I hardly ever exercise without one. So when someone asked me – “What is the purpose of heart rate monitors?” – I thought it would be a good time to get some answers from the pros.

The basic purpose of heart rate monitors is to measure your heart rate while you exercise. But is the device itself necessary to measure heart rate?

Fabio Comana, Exercise Physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, tells FatFighterTV, “No, heart rate [HR] can be measured by simply finding a pulse and counting the number of beats within a specific time frame (e.g. 15 sec, then multiply by 4 to reach beats per minute). This is challenging to do, hence the convenience of a HR monitor.”

He goes on to answer two other common questions:

Can I hold the HR handles on cardio equipment to measure my HR?

Comana: “Yes, technically you can, but those are often slow to respond and can be inaccurate, picking up interference from around you (electrical activity – treadmills, lights, etc).”

How accurate are heart rate monitors?

Comana: “The most accurate are the ones that pick up a signal transmitted from a receiver strapped around your chest. There are analog and coded digital ones that can separate your signal from interference. HR monitors where you don’t need a chest strap, but just wear a wrist watch that picks up electrical signals from your heart (or supposed to) are more comfortable, but not as accurate.”

Thanks, Fabio! Good to know. I’d always wondered about the wrist watch versions – they seem so convenient. But now that I know they’re not as accurate, I’ll stick to the traditional HR monitor with the chest strap.

What I have:

It’s the Polar F4 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor – It really challenges me to stay in my target zone… plus it lets me know how many calories I’m burning as I exercise. Like I said, I hardly ever exercise without it.

How about you? Do you exercise with a heart rate monitor?

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It’s always fun to look ahead – in this case, to what will be the fitness trends for 2009. This year’s most popular workout looks like it’ll keep kicking booty in ‘09 – Boot Camp-style workouts still top the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) just-released list of next year’s fitness trends. Also at the top – ACE says fitness buffs will try to get more bang for their buck in this tough economy. Here’s the entire list – I look forward to it every year!

ACE’s Top 10 fitness trends for 2009

Boot Camp-Style Workouts: These are still very popular because they give you a total-body workout that’s varied, fun and challenging.  You burn a lot of calories (up to 600, says ACE), get a great cardiovascular workout, and strengthen your muscles with high- and low-intensity exercises like pushups, squats and lunges.  You don’t usually get as much muscle fitness benefits in other aerobic exercises.

Budget-Friendly Workouts: With today’s struggling economy, more people will cut costs to stay in shape.  Of the ACE-certified professionals surveyed, 48 percent said gym memberships will go down in 2009 and 52 percent said fewer people will hire personal trainers.  Look for more people to use the resources around them as their gym and equipment.

Specialty Classes: Yoga and Pilates will stay strong, but dance-based classes will be all the rage in 2009!  Zumba combines South American rhythms with cardiovascular exercise.  And Bollywood, ballroom, Afro-Cuban and other exotic dance styles are getting more popular thanks to shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.

Getting Back to Basics: Even though many exercises and equipment are becoming more advanced and trendy, trainers will continue to focus on basic movements and techniques with their clients again.

Circuit Training: Studies have shown that interval training that combines strength training and cardio at different intensities is more time-efficient than doing the traditional aerobic and weight training sessions.  As circuit training gets more popular, many gyms are even setting up their own circuits for their members.

Kettlebells: The reason for the surge in working out with kettlebells is that it gets back to basic training that requires functional, whole body fitness. The movements work your entire body, especially your core, as you lift and control the kettlebell.

Boomer Fitness: The 50+ audience keeps redefining our expectations about age, vitality and life, and has highlighted the importance of physical activity as we age.  Since September 2007, AARP’s fitness initiative for boomers—aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members—has been going strong.

Technology-Based Fitness: From iPods to Cardio Cinema to exergaming (i.e., Wii Fit, Expresso Bikes) the latest in technology will continue to infuse itself in all aspects of fitness.  In 2009, look for more interactive video games that have fitness benefits, as well as new inventions to make exercising a more engaging experience.

