Suunto, best known for their altimeters and other sports instruments, has recently made a move into the recreational fitness category by launching a new series of easy to use heart rate monitors. The Suunto M-Series heart rate monitors will tell you when, for how long and how hard to train.
The Suunto M-Series is designed for those who are looking to use heart rate information in setting and achieving workout goals. The watches are easy to use with a big and clear display and three function buttons.
The heart rate monitors allow you to create personal exercise programs based on targets such as improving your fitness, managing your weight or free training. Every morning, your watch will display the suggested workout for the day based on a 7-day program.
During exercise, the watches will give you real time advice such as when to push harder or when to ease up a little. At the end of each workout, the watch displays a summary of your achievement as well as motivational messages to help you stick to your training program.
In conjunction with the M-Series release, Suunto has launched an online sports community called Movescount.com. The website is a free service where you can upload your training logs, track your progress, discuss and get feedback on your workouts. You can keep a training diary and share your achievements with your friends on all the popular social networking sites.
The Suunto M-Series includes four heart rate monitors. The M1 is the introductory level watch and comes with the Basic Heart Rate Belt. Features include real-time training intensity guidance, heart rate and calories burned data, and the ability to define three target heart rate zones.
The M2 is the same as the M1 but comes with the Dual Comfort Heart Rate Belt. The M4 adds functionality such as a startup fitness test and display of your exercise program for the next 7 days. The M4 heart rate monitor also allows you to upload your workout data to Movescount.com via the optional Suunto Movestick.
The M5 is similar to the M4 but also allows you to download any training program from Movescount.com and gives you recover time recommendations after your workout. The M5 heart rate monitor is compatible with the Suunto Foot, Bike and GPS Pods for tracking your speed and distance.
The Suunto M-Series heart rate monitors will be available at regular Suunto dealers such as REI and Backcountry.