Heart Rate Monitor

When I work out, I like my new gadgets to help me out with the monotony of the treadmill. You know what I'm talking about.....mp3 player, heart-rate monitor, headphones, etc. I've had to buy a larger gym bag these days to accommodate the electronics store I tote off to the gym.

New Balance, in conjunction with iHOME, just released the NB639 fitness headphones that promise to consolidate some of your gear, and make life a little easier. For starters it's a pedometer that accurately measures your running or walking steps. It's also a chronograph that you can use to time your workout, which eliminates the need for a stopwatch. The NB639 also has a built in heart rate monitor, where you just place your thumb over its sensor and it delivers real-time information.

Since the NB639 Fitness headphones don't have a digital display, it delivers your fitness information to you by talking to you. While you plug these babies into your media player, the NB639's also announces your pedometer, chronograph and heart-rate information. It can tell you not only your heart rate, but the number of steps you've taken, the calories you've burned, or the distance you've traveled without ever having to pause your music or stop your workout. It's a great feature, and works discretely with your music playing.Read more

Top athletes use heart rate training to help improve their training levels. There are plenty of heart rate monitors available for training in sports like running or any sport that takes place above ground, but what about swimmers? Here's your answer – the new AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor from FINIS.

The AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor is a small workout accessory built for swimmers looking to get the most out of their workout through heart rate training. To use, just slip the AquaPulse Heart Rate Monitor inside your goggle strap, attach the soft rubber clip to your earlobe, and start swimming. Using an infrared sensor, your heart beat is detected through your earlobe by capillary activity. The heart rate is then audibly communicated to you in real time, where the information is transmitted directly to your inner ear via Bone Conduction Technology. No ear buds, no cumbersome chest straps and no watch device is needed. You will never have to stop to check your heart rate again. Read more