36 – ENGLISH
5.3.1 OWNZONE
The Polar cycling computer is able to determine your individual aerobic (cardiovascular) exercise heart rate zone
automatically. This is called OwnZone (OZ).
OwnZone is based on measuring changes in heart rate variability during your warm up. Heart rate variability refl ects
changes in your physiology. For most adults OwnZone corresponds to 65-85 % of maximum heart rate. OwnZone can be
determined in 1-5 minutes during a warm-up period by cycling, walking or jogging. OwnZone may be easier to fi nd during
indoor cycling than outdoor cycling because the speed is easier to control. The main idea is that you start exercising slowly
at a light intensity, i.e., heart rate lower than 100 bpm/50 % HR
max
. You then gradually increase the intensity of your
exercise to raise your heart rate as smoothly as possible. Using OwnZone makes exercise easier and more enjoyable.
OwnZone has been developed for healthy people. Some health conditions may cause heart rate variability based OwnZone
determination to fail, for example high blood pressure, some cardiac arrhythmias, and some medications.
