100 calories burned in half an hour of nothing much?

Marchmallow
Marchmallow Posts: 124 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm trying out my new polar FT4 hrm just bumming round the house, so that I know how to use it when I work out. I clowned around doing jumping jacks for about 20 seconds, but other than that I've been making dinner or sitting, hovering between kitchen and living room. I went up and down the stairs maybe twice. in 30 minutes, my polar says I burned 103 calories! This seems a lot to me, what do you guys think? If it's accurate... AWESOME!! :o)

Replies

  • tavenne323
    tavenne323 Posts: 332 Member
    I don't think it's super accurate in terms of exercise calories burned. After you finish the jumping jacks, your HR is still elevated and so it counts it as "exercise" even though you may be sitting.
  • TwinMamma09
    TwinMamma09 Posts: 140
    When it come to taking your calories burned on a HRM, you will want to subtract your normal calorie burn for an hour period. Your body burns a certain amount of calories during that hour but it is the excess amount that you are really concerned with. I wouldn't take too much stalk in just wearing the HRM as you do your daily activities because you do those normally.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    The algorithm in a HRM is only designed for steady state cardio so it is inaccurate for normal day to day activity. HAve a look on Polars website it explains it all
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Not quite how that works. HRM's are only accurate when your HR is elevated during steady state cardio. Any other form of activity they will over estimate your actual burn. Plus HRM's give you total calories burned even during cardio, some of which (maintenance cals) are already included in your MFP caloric intake.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
    When it come to taking your calories burned on a HRM, you will want to subtract your normal calorie burn for an hour period. Your body burns a certain amount of calories during that hour but it is the excess amount that you are really concerned with. I wouldn't take too much stalk in just wearing the HRM as you do your daily activities because you do those normally.

    Sorry if I come out of nowhere - this means that if I wore my HRM all day long while doing nothing it would show my BMR?
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I'm trying out my new polar FT4 hrm just bumming round the house, so that I know how to use it when I work out. I clowned around doing jumping jacks for about 20 seconds, but other than that I've been making dinner or sitting, hovering between kitchen and living room. I went up and down the stairs maybe twice. in 30 minutes, my polar says I burned 103 calories! This seems a lot to me, what do you guys think? If it's accurate... AWESOME!! :o)

    Although I don't own an HRM, I've heard that not even those are 100% accurate. But I myself would take precautions of making sure it's as accurate as possible.

    - Is all of my information correct to a T ?
    - Have I exfoliated my body in the shower and paying extra attention to where the watch and chest strap goes ?
    - Is the battery fully charged / new ?
    - Is my form correct ?
    - Am I giving the activity 150% effort ?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    When it come to taking your calories burned on a HRM, you will want to subtract your normal calorie burn for an hour period. Your body burns a certain amount of calories during that hour but it is the excess amount that you are really concerned with. I wouldn't take too much stalk in just wearing the HRM as you do your daily activities because you do those normally.

    Sorry if I come out of nowhere - this means that if I wore my HRM all day long while doing nothing it would show my BMR?

    If you wore your HRM all day you'd actually just waste your battery and get a meaningless number. HRM's are only accurate for steady-state cardio. You can't really trust their numbers for any other activity.
  • jrcrmr
    jrcrmr Posts: 31 Member
    Not quite how that works. HRM's are only accurate when your HR is elevated during steady state cardio. Any other form of activity they will over estimate your actual burn. Plus HRM's give you total calories burned even during cardio, some of which (maintenance cals) are already included in your MFP caloric intake.

    this...on lesser intensity/non-cardio exercise (basically anything outside running/jogging, cycling, intense elliptical, etc), then you would have to subtract the amount of calories burned just to "be alive"..that's why they are not accurate for weights either..

    dont' get me wrong ...I have an H7 and I love it...I just know what it can and can't do...and unless it's pure cardio, you have your "gross" calorie burned...rather than the "net" from your specific exercise (not official terms, i know..just a way to explain it..)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    I went up and down the stairs maybe twice. in 30 minutes, my polar says I burned 103 calories! This seems a lot to me, what do you guys think? If it's accurate... AWESOME!! :o)

    I think you should take it as being accurate, and ensure that you eat back all those calories.

    That would be...what...about 3300 calories per day, not including sleeping hours.

    Have fun!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    The algorithm in a HRM is only designed for steady state cardio so it is inaccurate for normal day to day activity. HAve a look on Polars website it explains it all

    This^

    The calories you burn from day to day stuff are already included in your activity level. Your body also burns calories while you are sleeping.

    A FitBit (the fancy pedometer thingie) attempts to guage your daily activity level......it's not designed for workouts.

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