diff --git a/examples/client.go b/examples/client.go
index 8d711e8..89f8213 100644
--- a/examples/client.go
+++ b/examples/client.go
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatalln(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, mErr := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 5, 50); !ok || mErr != nil {
+		if ok, mErr := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 5*time.Second, 50*time.Second); !ok || mErr != nil {
 			err := r.KillJob(job.JobKey())
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Fatalln(err)
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 		fmt.Println(result.String())
 
-		if ok, mErr := monitor.JobUpdate(*result.GetKey(), 5, 180); !ok || mErr != nil {
+		if ok, mErr := monitor.JobUpdate(*result.GetKey(), 5*time.Second, 180*time.Second); !ok || mErr != nil {
 			err := r.AbortJobUpdate(*result.GetKey(), "Monitor timed out")
 			err = r.KillJob(job.JobKey())
 			if err != nil {
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 10, 300); !ok || err != nil {
+		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 10*time.Second, 300*time.Second); !ok || err != nil {
 			err := r.KillJob(job.JobKey())
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Fatal(err)
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 10, 300); !ok || err != nil {
+		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), job.GetInstanceCount(), 10*time.Second, 300*time.Second); !ok || err != nil {
 			err := r.KillJob(job.JobKey())
 			if err != nil {
 				log.Fatal(err)
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), 0, 5, 50); !ok || err != nil {
+		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), 0, 5*time.Second, 50*time.Second); !ok || err != nil {
 			log.Fatal("Unable to kill all instances of job")
 		}
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), currInstances+numOfInstances, 5, 50); !ok || err != nil {
+		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), currInstances+numOfInstances, 5*time.Second, 50*time.Second); !ok || err != nil {
 			fmt.Println("Flexing up failed")
 		}
 
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ func main() {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 
-		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), currInstances-numOfInstances, 5, 100); !ok || err != nil {
+		if ok, err := monitor.Instances(job.JobKey(), currInstances-numOfInstances, 5*time.Second, 100*time.Second); !ok || err != nil {
 			fmt.Println("flexDown failed")
 		}
 
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ func main() {
 		}
 
 		jobUpdateKey := result.GetKey()
-		monitor.JobUpdate(*jobUpdateKey, 5, 500)
+		monitor.JobUpdate(*jobUpdateKey, 5*time.Second, 6*time.Minute)
 
 	case "pauseJobUpdate":
 		err := r.PauseJobUpdate(&aurora.JobUpdateKey{
@@ -525,8 +525,8 @@ func main() {
 		hostResult, err := monitor.HostMaintenance(
 			hosts,
 			[]aurora.MaintenanceMode{aurora.MaintenanceMode_DRAINED, aurora.MaintenanceMode_DRAINING},
-			5,
-			10)
+			5*time.Second,
+			10*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			for host, ok := range hostResult {
 				if !ok {
@@ -556,8 +556,8 @@ func main() {
 		hostResult, err := monitor.HostMaintenance(
 			hosts,
 			[]aurora.MaintenanceMode{aurora.MaintenanceMode_DRAINED, aurora.MaintenanceMode_DRAINING},
-			5,
-			10)
+			5*time.Second,
+			10*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			for host, ok := range hostResult {
 				if !ok {
@@ -584,8 +584,8 @@ func main() {
 		hostResult, err := monitor.HostMaintenance(
 			hosts,
 			[]aurora.MaintenanceMode{aurora.MaintenanceMode_NONE},
-			5,
-			10)
+			5*time.Second,
+			10*time.Second)
 		if err != nil {
 			for host, ok := range hostResult {
 				if !ok {
diff --git a/monitors.go b/monitors.go
index 4b9d006..a62cdff 100644
--- a/monitors.go
+++ b/monitors.go
@@ -33,15 +33,18 @@ type Monitor struct {
 }
 
 // Polls the scheduler every certain amount of time to see if the update has succeeded
-func (m *Monitor) JobUpdate(updateKey aurora.JobUpdateKey, interval int, timeout int) (bool, error) {
+func (m *Monitor) JobUpdate(updateKey aurora.JobUpdateKey, interval, timeout time.Duration) (bool, error) {
+	if interval < 1*time.Second || timeout < 1*time.Second {
+		return false, errors.New("Interval or timeout cannot be below one second.")
+	}
 
 	updateQ := aurora.JobUpdateQuery{
 		Key:   &updateKey,
 		Limit: 1,
 	}
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * time.Duration(interval))
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
-	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Second * time.Duration(timeout))
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
 	for {
@@ -83,18 +86,21 @@ func (m *Monitor) JobUpdate(updateKey aurora.JobUpdateKey, interval int, timeout
 }
 
 // Monitor a AuroraJob until all instances enter one of the LIVE_STATES
-func (m *Monitor) Instances(key *aurora.JobKey, instances int32, interval, timeout int) (bool, error) {
+func (m *Monitor) Instances(key *aurora.JobKey, instances int32, interval, timeout time.Duration) (bool, error) {
 	return m.ScheduleStatus(key, instances, aurora.LIVE_STATES, interval, timeout)
 }
 
 // Monitor a AuroraJob until all instances enter a desired status.
 // Defaults sets of desired statuses provided by the thrift API include:
 // ACTIVE_STATES, SLAVE_ASSIGNED_STATES, LIVE_STATES, and TERMINAL_STATES
-func (m *Monitor) ScheduleStatus(key *aurora.JobKey, instanceCount int32, desiredStatuses map[aurora.ScheduleStatus]bool, interval, timeout int) (bool, error) {
+func (m *Monitor) ScheduleStatus(key *aurora.JobKey, instanceCount int32, desiredStatuses map[aurora.ScheduleStatus]bool, interval, timeout time.Duration) (bool, error) {
+	if interval < 1*time.Second || timeout < 1*time.Second {
+		return false, errors.New("Interval or timeout cannot be below one second.")
+	}
 
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * time.Duration(interval))
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
-	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Second * time.Duration(timeout))
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
 	for {
@@ -119,7 +125,10 @@ func (m *Monitor) ScheduleStatus(key *aurora.JobKey, instanceCount int32, desire
 
 // Monitor host status until all hosts match the status provided. Returns a map where the value is true if the host
 // is in one of the desired mode(s) or false if it is not as of the time when the monitor exited.
-func (m *Monitor) HostMaintenance(hosts []string, modes []aurora.MaintenanceMode, interval, timeout int) (map[string]bool, error) {
+func (m *Monitor) HostMaintenance(hosts []string, modes []aurora.MaintenanceMode, interval, timeout time.Duration) (map[string]bool, error) {
+	if interval < 1*time.Second || timeout < 1*time.Second {
+		return nil, errors.New("Interval or timeout cannot be below one second.")
+	}
 
 	//  Transform modes to monitor for into a set for easy lookup
 	desiredMode := make(map[aurora.MaintenanceMode]struct{})
@@ -137,9 +146,9 @@ func (m *Monitor) HostMaintenance(hosts []string, modes []aurora.MaintenanceMode
 
 	hostResult := make(map[string]bool)
 
-	ticker := time.NewTicker(time.Second * time.Duration(interval))
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(interval)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
-	timer := time.NewTimer(time.Second * time.Duration(timeout))
+	timer := time.NewTimer(timeout)
 	defer timer.Stop()
 
 	for {