Why should I buy a heart rate monitor???

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ashleybreanna13
ashleybreanna13 Posts: 249 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, it seems like everyone is getting one of these heart rate monitors... why should I get one? What does it do for me? What are the benefits??

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  • CajunTexan33
    CajunTexan33 Posts: 76 Member
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    I Loooooooooooooove my HRM- the PolarFT40. Give you a much more accurate calorie burn estimate! Also the Polar calculates a target heart rate range based on your height/weight/age profile and beeps when you fall below or too fat above your optimal burn zone! Also stores your workout data (calories, time, etc.) so it Helps keep me motivated to do better that the previous work out!
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
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    To ensure that your heart is operating at a certain desired rate.

    People are under the assumption that heart rate monitors give some sort of accurate calorie estimate. - They are only a slightly better guess than some website, and the formula is based on the calorie burn of someone that isn't you.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    You shouldn't. They aren't especially accurate for calorie-counting. If you are doing interval training or something then maybe.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
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    I guess if it is to just fit in, don't worry about it. If you want to see how hard your pushing you're cardiovascular system while exercising than by all means, go get one!
  • Gearjammer71
    Gearjammer71 Posts: 151 Member
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    It adds some motivation and fun, in a techno-nerdy way to my workouts. I guess it depends on how into gizmo's you are really.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    There are millions of runners and walkers and cyclists and gym goers who all survive gadget free, run or ride on perceived effort and do just fine.

    Then there are people who love numbers, whether it's monitoring your heart rate or getting an estimate of calories burned (in steady state aerobic exercises). As a runner I use a combination GPS/HRM to keep my distances honest and make sure I'm running at my target pace for a particular workout

    HRMs are not the holy grail of exercise gadgets but can be very useful in terms of giving you feedback about the intensity of workouts, determining resting heart rate, tracking fitness progress etc.
  • degausser234
    degausser234 Posts: 157 Member
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    Since getting my heart rate monitor I've noticed that I pay a lot more attention to my body during my work out. If I notice my heart rate is low, I push harder. If my heart rate is too high, I hold back. It also gives a better estimate to calories burned compared to MFP's calculator. Usually MFP says I burn 100-400 calories more than what my heart rate monitor says and I figure I would rather under-estimate my calories burned and over-estimate my calories consumed, instead of the other way around.
    Hope this helps!
  • StrongLife
    StrongLife Posts: 525 Member
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    I had the same question. I knew I was pretty accurate with how many calories I was burning. I bought one anyway and strangely I really love it! It actually helps motivate me to set records and such. If a gizmo will motivate you to greater heights then go for it!
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
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    It really depends on you. I bought a HRM (Polar) because I wanted to know how much I was burning during Zumba. THEN I was struggling to find my TDEE so I bought a Fitbit. These are all just estimations.. but I like to put my confidence in something and stay consistant with that... and I was getting stressed out by guessing and reading up on whether I was eating too low or too high. So... this is my solution. If you don't struggle with any of the above... save your money.
  • 36jessica
    36jessica Posts: 319 Member
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    I LOVE my heart rate monitor! I love to see the changes as I work out -- it's great because -- especially if I'm tired after a long day -- I can see if my workout is 'weak' and consequently modify what I'm doing to get the best results. However, although I know it's not 100% accurate, it makes planning the whole calorie in/calorie out business easier.

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