up to 18 hours of battery life3
5. Fitbit Charge 2 For Crossfit
Specifications
- Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 0.9 x 0.5 inches ; 1.28 ounces
Pros
- PurePulse continuous
- Maximize your workouts using simplified heart rate zones
- Track all day activity
- Sync stats wirelessly
6. Huawei Band 2 Pro
Specifications
- Dimensions 1.7 x 0.8 x 0.4 inches
Pros
- Built-in GPS and continuous heart rate
- Scientific sleep tracking
- 5ATM water-resistance
Cons
Not waterproof
Recommendation
There you go. Our list of best heart rate monitor for Crossfit. As your heart is Life itself, do not take it with levity. Save your heart the stress by hitting on your keyboard now to select a heart rate monitor suitable for you.
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