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I had a minor heart attack three years ago. While it left me a little unsure about activities in general, I realized that it was necessary to keep up an exercise program. I have jogged for years, but have now relegated myself to walking fast instead.
Heart rate monitors aren't that cheap, so I bought the Garmin 305 Monitor because of the $190 price. The GPS feature calculates the distance you go as well as the speed you travel. This would be a handy feature for someone in training for distance running or other types of competition. For me its just good to know how far I have gone on each trip.
The transmitter for the heart rate is through a padded chest strap. There is an alarm to let me know if I am going faster or slower than my intended speed. This is handy for someone like me who needs to limit how much exertion I put forth. There is also an alarm that lets me know when I've reached a distance that I had planned to go.
Of course, the main reason I got the Garmin was to keep tabs on my heart and be sure that I didn't hurt myself. For this and the other reasons, I think this is an ideal product for this use.
The battery is rechargeable and it's supposed to last for a full ten hours on a charge. I have never used the monitor long enough to run the battery completely down.
For the person who wants to use a treadmill in home instead of actually walking or running, there is a foot pad that can give the same results of distance and speed without the use of the GPS feature. I have had no problems with the heart monitor yet, and give it high marks should you need to buy one of your own.
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