Heart Rate Monitors

beckyboop712
beckyboop712 Posts: 383 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone know of an activity/heart rate monitor that is 1) easy to put on and 2) doesn't require the chest strap?

My reason for asking is, my dad has been in a wheelchair for 45 years (so anything that relies on number of steps is out of the question) and only has his right hand (left arm was amputated above the elbow) . He has been going to the gym for the past several months but wants to use a heart rate monitor or something similar to track his calories and heart rate better. Because of his limitation of only having one hand, using a chest strap is not a logical or viable option for him. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    There are a number of HRMs available that don't use a chest strap but many of them require you to touch them periodically (not a viable option for someone with one hand)

    There is one that I'm aware of (The Mio Alpha) that is strapless and continuously monitors HR and actually got a favourable review from DCRainmaker ( http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/02/monitor-bluetooth-smartant.html)
    At the end of the day, I really like the Alpha from the standpoint of accuracy, functionality and ease of use. As a product, it does execute on exactly what it claims to do.
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    Truthfully without the chest strap, the HRMs are wildly unreliable. I ditched my old (non-chest strap HRM) for the Polar FT4 which uses that strap.

    The old one said I'd burn something like 900 calories wile walking for 20 minutes.

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