The Polar H7 Bluetooth chest strap monitor can be worn for any fitness activity, but it seems to be best for runners and bikers. The Polar Beat app acts like a personal trainer in your palm. First, you set a goal â€" whether that’s beating a previous time or burning a certain number of calories. The app, in conjunction with the Polar H7 heart rate monitor, helps you stay on track of that goal throughout your workout with real-time data tracking and voice guidance. And you can still listen to music while the app is running.
The heart rate monitor provides accurate calorie, distance, heartbeat and other health-stat tracking. The app and website help break down your sweat-sessions to show you where you did well and where you can improve.
We’ve see a lot of amazing fitness-tracking wristbands and other wearable devices. We were starting to think heartrate monitors were a thing of the past, but Corey Nacchio, a spokesperson for Polar, tells Mashable that the H7 Heart Rate Sensor is comfortable and high-tech.
The band is made of breathable materials and there’s no itchy Velcro touching your skin. It’s also washable. The monitoring device is small enough to not get in your way. He says after awhile, you’ll forget you’re wearing it.
With the app, you can view
- The distance you ran, or the minutes you worked out.
- How many calories you burned
- Your pace
- The speed at which you ran
- Your heart rate
You’ll be able to see what heart rate zone you’re in â€" fat burning or cardio. Nacchio highlighted a special feature called “energy pointer,†which will direct you to the right heart rate zone for your fitness goals.
“There’s a value in seeing it in real time because you can see ‘Am I on track to do the workout I want to do?,’†he said.
Nacchio said what sets Polar’s app and heart rate monitor apart from others on the market is that “we’re not just about giving you the training in real time, it’s about all the information you can gather afterwards.â€
After your workout, the app will show you how close you came to reaching your goal, and by using charts, show you how to hit that goal during your next workout.
The device is for all types of fitness activities, and has an operating time of around 200 hours. If you’re a runner, the voice commands will likely help guide you toward doing the workout you aimed to do, while if you’re taking a class at the gym, you might want to turn your phone’s volume down and utilize the post-workout analytics to learn to step it up or take it down a notch in the class.
You can access all your data through the mobile app or website (both free to use with the product).
Not willing to give the chest strap a try? Polar also has connected watches.
The Polar H7 retails for $79.95. The app [iTunes link] is available for iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. For a $3.99 upgrade to the app, you can access more features. You can test the app on the company’s website through a series of interactive screens.
Do you think being able to track your workouts and analyze the data can help you achieve your goals? Tell us in the comments.
Image courtesy iStockphoto, amygdala_imagery
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