This week I saw an exercise physiologist, which I understand is the evidence-based exercise equivalent of a dietician. My experience was a bit underwhelming – I was expecting stronger direction from him, and a bit more of a detailed understanding of what I’m doing now. I didn’t get either of these.

What I did get was a suggestion that I should get a heart rate monitor to see if my workouts are in the “fat burning” range of cardio intensity. The problem with this is that I’ve found a whole bunch of online articles which suggest the fat burning cardio range is a myth, and there’s a lot more to the story, and it’s highly debated. This article from Idea shows the heavy debate amongst professionals in this industry.

I would like a heart rate monitor, because I’m crazy about metrics and would love to see what my heart’s doing while I work out. Also my cardio health is really important to me, so I might look into that.

At some stage soon I need to do some strength training. I’m not even sure where to start there, and I sure don’t want to go to a gym yet!