Friday, September 28, 2012

How To Assess and Purchase a Decent Training Watch

By Renay Ebrahim


Whether you like running for amusement, personal health and fitness or as a specialized sportsman, you'll find GPS wrist watches to be especially helpful. Running wrist watches not only help you time your cycles but will also assist you in monitoring your distance and speed advancements. Types of running watches from simple models to heart monitor watches and more importantly GPS running watches are in the marketplace. Though GPS technology has mainly been used in auto technology along with other sophisticated security applications, it's been modified for sports use and particularly for specialized athletes.

Primary advantages of GPS fitness watches

Just like a basic watch will only indicate the time, other specialized watches like heart rate watches will only monitor one specific aspect of your running session. Most GPS running watches combine all these functions into one device. Simple GPS watches will monitor time, distance, speed, calorie usage, heartbeat and preloaded workouts to help you monitor your performance. In addition, advanced GPS running watches measure the altitude, which is an important factor for certain professional endurance athletes. These watches are installed with software to enable you to analyze your data on the computer. Since they are GPS enabled, they can sync the data online to your preferred online data centers.

What to consider before purchasing a GPS running watch

There are numerous running watches on the market. Choice depends not only on the features of the smart watch but also on your demands and budget. Factors to take into account include:

1. The features. Consider whether you want an advanced or a simple watch.

2. The size. The watch should not interfere with your natural movements, especially if it is integrated with other gadgets like a heart rate monitor.

3. The cost: Most GPS wrist watches range from $200 to $500 in cost. Beyond a particular price, going even further up in cost may not always be much better.

Sample GPS watches on the market

The most wanted GPS watches in the marketplace include:

1. The NIKE SportWatch GPS. With a record volume of sales, the Nike's GPS seldom gets cut off and it will map the territory and laps you have run along with the time, yardage, velocity, calories burned and pulse rate. You can set alerts and examine previous runs with this smart watch. Another related GPS running watch from Nike is the Nike SportBand.

2. The Motorola Motoactv. Available in 8GB and 16GB models, this comes with a music player to motivate you and is suitable for athletes, golf players and cyclists. For $150, the Motorola Motoactv will sync your data online, among other benefits.

3. The Garmin Forerunner collection. This GPS watch has probably the most advanced statistical capabilities. For example, make use of the virtual partner to set a speed for yourself as well as previous run data. As you are active running, the Garmin Forerunner will determine the energy you are burning up, your heartrate, the routes that you use, pace and of course time. You can download this information onto your pc to monitor your improvement.

4. Timex Ironman trainer with GPS. Its main edge is the customizable easy-to-read display. Its online management software package, Training Peaks, makes it possible to analyze your workout data online. With water proofing and a 15 hour battery lifespan, this smart watch is a serious challenger.




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