A Sports Bra that Monitors Ones Heart Rate

Many people who endeavor to achieve and maintain fitness through aerobic exercise do so by wearing a heart rate monitor. The way it works is that one uses the heart rate monitor, strapped to ones chest with plastic straps, to measure one’s heart rate at rest and at various stages of exercise. The optimal heart rate, which one needs to achieve in order to consider fit, can be determined with the help of a fitness expert and is often contingent on ones age and other factors.

A standard heart rate monitor consists of a sensor device that is attached to ones chest, a transmitter, and a watch that reads the transmission and displays the current heart rate. Wearing a heart rate monitor can be a special challenge for women wanting to achieve and maintain fitness for obvious anatomical reasons. A heart rate monitor can interfere with the wearing of a sports bra, the wearing of which is a necessity for a serious, female athlete. It can also be uncomfortable and in some cases lead to scarring.

A company called Textronics seems to have come up with a solution. It is marketing a sports bra which incorporates the heart monitor sensors within the fabric. It is far more comfortable than plastic strap on heart sensors.

The way the NuMetrex system, as the sports bra package is called, works is that one inserts the transmitter into a bra chest band and snaps it into place. The sensors will start to work when ones body starts to perspire. Alternatively one can wet ones finger and run it over the sensor area. A Polar FS1 or the slightly more sophisticated Polar F4 watch works with the system to display the heart rate and other pertinent information.

One should make certain that one has removed the transmitter before laundering the bra. It can be machine washed on warm with tumble dry on low or air dry.

The NuMetrex sports bra comes in three sizes. They are small for cup sizes 32 through 34AB, medium for 34C through 36AB, and large for 36C through 38AB. The package containing the bra, the transmitter, and the display watch can cost between 115.00 for the one with the FS1 watch and 145.00 dollars for the one containing the F4 watch.

For men wishing to have a heart rate monitor that can be worn the comfort, a solution is nigh. A NuMetrix system that incorporates a shirt with imbedded sensors will be marketed very soon.