Training by heart rate has been popular since the late 1990’s but I have to stress that running with heart rate monitor is not a thing of the past. This article aims to:

• Explain why you should run using heart rate monitor
• Calculate your heart rate while you are running
• Recommend best heart rate monitors for running

Why you should measure your heart rate when running

Protects you from injury

Many runners find themselves trying to run as fast as they can, but they don’t realize that running too fast may put you at risk of injury and burnout. If you have a fast resting heart rate, running too fast you may make you feel dizzy, out of breath, lightheaded, or even puke. Measuring your heart rate during a run helps prevent you from suffering those risks. Using a heart rate monitor that sends data continuously will let you know when you are about to exceed your maximum allowed heart rate and to slow down your speed.

Keeps you in your lactic threshold

Even when you don’t have any issues while running fast, a heart rate monitor helps you train more efficiently. You already know what happen when you run, right? Your body breaks down sugars to fuel the muscles, which produces lactic acid. Lactic acid is then recycled back into energy and expels the waste products. Some people might not realize that the faster you run, the more lactic acid is produced. It turns out that lactic acid production will slowly increase when you keep running faster. Knowing your lactic threshold by using a heart rate monitor helps you exercise more effectively and for optimum results.

Lets you take deep breaths when running

When running, it’s best if you breathe through your mouth and do “belly breathing,” because you need to feed your muscles an adequate amount of oxygen. An easy recovery run increases blood flow, helps deliver fresh oxygen and nutrients to your body. A 3:3 rhythm (three steps – one with your left, one with your right, one with your left – while breathing in) works best for warm-ups and most easy paced days. This allows plenty of oxygen to be inhaled through the lungs, processed, and then exhaled with relative ease. But if you run too fast, you can’t match your steps to this breathing tempo.

What should your heart rate be when running

According to the American Heart Association, your target heart rate zone is when your exercise heart rate is 50-85% of your maximum heart rate and you are advised to run at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate.
Calculate your heart rate when running:

Best heart rate monitor for running

There are plenty of heart rate monitors on the market for running activities. Here is the checklist you should use for choosing the right one for you:

• Continuous heart rate monitor: Built-in heart rate monitor or used with a chest strap
• GPS: Track your steps and distance by GPS or accelerometer. When you run you may need GPS for finding route or to let your family or others know where you are.
• Other advanced functions for running: set up your lactic threshold, your maximum heart rate, etc…
• On budget: the more functions, the higher the price. Knowing your budget will help you decide more easily

Cheap heart rate monitor for running

Polar H7

• A chest strap that you wear under your chest. Simple but accurate.

Garmin Premium Chest strap

• Similarly to Polar H7 but with better water resistance.

Polar FT4

• Chest strap which includes a wristwatch receiver. Tracks your calories burned.
  
  

Most accurate heart rate monitor, used with chest strap

Polar M400

This sports watch is often recommended as the best for its price.

• Built-in GPS: Tracks steps, calories and your runs through GPS
• Running cadence to improve your running efficiency and avoid injuries in all weather conditions
• Can be used with Polar H7 chest strap

Suunto Ambit3 Run GPS with HR

• Plan out your full route through navigation assistance
• Check your recovery status

Garmin Forerunner 630

• Get stats for cadence, vertical oscillation, stride length and ground contact time
• Uses heart rate data to learn your lactate threshold

Running GPS heart rate monitor

Apple Watch Series 2

• Built in GPS & Waterproof

Tomtom Spark 3

• It includes a compass which means you combine with the onboard GPS to enable route tracking.
• It works with GPX files, which you can upload to the watch and view routes to make sure you don’t get lost out on your running adventures

Polar M600

• Personalized training guidance to reach your fitness goals
• Built-in GPS Technology keeps track of your pace, distance and altitude
• Smart coaching: running index, Sport profiles, hr zones, training benefit

Running watch heart rate monitor

Moto 360 Sport

Silicon case and band and features an AnyLight LCD touchscreen to swipe through and easily view your stats in the bright outdoors or at night. Motorola’s Moto Body app is also surprisingly well designed, making your data easy to digest on the move.

Garmin Forerunner 235

Built-in heart rate monitoring. GPS and GLONASS satellites for a quick location fix while a built-in accelerator takes care of distance and pace when you’re running on an indoor track or treadmill.

Garmin Vivoactive HR GPS smartwatch

Built-in heart rate monitor. Monitor your progress against aerobic activity goals. GPS smartwatch with a sunlight-readable, high-resolution color touchscreen

Fitbit Blaze

Enable connected GPS to map your routes and see run stats like pace and duration on display. Track steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes.

Summary: Selecting a Running Watch heart rate monitor

If running is your favorite training activity, make it more efficient and effective by using high-tech heart rate monitor devices while you train. You are spending the same amount of time running, but you will achieve much better results, so why not give it try? And to choose the most suitable heart rate monitor, first define your budget for it and look again the list I created above. If you are a heart rate monitor beginner or still considering which one is best for you, please comment so we can discuss further.