Reality Check

This morning, I had a fantastic cardio workout on a torture device I like to call "The Gauntlet." Others call it a stepmill. It is a set of rotating stairs often used by the trainers on The Biggest Loser.

My workout was 45 minutes long with intervals of heavy exertion. My heart rate ranged from 125 to 163, which is right where it needs to be for interval training. The machine said I burned 500 calories in total, whereas my heart rate monitor said a measly 350. I always side with the heart rate monitor, because it knows my age and has no reason to lie to me. On the contrary, I always suspect the machine...it wants me to think I'm burning more calories so that I use it more and the gym keeps ordering more units. Okay, I'll admit I'm overly suspicious, but you see my point.

Whenever someone asks me about cardio training, the first thing I tell them is to get a heart rate monitor and live by it. It keeps me honest and motivates me. It gives me a daily reality check.

The heart rate monitor I recommend is by Polar and is fairly basic -- a watch and a chest strap. Polar typically works with most cardio machines, which is an added plus. Since I don't need to sync with my computer nor know my distance, I don't buy the fancy model. I just want to know what my heart rate is at the time I'm working out.

If you don't know where your heart rate should be, you can use this handy tool to find the zones. Since everyone is different, you may find that you need to adjust for your level of fitness.

And just remember not to trust those sneaky machines.