Polar TEMPO User Manual

Tempo kannet GBR/ C 27.12.2000 15:01 Page 1

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

GBR

™

Polar Tempo

Heart Rate Monitor

User's manual

Recyclable material. Graphic design CIS, Kajaani, Finland.

Composite

Manufactured by:

Polar Electro Oy
Professorintie 5,

FIN-90440 KEMPELE

Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]

www.polar.fi

179121 GBR C

Contents

How does Polar Tempo work .................................................. 5

Polar Tempo parts ....................................................

Polar Tempo symbols ...............................................

Getting going ...........................................................

Start the heart rate measurement ........................................... 7

Functions during heart rate measurement .............................. 8

See your heart rate ...................................................

Check elapsed exercising time ................................

Reset exercising time ...............................................

Stop the heart rate measurement ........................................... 9

Exercising with your Polar Heart Rate Monitor ..................... 10

Intensity of exercise ...............................................

Frequency of training .............................................

Type of activity .......................................................

Structure of an exercise session ............................

References .............................................................

Developing a personal exercise program ............................ 16

Classify yourself by level of activity ........................

Determine your exercise goals ..............................

Examples of exercise recommendations ...............

Care and maintenance ......................................................... 20

Taking care .............................................................

Batteries .................................................................

Precautions ........................................................................... 22

In a water environment ...........................................

Interference ............................................................

Frequently asked questions .................................................. 24

Technical specifications ........................................................ 26

Polar books and accessories ............................................... 27

Service .................................................................................. 28

Check list ................................................................

Sending instructions ...............................................

Polar’s service procedure .......................................

Limited Polar warranty .......................................................... 30

Disclaimer ............................................................................. 31

Notes ..................................................................................... 32

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CONGRATULATIONS
on purchasing the Polar Tempo Heart Rate
Monitor. We are proud to assist you in achieving
your personal fitness goals.

This guide will provide you with the basic
information on how to exercise with your
Polar Heart Rate Monitor and how to get
the maximum benefit from its functions.

Thank you for choosing Polar.

How Does

Polar Tempo

Work

POLAR TEMPO PARTS

Your Polar Tempo consists of three parts:

1. Polar T31™ Transmitter

• Grooved electrode areas

VISUAL CUES TO READ THIS GUIDE

Indicates important issues. Please, pay attention!

Indicates a useful tip. It is good to know
these things.

See also.

IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER!

• Adjust the strap length snug enough and wet the
Polar Transmitter electrodes to ensure flawless
heart rate measurement.

• Do not bend or stretch the transmitter.

• Wash and dry your transmitter regularly after use;
never store it wet.

• Keep the Polar Heart Rate Monitor out of extreme
cold and heat.

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2. Elastic strap

3. Polar Tempo wrist receiver

POLAR TEMPO SYMBOLS

The flashing heart: Ongoing heart rate measurement.
The heart symbol flashes at the pace of your heart.

Elapsed exercise time. The symbol runs during heart
rate measurement.

The middle spot appears after 30 minutes of exercise
time which is a recommended daily exercise quota.

The total exercise time in hours and minutes.
The heart rate measurement has been stopped.

The total exercise time in hours and minutes.
The exercise has lasted more than 30 minutes
if the middle spot is displayed.

Heart rate measurement is off.

5

GETTING GOING

1. Attach the Polar Transmitter

to the elastic strap.

Start

the Heart Rate

Measurement

2. Adjust the strap length

to fit snugly and comfortably.
Secure the strap around your
chest, below the chest
muscles. Lock the buckle.

3. Raise the transmitter a little

off your chest and wet the

grooved electrode areas
on the back of it. It is

important that the electrodes
are wet during exercise.

4. Check that the wet electrode

areas are firmly against your
skin and the Polar logo is in
a central upright position.

5. Wear the wrist receiver as you would wear an ordinary watch.

Alternatively, if you go biking, you may attach the wrist receiver
to a Polar Bike Mount™.

Polar Books and Accessories

Keep the wrist receiver within the transmission range
(1 metre/3 feet).

It is recommended that you wear the transmitter
against your bare skin to ensure flawless operation.
However, if you wish to wear the transmitter over a
shirt, moisten the shirt well under the electrodes.

1. Wear the Polar Transmitter and the Polar Tempo wrist

receiver as described in the chapter Getting going.
Remember to wet the electrodes of the transmitter.

2. Bring the face of the wrist receiver up to your chest near the
transmitter’s Polar logo.

The elapsing exercise time symbol starts running.
The exercise time appears in the display.

3. Bring the wrist receiver away from your chest.

A flashing heart appears in the heart shaped frame
in 5 seconds.
Your heart rate (in beats per minute) appears
in the display.

4. You are ready to start your workout with
Polar Tempo!

If you wish to wear a watch at
the same time when exercising
with Polar Tempo,
it is recommended that you
wear the Polar wrist receiver
and your watch on different
wrists to avoid interference.

