It’s about time you listened to your heart

It’s about time we listened to our hearts  and some heartwarming stories. Ferdinand “Ferds” Aguila Jr. is your typical entrepreneurial guy  with an atypical vision-mission: He wanted to share his newfound discovery with Filipinos — a watch that can give you a heart rate reading anytime, anywhere. But that’s getting ahead of this inspiring, pulse-racing story.

“It’s a funny story, the why and the how,” the indefatigable Ferds Aguila recounted. “I used to do competitive dragon boat paddling, I was the assistant team captain, and I thought it would be nice to invest in a stopwatch. So I asked my dad if he could buy me a stopwatch. He came home one day with one of these watches — no box, no manual, nothing. He got it on sale, that’s my dad! My first reaction was, ‘That’s not a stopwatch! What did you bring home?’ I did some research, I checked it out, and I was blown away. I’ve tried other watch brands — done the chest strap thing and I found it really inconvenient, uncomfortable, and when I sweat, medyo kadiri na. And then I saw I had an alternative — a heart rate monitor with no strap. Now, I can check my heart rate and calculate my calorie burn just as well as with the heart rate monitor with a strap. So I jumped at the chance to bring this watch brand into the country and share it with everybody.”

The name of the watch brand? Oh my, it’s Mio!

Having lived in Canada, he went to the watch distributor in Vancouver and met with the company’s president, vice president, and head of operations.

In the warm comforts of the Mio offices, Ferds found out how Mio all began. Hear this: Back in 1999, Liz Dickinson, entrepreneur and mother of three, was trying to achieve her fitness goals and shed the pounds she packed on when she got pregnant with her third child, but her efforts were in vain. She needed a device that would help her track her calories as well as monitor her heart rate to optimize her workouts.

As she couldn’t find one such device on the market then, this enterprising and tech-savvy mom used her expertise to come up with the world’s first strapless heart rate monitor sports watch with a patented calorie management system. Meet the Mio family of (chest) strap-free heart rate monitor watches!

A pioneer in health and fitness innovation, Mio yet again made our hearts leap for joy when it introduced the Mio Alpha this year.

“The Alpha is the Holy Grail of heart rate watches,” gushed Ferds. “It’s the world’s first performance level, strapless, continuous heart rate sports watch brand, co-founded with Philips. It’s beautifully simple — soft, silicone strap with tri-color lights to indicate the heart rate zones. It’s the future of heart rate monitoring.”

Tested against leading chest strap heart rate monitors, Alpha came out 99% accurate. It has been tested accurate at speeds up to 12mph (20km/hr). It was named ISPO’s 2013 Product of the Year.

Without skipping a beat, an excited Ferds added, “So for anyone who wants to put his foot to the door and start his way towards fitness, it’s a great tool to start with. It’s important for those who want to start a new fitness lifestyle or exercise regimen. It’s convenient, no more extra gadget to wear and you can wear it all day every day. My older brother Francis, when he’s stressed at work, he checks out his heart rate and sees how he’s doing.”

At the media launch hosted by the gorgeously fit Reema Chanco, selected participants took part in a Pilates demo to get their heart rate up and see this reflected in the Mio watches they were wearing. A fashion show unveiled Mio’s latest watch, the Alpha. Then it was time for a heart-to-heart talk with Dr. Pao Bellosillo, a naturopath who himself once battled the bulge — he confessed he was eating sisig smothered with dollops of mayonnaise like there was no tomorrow.  It wasn’t long before his diet took a toll on his health — he’s suffered three heart attacks.

“Heart rate monitoring is truly important,” Doc Pao stressed. “These days, even young people succumb to a heart attack after a workout. There are people who die in marathons or triathlons. It’s important that when you exercise, you operate within your safe zone. Your heart rate monitor will tell your coach to tell you if you’re working beyond bounds, beyond your needs. It will help you train at maintenance level and tell you where you’re supposed to stay.”

And now, it’s time for some Qs & As:

How does Mio accurately get one’s heart rate?

The traditional way to get your heart rate is via a chest strap. But the people behind Mio found that this is very inconvenient and sometimes unhygienic.

Thus, with Mio watches, there are two easy ways you can get your heart rate: First, via touching or pressing sensors. Second, via continuous heart rate reading that the Mio Alpha offers. This works through a light sensor at the back of the watch that keeps track of the blood flow in your veins. This isn’t really particularly new technology, but it’s never really worked for athletes due to the high speeds they reach as well as all the arm movements. And then came Alpha, which gives continuous accurate readings during workouts, all without a chest strap.

How can my Mio watch help me to maintain or achieve my ideal weight?

The best kind of workout is a heart rate-based workout. That’s because: 1)Your workout is safe. 2) Your workout is efficient.

It’s safe because you’re always able to monitor your heart and heart zones. There are recommended heart zones depending on your age. This way, you can make sure you don’t exceed your upper limit, keeping your heart safe.

It’s efficient because you can always exercise in your target zone, making sure you don’t dip to a lower heart rate where you don’t burn as many calories.

Aside from heart rate, what other attractive features make Mio tick?

Aside from the heart rate function, different models have a number of features. Most models give you the calorie burn during exercise, and some even allow you to input the calories you’re consuming, calculating your net calories. Other models have a built-in pedometer so you can check your step count, speed, and distance. One model, the Energy Pro, even calculates the grams of fat you burned during your workout.

Can I readily send my Mio data to my cardio?

Unfortunately not, unless you jot down the information and send it manually. However, if you use the watch under the supervision of a doctor, like in a treadmill stress test, then that information can be used properly. Or if you had the proper mobile app to pair with your Mio Alpha, then that can possibly open those doors.

But is Mio only for athletes?

Mio is for everyone. From the new mother who wants to shed the pregnancy weight to the seasoned runner who needs to improve his/her performance.

How affordable are Mio watches?

Mio has a good range of very affordable watches. Prices range from P2,888 to P5,488, with the Mio Alpha topping the list at P8,888.

How long is the warranty upon purchase?

There’s a one-year limited warranty on all purchases, and right now, Mio is offering a one-month outright replacement for any factory defects. For any issues, you just need to return the watch to the place of purchase with the original receipt and the box.

Where are Mio watches available?

Mio is available via several retailers: Chris Sports, Riovana, Second Wind, All Terra Cyclery, Bike King, Options Studio, Ascott Fitness Center, Lebien Wellness Clinic, and now at Onelife Studio, 2/F Citiplace Building, Jose Abad Santos corner V. Cruz Streets, San Juan.

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For more timely news on Mio, visit www.mioglobal.com.