My doctor suggested I get a heart rate monitor and up my excercise level. I've been looking at different brands and types and all the different reviews. I'm completely comfused.


I don't want anything too fancy, I just want a basic one for now. I love my Omron pedometer so I was thinking about getting the Omron HR100, but the reviews are just all over the place.


What brand do you guys use? What are the pros and cons?

Hi Sarah - Where do you work out? If it's mostly indoors (like on a treadmill) you might want to check out the Polar monitors. Many of them will actually sync with indoor gym equipment so you can see what your heart rate is without constantly looking at the watch. My first heart rate monitor was a Polar. Suunto also has a good reputation.

Since I do a lot of running outdoors I now have a Garmin FR60 (with heart rate monitor and footpod) so I can monitor both my heartrate and distance. I'm waiting on a good sale for the Garmin 410 which has all the bells and whistles - Heart Rate, GPS, calorie count, distance, and a computer download and analysis of everything. It's very pricey, but some of the running stores have good sales.

There are others - Timex has several, Omiron, Mio. I tried a Mio (about 6 years ago) with a "finger touch" pulse and it was not accurate at all. I would get a belt rather than a finger touch monitor - much more accurate. Also many have downloadable-to-computer programs that help you see how you are doing. Good luck!

I mostly work out at home using my Wii, sometimes I just walk outside. I want to get back to running eventually.

I had stopped because I was told at a running clinic that I needed to work on stregthening my outer muscles around my knees and my back thigh muscles because I wasn't balanced...was having knee pain at the time. It was a really cool running clinic. I had to run on a treadmill for 10 minutes while a sports medicine doctor, a PT and a chiropractor watched my technique. Then they had me do some stretches and checked me out all over.
They gave me some excercises to do, told me to ride the bike for several months then slowly get back to running. I never did. Now I'm so out of shape it's pathetic.