Heart Smart

It’s hard enough to motivate

for those winter jogs, not to mention ensure you’re exercising “in the zone” with a bulky chest belt under your base layer. With the new MF 180 heart-rate monitor by Mark of Fitness ($126), which fits in your glove, you won’t have any excuses. The device withstands the jostling that occurs on the hand thanks to special lights that “see” through the skin, measuring the surges in blood flow instead of the pulse itself.

Though not intended for downhill skiing, an anaerobic sport, heart-rate monitors are invaluable tools for building a strong aerobic base off the slopes, which ultimately helps you ski from bell to bell, says Daniel Kaslow, mountain fitness specialist and trainer at the Teton Sports Club in Jackson Hole, Wyo. However, Kaslow says, a heart-rate monitor can still be useful on the mountain to measure dehydration, signaled by an increase in resting heart rate. And because your heart rate also increases with altitude, you can keep tabs on how you’re adjusting to the high country,which is body language worth listening to. quickmedical.com

DECEMBER 2004