Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Waterproof Heart Rate Monitors And Where To Use Them

By Alyce Powell


The common misconception in the workout world is that the waterproof heart rate monitors do not work underwater as well as their counterparts work out of it. That is, as most people would say, if you can even find one that truly is a waterproof model. Most people have had a very difficult time trying to locate one that is said to be waterproof.

The trick of it is does it work under water? As most people work out they keep an eye on the rate that their heart is beating and pumping their blood. For them it is a measure of how hard they are working out and how much pressure they are putting on their bodies. Too much and they should slow down. Not enough and they need to pick it up a little.

Pushing the buttons under water will essentially break the seal that keeps the water out of the electronics. So if you have the need to start programming the machine while you are under the surface or while you are swimming, just resist. By the way, there is really no need and no further benefit to be gained by not waiting until you get out of the pool after your swim.

For those who like to or have to swim however it is a bit more difficult to track their workouts because they have traditionally had a hard time finding a tool that works as well as those that do out of the water. Some say that the normal monitors are waterproof or water resistant so long as you do not start pushing buttons while under the surface.

The reason for this is in order for them to work they must remain in contact with the persons skin. Without that contact the tool cannot get an accurate reading of the persons heart rate. When the person swims in the water or submerges themselves sometimes the movement of the water can cause the monitor to slip or lose contact with the skin.

In order to get these to work like people expect them to while in the pool, some minor changes to their routine might be in order. Since they do not work if not contacting the skin, one of the best changes people have found was to not take readings while in the water. Swim a few laps and then get out of the pool.

All of these minute changes is what it uses to figure out what your heart rate is, even if it is on your back. Under the water however these devices can slip and slide and sometimes just lose connection with your skin all together because the water tends to get in the way and interrupt that connection. When this happens the machine cannot work.

So for the most part people say just wait until you get out of the water for an accurate reading, or stand up out of the pool after a couple of laps. You could use a breather anyway. The waterproof heart rate monitors do work and they can be found, you just have to use them a little differently. Just like with everything else.




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