HRM vs. Fitbit

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amandarawr06
amandarawr06 Posts: 251 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am curious if a fitbit can be used in replace of a HRM. My birthday is coming up and am planning to ask for one of them for my birthday but which will be more beneficial for weight loss?
Thoughts, opinions?

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  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    It depends on what you want it for. I have both and they serve different purposes.

    The fitbit keeps me moving more during the non-exercise portion of the day. I get up to speak with a coworker instead of sending an email, taking my dog for an extra walk, go on a mid-afternoon walk to get coffee instead of getting it in my office, that kind of thing. It motivates me to stay up and active all day long.

    My HRM is something I use during cardio. I use it during runs to make sure that my HR is where I want it. I use it during fitness classes to make sure I'm not slacking and am giving it my all. It believe that it records my calorie burn more accurately while running or doing other cardio than my fitbit, which doesn't really know how hard I'm working, only how many steps I'm taking.

    Both have been useful for fitness, though neither is required for weight loss.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    A FitBit is a fancy pedometer. It measures movement and makes a guess on how many calories that burns. It doesn't measure things that don't involve "steps" or for the Flex, moving your arms. A HRM is used for steady state cardio exercise maintained over a period of time. You can't wear it all the time or it won't be accurate but it's better at measuring actual burn from dedicated exercise.

    I have both. I wear the FitBit to get an idea of how much I move in a day and if I need to get my *kitten* moving more. I wear the HRM when I'm running to keep track of my heart rate, time, distance, etc.

    They both serve a purpose and you'd need to decide which is more important to you.

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