What's the Difference Between a Running Watch and an Outdoor Watch?
A lot of customers ask what the difference between running and outdoor watches is. It’s no wonder, since at first glance, it is not immediately apparent. Only once...
10. 5. 2018
Together with our team of experts, we’ve prepared a guide to help you understand how to best exercise with a sports watch.
If you want to effectively lose weight, you need to avoid many mistakes that might render your efforts ineffective. It’s not important to gasp for breath or come to the brink of exhaustion while exercising. What is important are the number of heart beats per minute (heart rate frequency, HRF). If you overexert yourself and your heart rate frequency is over 170 bpm, you are almost assuredly working in vain. Your body is not able to burn fats in this state. It starts to burn sugars and if it runs out of sugars, it will move onto the muscle mass.
To lose weight effectively (burn fats) you need to do an aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is a sports activity lasting over 20 minutes with a steady effort where your heart rate frequency is at its optimum value. The optimum heart rate frequency ranges between 120-145 bpm, depending on sex, age, height and weight of the individual user.
___________________________________________________________________________Calculating optimum heart rate frequency:
You need to know your maximum heart rate (HRmax) and minimum heart rate (HRmin). Maximum heart rate can be calculated with this formula: 220 - your age. You can measure your minimum heart rate in a relaxed state. Lay on your back for approximately 5 minutes and do not react to any disturbances around you. After 5 minutes, measure your heart rate frequency at your wrist or other pulse point (i.e. the carotid artery). The beats you count per minute are the HRmin. Subtract HRmax - HRmin to get the heart rate reserve (HRR).
Then calculate your optimum heart rate frequency:HRR * 0,6 + HRmin
Example.: If you are 32 and have measured your minimum heart rate frequency at 70 bpm, your optimum hear rate is 141 bpm. As per the formula:
(((220 - 32) - 70) * 0,6) + 70 = 140,8
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The only way to effectively lose weight and significantly improve your physical fitness is to monitor your heart rate frequency while exercising!
A sports watch allows you to have your heart rate frequency under control at all times, whether you are cycling, inline skating or running.
A sports watch is basically a wrist watch with a chest strap. During the training, the chest strap wirelessly transmits your heart rate data to the sports watch. The sports watch will display your heart rate frequency and even notify you with an alarm sound if the heart rate frequency changes in a way you don’t want.
In reality it means that if you are cycling or skating, for example, and want to burn fats while doing so, you use the sports watch to help you maintain the optimum heart rate frequency. If your heart rate diverts from the optimum zone, a warning sound from the sports watch will prompt you to increase or slow down your pace. This is the only way to burn unnecessary fats and strengthen your muscles, improving your physical fitness in the process.
It is important to keep in mind that aerobic exercising that will help you lose weight does not entail only training in a gym on treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes or vibration machines. If you use a sports watch, inline skating, Nordic hiking, cycling or riding a scooter can also become aerobic exercises.
For comparison: If you exercise on a spinning bike for an hour, you’ll burn approximately 1 700 kJ. If you spend the same amount of time inline skating, you may burn up to 2 500 kJ.
It is therefore ideal to combine outdoor aerobic activities (running, cycling, inline skating) while using a sports watch with training using a fitness equipment. This way, you’ll systematically strengthen your entire body and a sports watch will help you effectively burn fats.
"The inSPORTline team of trainers and nutruition experts wishes you only success in your endeavours..."Recommended sports watches and heart rate monitors: