It keeps you honest about how hard we are actually working. Sure, the workout might “feel” hard, and it’s easy to say that we are “working hard” in the water—but without an objective measure of our effort it’s pretty easy to sandbag our reps. Heart rate tells us with cold precision how much exertion we are truly throwing down. Electrical technology tends to be more accurate. Measurements from the arm and wrist are more difficult because those body parts can swing rapidly during activity, thus creating noisier data. In-ear optical HRMs tend to be better than wrist-based ones because the ear doesn't move nearly as much. The skin of the ear works better for optical readings than the skin on the arm, as well. A waterproof heart rate monitor can help you train within your prescribed zones. 4. Increases Metabolism In addition to MyZone's app, you can connect to your Apple Watch, Samsung or Garmin devices or to third-party apps like Strava, My Fitness Pal and MapMyRun. I was able to use the MZ Switch during strength training workouts through the Future app and had no issues collecting my data after the fact. MyZone uses MyZone Effort Points to tell you a percentage of your maximum heart rate in different zones, which are broken up into colors -- from blue to yellow, light gray, dark gray, green and red. I found that this aspect made it easy to follow because MyZone also includes a rubric explaining what each zone means and why knowing your max heart rate is important. Compared to the data gathered from my Apple Watch, the MyZone MZ Switch's average heart rate, active and total calories were off by some figures, but I expected this since MyZone uses its own rating system.

Ready to take your swimming to the next level? Looking for an accurate way to measure heart rate while in the water? Here is a breakdown of the best waterproof heart rate monitors to take with you to the pool. However, it’s laser-focused on the effects of workouts on your body, how much you recover, and the quality of your rest – and how ready you are to do it all over again tomorrow. To locate the pulse in their wrist, they should place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over their radial artery, which is located on the thumb side of their wrist.It also introduces a modified design (and a loftier price) over its predecessor, the Polar H9, adding silicon friction dots to help keep the strap in place. Plus, we've found it's a bit more comfortable to wear. Boasting a host of additional fitness features, we loved that the Verity Sense has the potential to be a great alternative for those who find chest straps too clunky and smartwatches too unreliable: it's fantastically versatile, feature-rich, and well-priced heart rate monitoring strap – but you do have to contend with a not-so-user-friendly Polar Flow app.

The strap on the wrist wearable consists of a round ECG and PPG sensor, which resembles a watch minus the numbers. The sensor has a button that controls the on and off switch, which lights up. The wrist strap has velcro so you can fasten it to your liking, while the chest strap is easy to secure with some buttons. As we've said, optical heart rate sensors found on most wearables are less accurate than EKG chest straps and should be chosen by those that favor comfort and convenience over accuracy. With a battery life of 235 hours, it won’t let you down in terms of recording all the data you need while swimming. Final Thoughts Now that you understand the benefits of using a heart rate monitor in swimming and the different heart rate zones, it’s time to choose the right heart rate monitor for your needs. When selecting a Swimming Heart Rate Monitor, there are a few key factors to consider. Zone 3 – Threshold Zone: This zone corresponds to 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. It is a moderate effort level that challenges your cardiovascular system. Training in this zone helps improve your lactate threshold and ability to sustain higher intensities.Garmin is known to be running and cyclist friendly, but for the price I would've hoped that it would be versatile for other types of exercise too. I was able to test out the Garmin first during a strength training session via the Future app, which already syncs up with my Apple Watch. I'm not sure if this was a user error, but what stood out to me is that the data it provided seemed exaggerated. During a workout that was 45 minutes long, it told me that I'd burned over 4,000 calories, while my Apple watch told me I'd burned a total of 241 calories. Discrepancies like this go to show you that you shouldn't always rely on the data provided by your wearables. A strong heart is able to pump more blood to your body per beat than a weaker heart, thus requiring fewer beats per minute. A longtime heavyweight in the heart rate monitor industry, Polar heart rate monitors always deliver exceptional products and this one is no different. The Polar H10 is their most recent waterproof heart rate monitor on the market and is a winner! It’s expensive for a plain heart rate monitor but this is a great all-rounder, offering accuracy in optical and electrical heart rate monitoring modes and a motivational fitness app to help you get more active.

The Garmin HRM Pro is the ultimate chest belt for Garmin watch owners and improves on the Garmin HRM-Run in a number of key ways. The belt is now swim proof, Garmin has added Bluetooth connectivity to its own ANT+ scheme, widening the selection of devices it’s compatible with, and the belt also supports offline workout recording for Garmin watches. This means, simply, that you can go for a swim or a run or whatever else without your watch on and still get data post workout. Great if you’ve forgotten to top up your watch or it runs out mid-activity. Overall, accuracy is excellent, it’s comfy, and battery life (supplied by a CR2032 coin cell) is superb at around a year. If you have a Garmin fitness watch and want the most versatile heart rate monitor, this is the belt to buy. Apple watches have been water-resistant up to 50m since the second generation, and the watches have only gotten better since then when it comes to accuracy in all things: counting your laps and counting your heart rate. The Apple Watch is great for braking down all of the details of your HR during your workout, including average heart rate and time spent in different aerobic and anaerobic zones.The Apple Watch Ultra is one of the most water-friendly models on this list with a WR100 rating, which means it can withstand depths of up to 328 feet—twice that of the Series 8. Notably, the Ultra is the first Apple Watch suitable for high-speed water sports like kitesurfing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. The Ultra is also certified to the EN13319 international standard for dive computers and gauges, meaning it's safe for recreational scuba diving descents down to 130 feet. Our Triathletes prefer to use the Garmin HRM-Tri Heart Rate Monitor to measure their heart rate while training.

A chest strap can move around, especially with all of the overhead movements typical of swimming and can intrude on your arm stroke technique. Listen to your body: While heart rate monitoring can provide valuable data, it’s essential to listen to your body and adjust your training accordingly. If you’re feeling excessively tired or experiencing any pain or discomfort, take a break or modify your workout.

The pace clock: born in 1946

Designed primarily to work on your wrist, accessories also allow it to work on your forearm, bicep, or with Whoop's line of clothing. You'll need to keep both the Suunto app and Google Fit installed on your phone, which is a little more hassle than we'd like, but not too much of an inconvenience. The higher-end Suunto 9 is a more sophisticated device, but the 7 is tough to beat at this price point.