If you don’t know your exercise heart rate you could be wasting your time on that treadmill and come January 1st, after the feasting fun of the holidays are over, bikini season is only months away.

Studies have shown that people who workout within their target heart rate range, which is normally between 75 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate, optimize their fat burning mode without reaching their anaerobic threshold. When a person reaches this point, it causes excessive amounts of lactic acid in the body, hyperventilating and stops the fat burning process entirely. Understanding and calculating heart rate is easy to do and beneficial for those who want to get fit. It is even easier to keep track of with the Mio Breeze heart rate watch that accurately monitors your heart rate with ECG accuracy.

Although I don’t agree with the promotional materials that the Mio Breeze “gives the nod to fashion”, I do agree that “working out at just the right intensity for your body is the only way to truly make your workout count” and limits the probability of overexertion.

The Mio Breeze for guys and gals comes with two interchangeable rubber watch bands, two Mio Balance guides to healthy living and four modes of operation—Time & Date, Alarm, Exercise Timer and my Mio. My Mio is a mode where the user inputs personal data like gender and age to ensure a more accurate reading. No ECG chest straps needed to get an accurate heart rate reading. So, let’s get physical!

Test #1: It’s Worth Knowing

Being more of an observer of fitness rather than an active participant, I decided to test out how much effort I thought I was putting into a workout as opposed to what I really got out of it.

Result:

For the first 30 minute gym session, I regularly checked and recorded my exercise heart rate using the Mio Breeze. It ranged from 135 to 149, not bad, right? Before my next gym session I sat down and calculated my target heart rate range and the results were disheartening. After what I thought was a great work out, turns out I was below optimal fat burning levels. Guess that congratulatory slice of pie will have to wait.

Test #2: Me VS. The Treadmill

Most treadmills offer built-in heart rate monitors which require gym goers to grip the integrated ECG sensors located on the front or side handles of the treadmill while running for an accurate reading. The goal here is to test the simplicity of obtaining my heart rate from the treadmill heart rate monitor while exercising.

Result:

Running at full speed while holding onto a treadmill is not the most convenient way to check your heart rate. After mimicking a trapped hamster in its wheel, the readings from the treadmill were accurate enough after inputting my personal stats but caused me to slow down my run to stop myself from tripping over my own feet. Additionally I thought about all the other sweaty hands that have been on this machine, making me give the Mio Breeze extra points for being a personal fitness device and hygiene control.

Test #3: Me & The Mio Vs. The Treadmill Round 2

Accurately obtain my heart rate reading without tripping and attempting to keep my heart rate up for a optimal workout using the Mio Breeze only.

Result:

Success! Tiring as it was, the workout was a success and I managed to stay on track, literally. The Mio Breeze has a no fuss method of measuring your heart rate. Simply place your middle finger and index finger on the upper Mio sensor and lower MIO button and it will give you the results within 4 to 7 seconds along with your percentage of max heart rate and beats per minute.

The Bottom Line:

The Mio Breeze accurately and easily measures heart rates while exercising; making it one gadget I will definitely bring to the gym to keep my workouts on time and my heart rate on track. It also allows me to bring fewer items to the gym instead of juggling them around the gym. But I will be keeping the watch hidden under my jacket sleeves until I can find a model that fits my wrist properly and doesn’t look like something from the 80s.