2. Heart Rate Monitors

3. Why monitor heart rates? The goal of an aerobic workout is to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Heart rates taken during exercise indicate how intense your heart is working. Your heart rate is very useful when you learn to monitor it properly, which allows you to discover unseen cardiovascular improvement.

4. The benefits of monitoring your heart rate Safety Effectiveness Incentive

5. Safety Your heart rate is a gauge that monitors the intensity of your workout to prevent you from overexerting yourself or from not putting out enough effort.

6. Effectiveness If your heart rate indicates you're not working hard enough, then you can increase your intensity to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. To maximize your aerobic workout, you need to stay in your target heart rate range for at least 20 to 30 minutes continuously.

7. Incentive By monitoring your heart rate during aerobic activity, you will discover that you will be able to exercise at a higher level of intensity, but at the same or lower heart rate. This is how your heart tells you it is becoming stronger and more efficient. Results will motivate you and will hopefully encourage you to continue exercising in your zone.

8. Types of Heart rates Resting Heart Rate (RHR) Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) Target Heart Rate (THR)

9. Resting Heart Rate RHR is the rate your heart is pumping when you have been sitting quietly for a while or have just awaken (60-80 BPM). RHR indicates your cardiovascular fitness level. A person who is in good aerobic condition usually has a lower RHR than others. To get an accurate RHR, take your pulse right after you get up in the morning.

10. Maximum Heart Rate MHR is the highest number of times your heart can beat in one minute (BPM). MHR is the most useful tool used in determining training intensities.

11. Determining your Maximum Heart Rate MHR = 220 minus your age For example, if you are 15 years old, your maximum heart rate is: 220 – 15 = 205 BPM

12. Target Heart Rate A target heart rate (THR) is a range that guides your workout by keeping your intensity level between an upper and lower heart rate limit. There are various target zones that are suggested for an individual to follow that correspond with a specific exercise goals.

13. Determining your Target Heart Rate To Improve your fitness, multiply your MHR by 65% and 85%. For example, a 15 year olds THR zone is: 205 X.65 = 133 BPM 205 X.85 = 174 BPM THR zone: 133-174 BPM

14. Why should you add a heart rate monitor to your workouts? Before the introduction of heart rate training the most prevalent method of assessing exercise intensity was perceived exertion. This is a way of determining how hard you're training based on your perceived feeling of effort. However, for truly efficient training, it just doesn’t work very well. Instead, using a heart rate monitor is more accurate & effective.

15. Ideas to speed recovering Heart Rate Deep breathing techniques Meditation Being in a calm relaxed setting Playing pleasant music Relaxation techniques will aid one’s heart to return to it’s RHR.

16. Studies have shown According to an article, from 1998, in the Journal of Sports Sciences, "Polar Heart Rate Monitors have been recognized as the most accurate tool for heart rate monitoring and registering in the field."

17. Basic Polar Heart Rate Monitor Polar E-30 This model is specifically designed for daily use in PE classes, features simple one button operation to record and recall heart rate data.

18. Polar E30 features EKG Accurate Heart Rate Reading Coded Transmission Programmable Target Zone with Audio/Visual Alarm (125-185 BPM) Total Exercise Time Time Spent In Target Zone Average Heart Rate of Exercise Fitness Bullets (at 5 minutes in zone) File Storage: 1 file Water Resistant 30m

19. Other Models & Software Polar E-600 Polar E-200 E Series Software

20. Conclusion Using a heart rate monitor is an ideal method of assessing one's cardiovascular condition, and gauging the level of intensity of the exercise session. Incorporating a heart rate monitor in Physical Education is very useful and beneficial.