Fitness Performance Tracking

AUTHOR: Maggie King MS, CNS, LN

Have you ever tried a performance / exercise tracking tool? Do you use an Apple Watch, a Whoop band, a Polar heart rate monitor, the Our a ring, or a Garmin? Over the years I have tried a lot of different performance tracking devices. My previous career (before diving into my passion for nutrition) was a Human Resources business partner for Under Armour. My very first heart rate monitor was the Armour E39 Performance Heart Rate Monitor. It got me hooked! It was not the fanciest and was way before it’s time, but it sparked my thirst for performance knowledge. How well my heart was beating? How could I increase exercise performance? How could I increase O2 concentration / breathing rate? This was the beginning of exercise science at consumer fingertips!‍

Fast forward 11 years and I was introduced to the fitness performance tracker, MyZone. By far the best performance tracking tool I have used over the past 10 years.. This company created a product that is engaging, competitive, easy, motivating, and shows you the science and progress behind your workouts. My favorite part about this product is that it measures your EFFORT and it rewards you for that effort. You can compete in challenges and use their app for live or pre-recorded workouts. MyZone uses color coded levels for “heart rate training” and calculates / adjusts your max heart rate automatically leaving you with a challenging workout every time.

Heart rate training is based on your personal demographics: age, gender, and maximum heart rate(which is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can pump under maximum stress). MyZone will calculate your max heart rate for you using the HUNT formula (211 - (0.64 x your age)) and it will also adjust your max heart rate during your workouts. No more guessing. Meaning every workout is efficient and effective.

Heart rate training is a great way to make sure that you are working hard enough, or not overdoing it during your workouts. It allows you to easily adjust the intensity of a session so that you can get the most out of it. This means less time wasted, more time spent training effectively. For example, if you're in a low-intensity part of your routine as you're recovering from illness, or perhaps increasing training distances, you know to stay within heart rate zone one (blue) or two(green). On the other hand, if performing HIIT you know that during the 'work phase' you should be hitting zone four (yellow) or five (red).

The overall benefits of heart rate training are:

Helps build endurance. By monitoring your heart rate and keeping it within a specific range, you can gradually increase how long you can exercise before fatigue sets in.
Increases cardiovascular health. Continuously pushing yourself at an intense level will strengthen the muscles in your heart and lungs so that they're able to pump blood more effectively.
Valuable tool for recovery. It helps you determine if your current level of activity is appropriate for your conditioning and fitness level.
Gives individuals a way to measure their progress over time as they work towards achieving their goals.

MyZone has kept me motivated because it challenges me to hit specific heart rate zones. I can complete against myself or against other colleagues, friends, teammates, etc. They offer fun classes I can do at home or in the gym and my MyZone friends can see how I performed during my workouts, holding me super accountable! This is a product I recommend to everyone. If you are a beginner or an expert athlete, the technology, knowledge, science, and motivation that this tracking tool provides will help you surpass your goals!‍

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