Start the heart rate

measurement by

the Heart Touch

- no buttons,

only touch and go.

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Functions during

Heart Rate

Measurement

SEE YOUR HEART RATE

1. Bring the face of the wrist receiver up to your chest near the
transmitter’s Polar logo.

2. Hold the wrist receiver in this position 15 seconds.

After about 10 seconds, the exercise time starts
flashing for 5 seconds.
The exercise time will be reset to 0:00.
When you move the wrist receiver further away from
the transmitter the exercise time starts running again
from 0:00.

You can see your heart rate in beats per
minute. A flashing heart symbol indicates
an ongoing heart rate measurement.
The inner heart symbol flashes at the
pace of your heart.

CHECK ELAPSED EXERCISING TIME

1. Bring the face of the wrist receiver up to your chest near
the transmitter’s Polar logo

2. Hold the wrist receiver in this position for 2 seconds.

The elapsed exercise time will be displayed
for 5 seconds.

In the beginning of your exercise,
when it has lasted less than 10
minutes, the exercise time is
displayed in minutes and
seconds.

When you have exercised more
than 10 minutes, the elapsed time
is displayed in hours and minutes.

RESET EXERCISING TIME

Check that there are no other people with heart rate
monitors, motor driven exercise equipment, mobile phones,
televisions etc. within 1,5 metre/5 feet or high voltage
power lines nearby you. This kind of electric device may
transmit signals which interfere with the reset.

A flashing elapsed time is a pre-warning that you are
soon about to reset it. If you bring the wrist receiver
further from the transmitter during the flashing, the
elapsed time will not be reset.

Stop the Heart Rate

Measurement

Remove the transmitter from your chest.

1. The exercise time and its symbol will
continue running a 1-minute-check
to ensure the heart rate
measurement has been
stopped.

2. Polar Tempo subtracts the
1-minute-check time from the
elapsed time.

3. The total exercise time
(in hours and minutes) is
displayed for 9 minutes.

4. The wrist receiver turns itself
automatically into the OFF mode
after 9 minutes.

After exercising, to preserve the electrodes and battery life:

1. Wash the transmitter carefully with a mild soap water solution.

2. Rinse it with pure water.

3. Dry the transmitter carefully.

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9

Exercising with Your

Polar Heart Rate

Monitor

Regular exercise helps you to sustain and improve your health
and fitness, as well as feel better. Exercising also has other
great benefits. You can reduce stress, learn to know your
body’s reactions and optimise your training time. Whether you
are about to start a regular exercise program or you already
do sports training, a Polar Heart Rate Monitor will help you to
achieve your personal fitness goals in less time, and with
greater safety.

The effect of your exercise program depends on four factors:

• Intensity of exercise

• Duration of exercise

• Frequency of exercise

• Type of activity

INTENSITY OF EXERCISE

Heart rate is proved to be an excellent indicator of exercise
intensity. Heart rate tells you the exertion level of your body
during physical or mental loading. With the Polar Heart Rate
Monitor you are able to follow the intensity of your exercise
easily, keep yourself in the right heart rate Target Zone and
stay motivated as you see the improvement.

When a person’s cardiovascular condition improves, his heart
rate stays in a lower level than before when doing similar
exercise in a similar time period. Changes in the heart’s
beating rate can be followed with a Polar Heart Rate Monitor
wirelessly, continuously and ECG accurately.

Define your exercise intensity according to your target
(e.g. weight loss = lower intensity and higher duration).
When you exercise within the defined Target Zone, you
ensure the right intensity of your workout.

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Any physical activity that increases heart rate above the resting
heart rate may provide health benefits. It is recommended

that all people should accumulate at least 30
minutes of endurance-type physical activity every
day, including climbing stairs, brisk walking etc. But only

greater increments above resting heart rate are associated
with both health and fitness benefits.

Resting heart rate is the heart rate after a person has rested,
either sitting or lied down, for 5 - 15 minutes, breathing deeply
and relaxing muscles.

If you are a beginner, sedentary or overweight, a recommended
target is to exercise at light or light to moderate intensity. At
this target, the exercise is easy-paced and causes only slight
breathlessness and sweating.

If you aim for improved fitness or exercise for competitive
reasons, your exercise intensity is moderate or heavy paced,
and it causes clear breathlessness and sweating.

Target zones are typically calculated using the person’s
maximum heart rate as a reference. The most reliable way to
determine your individual Target Zone is to have your
maximum heart rate measured at an exercise stress test. For
more information on an exercise stress test, consult your
physiologist or doctor.

However, according to ACSM (American College of Sports
Medicine) most people can estimate their maximum heart rate
by the formula:

220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate

For example a 35-year old person’s Maximum Heart Rate
would be:
220 - 35 = 185 beats per minute.

The following Target Heart Rate Zone Chart helps you find the
right Target Zone for your needs. The percentages for the
Target Zones are counted from the maximum heart rate
(measured or predicted).

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