Event or Sport-Specific Exercises: Even with all the new and trendy workouts, sports or recreational activities will still be a popular way to stay in shape.  Playing a friendly game of basketball or volleyball, training for a marathon, or taking a day-long bike ride are just a few examples.

Mixing It Up: (I’m all for it!) Research shows you’ll get similar if not better results if you mix things up.  For example, do low-intensity cardio with intervals on some days, then switch to high-volume, low- intensity weight training with low-volume, high-intensity training on other days.

I’ve left some of my thoughts along the way, but my favorite things on the list are kettlebells, dance aerobics classes, and mixing it up! What do you think of the 2009 trends?

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When it comes to exercise, I like to try new things and mix it up so I don’t get bored. And as the new year gets underway, it looks like there will be plenty of interesting choices to get us all moving. From Latin dancing to water aerobics, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) predicts 2008 will be filled with fitness that focuses on fun.

Here is ACE’s list of the top 10 fitness trends for 2008:

1. Out of the Box Workouts – Gyms are not for everyone. The popularity of TV shows like Dancing With The Stars has dance studios popping up across the country. Hip hop, ballroom, Latin and country line dancing combine high energy music with unique moves that let you get your groove on as you get fit. Outdoor boot camps are also getting more popular. And local boxing clubs have classes filled with people of all ages. These fun activities can make you forget you are really exercising.

2. Body Weight and Equipment-Free Workouts – Equipment can intimidate some people. Others want to add options and flexibility to their workouts. These full-body exercises focus on movement patterns, repetitions, and Plyometrics to target multiple muscle groups. They are perfect for traveling – you don’t need any equipment so you can do them anywhere.

3. Event or Sports-Specific Programming – Millions of Americans participate in charity runs and walks every year, and even train for months to get ready. For many people it is a great social event and a chance to help their favorite charity. Health clubs are offering training for surfboarding, golf, football, etc. and at the same time helping members build the strength, endurance, and stamina they need for real-life activities and sports.

4. Boomer Fitness Focus – The 50+ age group is redefining our expectations about age, vitality, and the importance of physical activity as we get older. For the aging population, regular exercise is critical in keeping the body limber, injury-free, and more youthful. The nonprofit group, AARP, launched a major fitness initiative in September of 2007 aimed at providing a wide range of affordable fitness services to its 39 million members.

5. Focused Express Workouts– These are group classes lasting 30 minutes or less that focus on one element of fitness or training a specific part of the body – for example, core training, upper-body strength, balance and agility, aerobics/fat burning. You can target a specific goal with little time commitment. Many gyms piggy-back these classes so you can go to two in a row.

6. Total Wellness Programming – More and more people will focus on injury and disease prevention and understanding how food, exercise, weight and a healthier mindset must interact for the body to have balance and total wellness. Maintaining a healthy mind and body from the inside with less focus on physical appearance is steadily becoming a new ideal.

7. Hybrid Programming – Fusion of mind-body techniques like breath work and meditation into traditional exercise continues to be popular. Workouts like Spin-Yoga and Pilates Fusion combine strength, flexibility and endurance – an all-in-one exercise experience.

8. Personal Training – 93% of ACE fitness professionals surveyed say personal training will be more accessible in 2008. Consumers are demanding competent personal trainers to offer them expert guidance and motivation. Many clients view it as a wise investment in their long-term health.

9. Technology-Based Workouts – Consumers are downloading exercise programs that feature illustrations and/or video to their iPods, PDAs etc. And advances in technology makes it possible to more precisely measure your performance and keep track of your results. This helps improve weight management.

10. Functional Strength Training – Whether it’s walking, hiking or lifting weights, you need functional strength. More people will be looking for workout programs to help improve their endurance, balance, and coordination. This will in turn help them more safely and effectively perform their daily living activities, work-related tasks, and recreational or sports-specific exercises. Health clubs and trainers offer functional training programs and classes for virtually all levels and types of participants.

I definitely like the focus on fun in the 2008 predictions. Sounds like my kind of workout!

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