Fitness trackers

[Les-Hornchurch]

Cardiac rehab have advised me that during exercise I should try and keep my heart rate between 110 and 140 and to slow down if my heart rate goes over 140. I have been trying to find a fitness tracker that that will give me an alert ether by vibrating or sending an alarm to my phone when I go over a preset limit. I have found that many will track heart rate over time via an app and tell you off your maximum rate but I am yet to find one that advertises the feature I’m looking for.

If anyone has any ideas as to suitable fitness tracker or any that give a good approximation to an alarm I would be most grateful.

Thanks for looking at my post.

[Fred1954]

Check out the Garmin Forerunner 245 or 235 (the older model still available some places and cheaper). You can set heart rate ranges and get it to alert when outside your preset limits: beep or vibrate.

[Les-Hornchurch in reply to Fred1954]

Thanks for the reply Fred I will check it out.

[Chappychap]

You ask an interesting question.

I work to a similar target range, but in practise I don't find heart rate monitoring to be problematic. I guess this is down to the sort of exercise I do, which is gym based (where the aerobic machines installed monitor heart rate and automatically warn you if you go out of range), and hill walking where I can glance at my Apple Watch, or failing that I could always just take my own pulse if I was breathing particularly hard.

However, I recognise that this works fine for certain exercise regimes, but may not be practical for others. A cyclist or a swimmer for example may not be able to glance at their watch or take their pulse!

I'll be interested to hear what others have to say.

[Runjohnrun]

I run a lot and use a garmin735 but my wife has a cheaper 35 but they both do the same. You can set an alert when you go or a set rate.

[Pete1]

I've always trained to a specific HR zone using Garmin watches and bike computers. I download and analyse the data on a PC\laptop so I can track both positive and negative trends, and adjust my training accordingly.

[fixedrider]

I think the first thing to say is that, as a general statement, wrist-based monitors aren't that accurate, so you should use a chest strap during exercise sessions, if you're concerned about heart rate. I'm in a similar position, and developed a sudden interest in monitoring after my bypass

My wife bought me a Garmin Vivosmart to track activity, and I wore it deliberately during rehabilitation physio to assess its (wrist) heart monitor by comparing it with the Polar chest-strap-and-watch combination provided for the sessions. The wrist monitor was way out (up to a factor of two at times) - but there are all sorts of variables to account for this, and that's only one model of course.

So, now that I've finished rehab, she bought me a chest strap and watch for my birthday (the Vivosmart doesn't receive from external monitors). That said, and though I've got a target range in the same way as you have, I don't use an alert, and I agree with Chappychap. In the gym, a one-time set-up makes my rate show on all the machines' display panels. Out cycling, a handlebar GPS unit will show heart rate alongside the navigation (it's an optional field on the Edge Touring Plus, for example, and that's an older unit).

By the way, cycling is apparently a particular problem for wrist monitors, probably owing to the way that you often hold your wrist at an angle when gripping the bars.

[fixedrider]

The other thing I'd say is to try to talk to all the medical professionals involved, and get an overall view. I consistently went very slightly over my target range, even in rehab, and the physio team emphasised that it was calculated on general principles and could be out for an individual. At my consultation when the surgery team signed me off, I checked and they had no special concerns about heart rate. But then, I've never had indications of irregularity or anything similar.

So I'd find an alert about being a beat or two over quite annoying, and not that useful. If my condition were different, I might be reviewing my recorded heart rate (via the Web interfaces that all fitness-equipment suppliers seem to provide), just to check for anything unusual.

But, at least in my situation, I think treating my target range seriously as a target, but not worrying too much otherwise, is what the medical teams would want me to do. If I see my rate going out of range (which is rare), I consider backing off a little. More often, it's at the low end, and I ask myself whether I should work harder. Those who have commented that you do need to get your heart rate high enough to get benefit also have a point - the physio rehab team did want to get us working, just not overdoing it.

They consistently emphasised that heart rate is only one indicator. They also came round and talked to us, and I'm sure that was partly to check that we were still in the "working hard but can still talk" range that they were aiming for. And they emphasised the Borg scale just as much.

[tunybgur]

As far as I know all heart rate trackers have alarms, my Sportline watch automatically sets it according to your age.

As an aside, after being prescribed a beta blocker (1,25mg bisporolol) I have great difficulty getting my heart rate above 120, even with sweat pouring off me on a cross trainer!

[Phil_London]

Hi, I have just bought the Garmin 245 Music as it is said to have one of the most accurate HR monitors and plenty more, that I am still trying to work out but yes you can set an alert for your HR. I am enjoying the data, but never know if so much information makes you more paranoid.

Out of interest I take it there are reasons why they say keep.it below 140BPM? I am 52, was semi fit, slim but had a HA and a stent fitted to LAD 7 months ago and was back to run after 4 months, slow but was managing walking running 5K once a week and although I try to keep my HR down to about 140/145 at the end of the run I push it for a minute or 2 up to 160, rehab said it should be fine as long as you feel but I never know and am seeing more advise on if I am pushing it to far.