MIO is the worlds first watch to offer ECG accurate heart rate without a chest strap, which means you can get your heart rate whenever and wherever you want it. Its heart rate on demand!

Experts agree, anyone trying to achieve a lifestyle or fitness goal, such as finding the best way to lose weight and get in shape, or just monitoring their stress, will benefit from knowing their heart rate. All exercisers, from beginners to advanced alike, can use the valuable feedback of a heart rate monitor to improve their work out routine so that they exercise smarter and see results faster. With MIO, heart rate monitoring has never been easier.

You may have seen MIO watches in your favorite magazine or on Dr. Phil show. Theres a reason why experts from Dr. Phil to Dr. Deepak Chopra are talking about it.  It's because MIO can make a difference in your lifestyle.  It can help you achieve your personal fitness goals.

We all have different fitness goals and lifestyle activities. You may be looking for the best way to lose weight so that you can fit into your skinny jeans. Or, you're looking to complete your first marathon. No matter what your goal to lose weight, to condition your heart, to monitor your stress or exertion levels there's a MIO watch just for you.

Understanding Your Heart Rate

Why should I monitor my heart rate?
Knowing your heart rate is key to managing your weight and achieving your fitness goals.  With MIO you can take your heart rate quickly and easily with the simple touch of a button, which means you can use it during a work out to ensure you're exercising efficiently, and throughout the day to monitor your stress levels.

By monitoring your heart rate during exercise, you can maximize your workouts.  Your heart rate measures your intensity level, and by monitoring it you'll know exactly when to increase or decrease your intensity so that you can exercise safely and efficiently while achieving the fitness results you desire. Using MIO during exercise will therefore ensure that you exercise at an appropriate level of intensity and make the most of your workout time.

It is also beneficial to measure your heart rate throughout the day. Because MIO does not require you to wear an uncomfortable chest-strap, it has never been easier to take a medically accurate heart rate anytime you want it!  This can provide reassurance to cardiac patients and others interested in all-day monitoring.

MIO also provides biofeedback, which is useful for stress reduction.  By using MIO you can see how your heart rate varies throughout the day and how you respond to stressful situations. Using relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and rest, you can easily learn how to lower and control your heart rate leaving you more calm and focused!

What is the difference between my pulse and heart rate?
Heart rate is based on the number of times your heart contracts in a given period, measured in beats per minute. Your pulse rate is the number of times blood, forced by your contracting heart, surges through and dilates your vessels in a given period.

Why is measuring my heart rate better?
Measuring your heart rate is much more accurate.  Also, heart rate monitors are tested for accuracy while pulse monitors are not.

Sometimes, such as with irregular or premature beats, the heart does not send out enough blood to be felt as a pulse, and the pulse rate will differ from the heart rate. Before beginning any fitness program, you should have a complete physical examination and consult your physician about an appropriate heart rate target zone for your fitness level.

What is resting heart rate?
Resting heart rate is just that - the rate of your heart while you are at rest.  It is best to measure for your resting heart rate when you are not performing any physical activity. Ideally, this would be immediately after waking up (without an alarm). Most people have an average resting value of 72 beats per minute.  Genetics and other factors play a role, but generally resting heart rate is also a measure of fitness.  Those who are well conditioned may have resting heart rate values in the high thirties to low forties.  Most values fall between 38 to 78 beats per minute.

What is heart rate recovery? 
Heart rate recovery is the best indicator of your fitness level.

With MIO, a recovery test can easily be taken manually. Take your heart rate during activity.  Cease activity.  Wait 1 minute.  Take your heart rate again.  The value should drop at least 20 beats per minute.  If it does not drop quickly you need to work on your cardio conditioning.  The more conditioned you are the faster your heart rate should drop.  For more info contact your physician.

What is maximum heart rate?
Your heart has a theoretical maximum value at which during extreme exertion, you approach physical exhaustion. Coming too close to this value is dangerous for those at risk for heart attacks.  The percentage of maximum heart rate tells you how close you are to this dangerous value.  For most people, exercising within a range between 55% and 75% of maximum will yield the greatest benefit.

All MIO models display your percentage of maximum every time you take a reading, which is personalized based on the personal data you enter into the watch (age, gender, weight, resting heart rate).

To work out efficiently and maximize the results of your fitness program, you should monitor your heart rate regularly to ensure that you are excercising at an appropriate level of maximum heart rate.

**Before beginning any exercise program, please consult with your physician.**

ECG Accuracy

What is ECG and what does ECG accurate mean?
An electrocardiogram, ECG or EKG, is a measure of the electrical activity of the heart. This electrical activity regulates heart contraction, so an ECG measures an exact heart rate and rhythm. ECG is the most accurate, medically accepted way to monitor heart rate.

Is MIO as accurate as chest strap monitors?
Watches with a chest strap often rely on analog wireless transmission, making them prone to radio frequency noise and cross talk between units (like that between portable or wireless phones). Also, by relying on radio transmissions, chest strap monitors lag behind the true heart rate, due to the need for excessive filtering in the software to reduce reading fluctuations caused by noises and muscles.

MIO is a self-contained unit with built-in sensors, making it immune to environmental noises. MIO is as accurate and more than typical watches with a chest strap because MIOs superior digital filtering techniques allows it to follow your true heart rate, even as your heart rate changes. And you dont have put up with that annoying chest strap!

MIO watches have been tested to verify their accuracy.  Click here to view the research results.MIO is a tool you can trust to provide you with ECG accurate heart rate readings so that you'll know exactly whats going on in your body.

Counting Calories

Whether youre in a weight loss program, trying to prevent weight gain, or even attempting to gain weight, successful long-term weight management comes down to one simple fact...Count the calories you eat and the pounds will look after themselves.

At Physi-Cal we believe that there is no such thing as a quick-fix weight management program. Our MioSENSE program focuses on eating well, counting calories and exercising regularly.

Why is counting calories the most effective means of managing your weight?
If you eat or drink more calories than you burn in a day, your body stores the extra calories as body fat. The answer is a simple mathematical calculation: 3500 calories is equal to one pound of weight loss. So, even a modest reduction to your weight requires you to burn several calories.

More information on weight management and the value of counting calories to maintain or lose weight can be found in the MioSENSE Guide to Healthy Living and on the ClubMIO portion of the site.