Polar F55 heart rate monitor combines cardio and strength training

Finish heart-rate monitoring specialist Polar invented the first wireless heart rate monitor (HRM) in 1977 and has been a step ahead of the rest in helping people understand the importance of monitoring your body’s most important organ ever since. It is now going one step further in helping consumers better understand their bodies and achieve their fitness goals with a new total body workout model, the Polar F55 heart rate monitor. Incorporating both strength training and cardio exercise, the Polar F55 is ideal for exercisers looking for a complete full-body workout.

Because both cardiovascular exercise and strength training are essential to a balanced workout, the Polar F55 gives the modern fitness enthusiast a complete exercise session by adding new features like Polar Body Workout, a muscular strength-training guide. Body Workout, which can be adjusted according to the exerciser's progress, provides basic guidance for strength-training with effective workout movements, count of sets, repetitions and weight recommendations. The unit also comes with a "Body Card," a pocket-sized mini-guide that shows users proper technique for popular body exercises such as calf raises or lunges.

The F55 also helps exercisers "listen" to their bodies with the new OwnRelax feature, which checks the body's state of relaxation, an essential component of fitness. OwnRelax is a five-minute test that helps to monitor and track the user's overall well-being.

"Many people think that fitness training is just about doing cardio exercise but it's important to incorporate strength-training and relaxation too," said Sylvia Hom, Marketing Director at Polar. "Understanding what's going on inside your body is essential for your overall well-being, and the tools built into the F55 make it the ultimate fitness tool to help exercisers achieve that."

The F55, retailing at approximately US$219.95, is available in two styles: the F55 Bronze Rock, designed for men, and the smaller F55 Red Velvet, developed specially for women.

In addition, the F-Series line now also has more colour and style options with new versions of the popular Polar F6 and F11 models, designed specifically for women. The F11 heart rate monitor (US$159.95), now available in a trendy Blue Glow color, allows users to train effectively with exclusive cardio features such as Polar's Keeps U Fit Workout Program, a virtual personal trainer that creates a personalized cardio workout plan for the user. The F6 (US$109.95) is now offered in a soft Pink Coral color, allowing women to express their style while enjoying Polar-pioneered features like the OwnCal calorie counter and OwnZone which automatically determines each day's target heart rate zone.

All three new F-series models will be available at retail by April.