Heart Rate Monitor Watches for Women

During exercise, our heart rate tells us how hard we are working out. This is why many athletes as well as people who love to work out use a heart rate monitor to track their progress during training, or to simply monitor their current physical state. But because each user has special needs and activities, heart rate monitors are made differently in terms of color, shapes, and sizes.  And now, women’s heart rate monitors are becoming more distinct than the version for men.

Basically, heart rate monitors count a person’s heart beat per minute and other parameters with the use of a strap that is fitted around the chest. In order to do this, the chest strap must come in good contact with the user’s skin for the sensors to detect the electric signals emitted with each heart beat and give an accurate result. This may not pose a problem to women who have flat chests and can wear regular chest straps. But those who have larger cup sizes may find them uncomfortable. In the long run, using chest straps may also feel sore and may irritate the skin causing chaffing. Because of this, today’s heart rate monitors have chest straps that are styled for a more comfortable fit for women.

One good alternative for chest straps would be wearing a special sports bra. This type of sports bra is designed to function like a chest strap transmitter with its tiny sensors embedded in the fabric. Some sports bra like the Numetrex Sports Bra and the Polar Cardio Bra include a sensor that is already attached underneath the garment thus eliminating the need for those annoying straps. No need to worry about loose straps. It picks up the signals from the heart from the electrodes in the bra and transmits the result wirelessly through a built-in antenna to a separate wristwatch unit. The bra itself is also durable, and can last for more than a hundred washings.

But if you are one of these people who are completely bothered by the presence of chest straps, the best bet for you would be the strapless heart rate monitors. As the name implies, these are revolutionary watches that don’t include any chest strap at all. All you have to do is to touch sensors on the face of the watch, and after a few seconds it will automatically display the heart rate. Others have a sensor that is simply worn on the finger or the arm. There are also models like the InstaPulse Cardio Heart Rate Monitor that only requires holding the device and after such, it will reveal the user’s current heart rate.

However, there have been varied feedbacks regarding strapless heart rate monitors. Because of the need to halt from any activity for you to get a reading, the results then are not continual. Thus some users have doubts in using these types of heart rate monitors for zone training or while running or swimming. But experts agree that such units are ideal for getting periodic readings as well as measuring the resting and recovery heart rate. On the other hand, most of them can still track calories burned. Other features such as GPS capability, cadence sensors, and foot pods are optional and may depend on the brand and model.

Furthermore, women no longer have to worry about style, comfort, and fashion when it comes to their wristwatch receivers.  Unlike the regular ones, today’s heart rate monitors come in many different colors and styles. They are also slightly smaller to fit feminine wrists and look trendy and chic while continuously reading the heart rate. This allows you to use the heart rate monitor anytime any where.

Modern heart rate monitors are also very much versatile, and most of them are compatible with extra devices of the same brand. Some may even look very fancy yet they can offer a more advanced technology, better displays, and more features such as those from well-known brands like Polar, Garmin, Bowflex, Timex, Mio, and Suunto. But always remember that the most important thing to consider is the still the accuracy of the results.

Selecting a suitable heart rate monitor for you would mainly depend on the activity that you wish to use the heart rate monitor with as well as how much money you are willing to spend for the device. But with the current number of heart rate monitors available today, it is not impossible to find one that matches your needs and style.