Heart rate monitor …good idea after 2.5 years without any hard exercise?

About 30 months ago I was pretty fit and strong but a combination of injury/depression led to me giving up everything good for me and as a result I’ve put on 20kg and am pretty unfit .
I’m on hols in france at the mo and just went for a 5 mile ride with a few hills . Wasn’t easy but It has spurred me into thinking of starting up again and losing weight with a better diet etc . Just wondered what folks think about the usefulness of a heart rate monitor for someone like myself trying to get back into shape and improve my general fitness.
Your advice / experiences would be appreciated .
many thanks
Bill

I wouldnt bother. They are a useful tool for those that have the desire to capture data over a very log period but you will probably do what most cyclists/runners do, buy one, use it a couple of times and wonder what it is really telling you then put it in a drawer never to be used again.

Well HRM can help if used in conjunction with the online training diary at recording your monthly training. It will keep count of the mileage calories burnt etc and allow you to set goals and is a honesty check. There’s no bluffing your training diary, you either put the mileage in or not. Your heart rate at this stage would be secondary to time, mileage.

Could be useful to ensure you train in the best zone for fat burning.

Plus you can monitor your recovery rate, which is a good indication of actual fitness.

And some of the sophisticated ones can detect irregularities in your heart beats and so warn of potential issues – I think my old Suunto T6 could do this, and estimate your VO2 max which is another indication of fitness.

And it will also give you incentive.

So I would.

estimate your VO2 max which is another indication of fitness.

To get an accurate V02 test you need to have it done in lab like conditions. If you are saying it can “guess” then thats not much use really.

I don’t think I’d bother, unless you’ve got some kind of heart condition and you really need to make sure you don’t overdo it. Just take it a bit easier for the first couple of months until you’ve got a bit of fitness back.

i wouldn’t, especially if you’ve not already got one to hand. Your initial goal is going to be getting comfortable on the bike again and losing a bit of chub and you don’t need a hrm for either of those. Just measure your rides by either time or distance and ride at a pace that you find challenging but sustainable. No reason to overcomplicate things.

Just ride.. your lungs or legs are pretty good at telling you when to stop. Your fitness will return. Start with strava to record your progress

As you put on 20kg monitor that reduction is important . That’s like cycling up hill with an extra bike and half!!

Don’t bother, very few people train to their full capacity, just get out there and hit the trails HARD.
Recovery time is more important.

I’d get a hrm and gps in a watch ( polar, garmin and even aldi had one) to keep a record of your progress. Its always a good motivational tool when you realise how much you have improved.
Good luck with the program and keep at it.. you made the first step!

If you can find the zone that you can ride in without blowing up but maintaining a good pace then a hrm is very useful. And you can measure your improvements as you get fitter and look forward to shouting In a darts stylee “one hudered and eeeeeightyyy!” At the top of a big hill.

I’ve just bought a cheap one for £30 from Decathlon. I used to have one a few years back when I was much fitter but never bothered replacing it after it malfunctioned.

I used it for the first time whilst out running tonight and found it useful. Firstly I probably wouldn’t have made it out for a run if I hadn’t got it as it was the child-like enthusiasm of having a new toy to play with that pushed me out running in the first place.

During the run in the 1st 15min period it told me that I only spent 5 minutes in the training zone. This helped motivate me to step it up a bit and during the next 15-min period I spent 11 minutes in the training zone and in the final 40 minute period I spent 28 minutes in the training zone.

Everyone is different but I reckon it could help a bit but I wouldn’t get too hung up on the numbers. For me it just adds another bit of interest to get me out exercising in the first place.

Buy one!

You will be able to see how your cardiovascular system is improving as you exercise ( increase in speed at a given heart rate)

You will get a better idea about how to pace yourself, especially in hot weather.

You will also be able to monitor your resting heart rate more easily.

You will also know when to avoid heavy exercise as an elevated heart rate tends to indicate illness such as the onset of a cold.

I would avoid anything but the polar brand…well reliable.

I believe the one up from their base model ( about forty quid) is a good un and not too complicated.

Having one really helped me when I started running again. I have a tendency to run too fast, having a HRM helped me stay (fairly low) in the “aerobic zone”, which meant that I could not only run for longer, but it also meant that I didn’t completely destroy myself for the next few days.

I would get one if it helps motivate you to get out.

Firstly, I’d recommend a smart phone GPS system such as Strava / Endemondo etc. If you’ve already got a newish phone then it’s free and a really easy way to track your mileage etc. That will motivate you and give you a good idea of what you’ve done.

At a basic level, just using a HRM for a bit will give you a much better idea of the intensity you’re working at – after a while you’ll be able to tell you’re at 70% of max just from your breathing without the HRM.

After that, having some software to examine and collate ride HRM data makes it much more useful. Knowing how long you rode in each zone will tell you a lot more about how much “training stress” you put yourself through than just looking at miles / time / elevation gain.

All that said, you definitely don’t NEED one – I think you’d have to get to quite a high fitness level before you’d need to go beyond “just ride more” as an effective training strategy.

During the run in the 1st 15min period it told me that I only spent 5 minutes in the training zone. This helped motivate me to step it up a bit and during the next 15-min period I spent 11 minutes in the training zone and in the final 40 minute period I spent 28 minutes in the training zone.

How did you work out the “zones”?

How did you work out the “zones”?

If you have a smartphone that’s compatible with hrm software then that’s one way to go, otherwise I would avoid the temptation to go for the cheaper aldi/ lidl hrm’s …too many functions and frustrating to use.

I would say that a hrm is as important for the returning ‘athlete’ as for a seasoned pro.

I’m sure your gp would recommend that you follow some kind of fitness plan based around heart rate target zones, possibly involving swimming as well, given your previous injury?

Basing your workout intensity on how hard you are breathing is a bit inaccurate. As an asthmatic it’s not the way I would plan an exercise session.

It might be a good idea to pick up one of the introductory books on the use of hrm’s, as the theory will be explained more clearly.

The polar hrm that I would recommend for beginners is the ft2.

You is not wrong Sam. All guesswork as is Vo2 max etc. Keep the packaging for when you sell it on the classifieds

GPS however, thats a different thing. Very useful as a training tool for the bog standard runner.