100 People to Get Fit in 100 Days Using Heart Rate Monitors; Polar Launches New Program To Help People Reach Their Ultimate Fitness Goals.

Business Editors

WOODBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2003

Over the 100 days from May 1st to August 8th, one hundred people from four major U.S. cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas) looking to improve their fitness will stop trying to just "feel the burn."

Instead, they'll learn how a portable heart rate monitor can dramatically - but sensibly - increase the benefits of exercise. The heart rate monitor-based fitness program, called The Polar 100, is being administered by Polar, the world's leading heart rate monitor company. The goal is to demonstrate how virtually anyone can make fundamental fitness improvements by exercising with a heart rate monitor.

Polar 100 participants come from all walks of life and fitness, and are motivated to participate for different reasons. For example, a pregnant woman in Dallas seeks the best, safest way to stay fit. An in-shape New York City cardiologist wants to apply what she already knows about the heart to her own workouts. A Chicago police officer wants to fundamentally alter his approach to weight loss, and stay in shape for his physically demanding job. Seniors in San Francisco, trying to stay healthy and active, want to make sure they're not overdoing it when they're exercising.

"The Polar 100's goal is to show the real-life benefits of exercising with an HRM, and to demonstrate that working out in your target heart rate zone is the most efficient way to achieve your fitness goals," said Corey Cornacchio, director of marketing for Polar. "We believe that there's no better testimony than the success stories of actual people who have reached their goals with a Polar HRM. We get thousands of letters each year, but with this program, we can actually bring out their whole story including the challenges and how they overcame them."

The program will run from Thursday, May 1 through Friday, August 8. Before the start of the program, each participant will receive a physical fitness assessment (including relative Body Age, Body Mass Index, etc.) using the cutting-edge TriFIT technology created by HealthFirst, a division of Polar. Each Polar 100 member will receive a Polar Heart Rate Monitor, instruction on how to use it, and a personalized workout program. Throughout the 100 days, the participants will perform their workouts using their HRMs. In each city, a lead Polar trainer will monitor each individual's progress. In addition, participants will submit a short weekly journal entry detailing their experience using a HRM. Entries will be posted on the Polar web site.

At the end of the program, the Polar 100 members will receive a final fitness evaluation. The results will be compared to baseline data collected at the beginning of the program. Consumers can follow the progress of select Polar 100 participants by visiting www.polarusa.com.

Headquartered in Woodbury, NY, Polar Electro is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finland-based Polar Electro OY, which invented the first wireless heart rate monitor (HRM) in 1977. Today, Polar HRMs are the number one choice among consumers worldwide and are used extensively by exercisers, athletes, trainers, and coaches. Polar products are also used by medical and health club facilities, government agencies, and thousands of physical education programs. For more information, visit www.polarusa.com.