In this era of technology there are many runners who could not imagine leaving home for a workout without their GPS watch and although there are many personal trainers who recommend from time to time "running naked" in my opinion using one of these gadgets can have huge benefits for your training and your runs.
If you haven't yet entered this world that links and siblings running and technology, but GPS watches have caught your attention and you're looking for a reason to incorporate it into your workouts, here are five benefits of running with a GPS heart rate monitor. They'll help you make the decision to get one? Or not.
Challenge yourself
As has been said many times before and as you probably already have ingrained in your memory, the only person you should be trying to beat is the person you were yesterday. Now, with technology advancing every day, you can measure your own progress and realize if you have outperformed yourself in every workout through these watches.
GPS heart rate monitors are able to store your previous times according to routes or workouts, giving you the opportunity to compete with a specific time you have previously achieved. For example, if you are going to repeat a route you ran a few weeks ago and you want to test if in this training you can complete the circuit in a shorter time, the GPS watch will give you the option to compare the times of both races (according to the options and settings of your specific watch).
GPS watches that offer this possibility:
Thanks to these features you will have a reliable and clear method to measure your performance and how much you have improved, plus it's a good way to keep you motivated and push yourself a little harder on every run.
Some watches even have challenges in their settings that you can follow by joining online communities. It's not about you obsessing over times or trying to beat all rivals, but they allow you more entertaining options to make your workouts not simply a time to go for a run, but a chance to test yourself.
Weight Loss
Going on a diet can be difficult, so extra help is always welcome in achieving this goal. GPS watches that are currently available on the market can give you a fairly reliable estimate of the number of calories you've burned during your workout, so you can better plan your remaining intake.
Even if you're just running for entertainment and not for weight loss, it's important to have an idea of how many calories you're burning in your workouts to make sure you're eating properly and your body has the fuel it needs to function efficiently.
Most heart rate monitors have this feature. So we recommend 3 models.
Indoor workouts
Gone are the days when you had to rely on the inaccurate information provided by running machines in the gym. Because of the settings and parameters that can be configured on GPS watches, they are able to measure our effort even when we use them for indoor workouts.
On rainy days when you opt to use the treadmill, you could still use your watch and keep track of your workout efforts.
But this data can also go beyond running; if you decide to combine your running sessions with other types of gym workouts, many watches have options to measure performance in the most varied exercises, this will give you information on your overall fitness. From crossfit to weightlifting to swimming, GPS watches can measure the intensity of your routines and maintain data about performance no matter what exercise you do.
Accuracy
We all like to know how far we've come while running, this data is even more important when we're training for an event. Luckily for us, GPS watches offer much more accurate readings of the distance we've covered, even than some apps available for the smartphone.
This is possible since most GPS watches nowadays can connect to different satellites to provide us with accurate information of our location even in the most complicated places, such as in mountainous terrain or with many buildings.
You can also use your watch synced with your cell phone or computer to have full access to your running data from all your devices. This means you can keep track of your training no matter where you are or where you go and easily access stats and data to see your progress.
Most GPS watches come with software that allows you to access many entertaining statistics, such as weekly distance, and average pace per week. These watches and their apps also have many ways to analyze your running data.
Record your variations in your running pace.
Measuring and analyzing your pace changes when you run can help you determine when your speed increases and decreases during a run. You'll be able to see how you've distributed your energy during the run to improve on the next workout. And during the run, you can keep track of the timing for each of the miles you run and see if your goals are being met.
These watches allow you to measure variations in pace during specific intervals of a training session, so you can compare the times of the same workout with one you have completed previously.
The offer of GPS watches is currently very large and more and more companies are joining this expanding market, which results in a sometimes overwhelming number of options to choose from. The important thing is to inform ourselves of the characteristics of a watch that has caught our attention, remember that more expensive is not always better, in this case you should pay much more attention to the features.
While many watches have a surprising amount of features, consider if you really need to use all those applications and settings, if not, look for a watch that has the options you will use most often and a few additional features that you think you can really use at some point.
Incorporate GPS watches to your running routines, we assure you that you will become a true lover of these gadgets.
