Affairs of the heart
SO, February dawns and thoughts inevitably turn to affairs of the heart. It is the month of Valentine’s Day after all.
But those expecting a guide to navigating the baffling world of dating apps will be disappointed – those days are thankfully well behind me and I have zero desire to return.
No, when we talk about affairs of the heart we really mean it – how is your heart doing?
We all could get a little fitter and feel a little better, of course, and how well your ticker performs is central to that.
That’s why this month – declared National Heart Month by the British Heart Foundation, of course – we’re looking at the best tech for monitoring your heart’s health…
Myzone MZ-Switch
They say: The world’s first interchangeable exercise tracker for the gym, outdoors or in water.
Monitor your heart rate on your chest, arm or wrist. Three times the motivation and three times the fun, with a light indicator and built-in memory so you can see your zone without a phone, and up to six months battery life on one charge.
We say: The best thing about the MZ-Switch, of course, is its versatility.
Depending on the activity you’re performing, you can wear it in one of three places on your body.
It connects to workout machines at the gym, and your smartphone for analysing data.
And while out on a run, it’ll offer feedback using Myzone’s zoning system to tell you just how hard your heart is working.
Price: £139.99, buy.myzone.org
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
They say: You do the running. This GPS running smartwatch does the thinking. It even gets to know you, mile after mile and song after song.
We say: Garmin is perhaps now the go-to heart monitoring solution for runners – the company makes chest-band monitors as well as smartwatches with built-in sensors.
The 245 Music watch will load up your Spotify playlists to keep you entertained as you put in the hard miles. Other useful features include access to Garmin’s excellent training programmes and “incident detection” that will notify a designated contact if you have a fall while out in the wilds.
Price: £299.99 at Garmin.com
Polar H10
They say: When it comes to accuracy and connectivity, Polar H10 heart rate sensor is the go-to choice. Monitor your heart rate with maximum precision and connect your heart rate to a great variety of training devices with Bluetooth and ANT+. With a Polar H10, heart rate monitoring is more accurate and adaptable than ever.
We say: You really need a chestmounted monitor for total accuracy – they tend to work better than those you wear on the wrist or arm because they do not require good skin contact to function correctly. The Polar H10 is one of the best choices as you can connect it to a wide range of other devices for monitoring, including your smartphone.
Price: £76.50 at polar.com
Apple Watch Series 7
They say: Apple Watch can do what your other devices can’t because it’s on your wrist.
When you wear it, you get a fitness partner that measures all the ways you move, meaningful health insights, and a connection to the people and things you care about most. And it’s always just a glance away.
We say: Apple is celebrating Heart Month in its inimitable way, with a deluge of heart-related content pouring out of almost all its channels.
If you’re an Apple Watch user you’ll get special achievement awards for performing heartrelated workouts across the month, but there are heart-related
collections appearing on Apple Books, Podcasts, Apple News and in the App Store.
Price: From £369, apple.com/ uk