About five years ago, I was using an elliptical machine, just beginning to break into a sweat, when the owner of the gym walked up to me and asked, "How do you know you are getting a good workout?"
"I'm sweating," I answered, thinking it was an ingenious answer.
"Yeah, that's real scientific," he said. "Try one of these."
He handed me a black plastic strap that hooked around the body; I had no clue where to put it. Did it go on over my shirt, over my sports bra or under it?
After realizing it went under the sports bra, I also found out that the black plastic strap was a heart rate monitor.
It's an elastic strap that goes around your chest while you exercise and transmits your heart's electrical pulse to a wristwatch "computer" that records your pulse, pace and time, counts calories and factors your age, weight and gender into the equation.
Originally designed for top-performing athletes, heart rate monitors are available for the masses who want to be tuned into their athletic ability.
I no longer had to guess how many calories I burned, how long I exercised or rely on the calorie counter on the elliptical machine.
The machine's caloric count only uses the general equation for measuring heart rates, 220 minus age.
It would calculate the same amount of calories burned for two people who are the same age, no matter their athletic ability.
Wearing a heart rate monitor calculates the number of calories you've burned during a workout.
Many newer (and less expensive) monitors will even average the calories burned over the course of a week and remind you to exercise.
Heart rate monitors can run between $50 to more than $400, but that doesn't mean you are skimping on a product if you go cheaper.
Monitors that include a chest strap and watch are accurate across the board.
One reasonably priced monitor with a watch is Polar, which has easy-to-follow instructions. The company will also replace the watch if it gets damaged.
Other popular models are Timex, which can be a bit more pricey with the same effect as the cheaper variety. Timex also includes a GPS unit, measuring speed and distance.
Nike and Adidas also have heart rate monitors with or without the strap. But without the chest strap, you lose the accuracy and are given an approximation of heart rate and calories burned.
Although they have plenty of advantages, heart rate monitors can be addicting.
After a few months, I became so concerned with the numbers while exercising that it was all I thought about.
It would completely consume my workout to the point where my workouts weren't enjoyable, so watch out for that.
Remember, it's just a number.
Melanie Thomas is the State News health reporter. She writes about your body every Thursday in the lowdown. Reach her at thoma450@msu.edu.
