My New Fitness Gadget!

For a very long time I've been researching what it takes to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. Well, when I say researching, I do mean merely googling different workout routines and meal plans every couple of days but still - you get the idea. To be honest, I don't typically love exercise but it is something I'm trying to incorporate into my life at least a couple of times a week. The one thing that used to bug me was never knowing how many calories I'd burned after a workout. It's all well and good making sensible food choices and counting calories, but after exercise you run the risk of over-eating if you don't low how many calories you've manage to torch.

This is where my new gadget comes in, the Polar FT4. This is a heart rate monitor which allows you to track how many calories you've burnt during your workout and also lets you know your average and maximum heart rate zone while you're exercising. It's basically like having your own personal trainer on your wrist! I've used this a couple of times now and I definitely wouldn't like to be without it - it's SO useful.

To use it, simply attach the Polar transmitter to the front of the belt and place it around your chest. You need to dab the black strip of electrodes with a little bit of water before you exercise so you can get an accurate measurement of your heart rate, but then you're good to go!

Once you've finished your workout you can rinse the strap with water to clean it and then let it hang to dry ready for next time. With the FT4 model you cannot sync the watch wirelessly to receive your workout results but you can use the Polar website to keep track of everything by typing your data in manually. This may be too much effort for some but if you're serious about keeping track of your workouts you shouldn't find it too tedious.

I really think this a great piece of kit for those of you who may be looking for an accurate estimation of how many calories you've burned during exercise. It's really simple and easy to use and it comes in a variety of colours - always a good thing for those fashion-conscious gym-goers! I opted for the green one as I thought it'd make a nice change from pink, but there are also silver and blue options available on the Polar website here.