How to Properly use a Heart Rate Watch

RedneckChicana

I jsut bought myself a MIO Classic Heart Rate watch. I tried it today and followed the very basic instructions on how to use it with the chronograph. When I was all done with my walk it said I burned 357 calories for a 42 min walk at 2.5 mph. REALLY? No this is so not right. I took my pulse while walking at different stages. At warm up stage right before I increased speed. Again in the middle of my peak speed and again in cool down, reduced speed. Always in the middle of each stage. I have a really hard time believing I burned that many calories. The other 2 calculators I use both with weight, time and MPH came up with 160 to 164.
Yes this watch does have my birth date and weight programmed in it.

Can some of you with some experience using these types of watches or heart rate monitors please explain to me in layman's terms what or how I should be doing this.

Charis_Sophia

I find that my pedometer always reports more calories burned than my calculated estimate for the steps walked, but my calculated estimate better predicts how my weight is going to change when I complete a day's log. (Walking is the vast majority of my exercise, so it's pretty easy to isolate.) At my weight and fitness level, I burn about 165 calories for 42 minutes at a little over 3 MPH which is in line with your calculators.

I suspect something similar is going on with your watch. Measuring heart rate is an interesting proxy for level of effort, but it doesn't seem very representative for you.

If you want to figure out what's going on, gather data for a period of time (I suggest daily for about 2 weeks) - readings from the watch, estimates from your logs when you complete each day, and your actual weight readings. Look for trends, and then adjust what you log by whatever percentage your tracking tells you the real burn probably is. Let me know if you need any help figuring out what your data tells you. I do this kind of thing for a living and would be happy to help.

If that seems like too much work, just adjust what you log by what your intuition tells you the right answer probably is (or what the calculators tell you) and re-evaluate about a month from now to see if that is a useful estimate.

BerryH

1. Check you didn't enter your weight in lbs when it was expecting kgs. I've seen this happen before!

2. Unless you're very unfit, at 2.5mph you're barely ticking over. HRMs are calibrated to give a calorie burn calculation at constant elevated heart rate, so it doesn't work so well at a little over resting heart rate. The same applies to wearing it when doing weight training - in that instance the heart rate is elevated through a different mechanism.

3. Check the chest belt is fitted snugly under your bra and you wet the contacts.

4. Finally check the batteries aren't drained.

rileysowner

Does it have a chest strap or other way to measure heart rate continuously? If not, it is useless for calories estimation. If it does, make sure you weight, height, age, and sex are all entered properly or the numbers will not be right. If you cannot enter at least these categories, it will be pretty useless for calories estimation even with a chest strap.

RedneckChicana

This watch does not have a chest strap. It sensors from the back and 2 buttons on front. Here is the instruction manual if you are interested. I stepped off and measured heart rates 4 different times. 70 at resting...130ish at warm up and 165 at peak..back down to 130 at cool down.
I checked. Weight in Lbs as it asked for, Birth date all correct.

As far as unfit. Yes I have been on my fluffy *kitten* for over 5 years and jsut starting to get back into working out again. I am starting slowly on the treadmill to work up my stamina. After 30 days of 2.5 MPH I will bump back my time and increase the speed til I get comfy with that. I worked in a gym for 2 years so I am familiar with different things. (oh and the treadmill was broken for the last 10 days til I got new part! I am starting over jsut a lil bit this week too)

Charis you jsut want my data to analyze for yourself my number crunching friend In fact I might jsut start giving it to you so you have more to play with! Along with my recipes xoxo

rileysowner

This watch does not have a chest strap. It sensors from the back and 2 buttons on front. Here is the instruction manual if you are interested. I stepped off and measured heart rates 4 different times. 70 at resting...130ish at warm up and 165 at peak..back down to 130 at cool down.
I checked. Weight in Lbs as it asked for, Birth date all correct.

This means your HRM only has the information from those 4 times in that whole time walking. I am sorry to tell you but that is not enough to give any sort of meaningful estimate of calories. Continuous HR data is needed, thus the need for a chest strap. Without that, the watch will tell you your HR when you ask, but is completely useless for estimation of calories even though it gives a number. BTW, the reason it gives a number is because the consumer wants it, not because it is accurate in any way.

RedneckChicana

Too damn complicated! I am sending it back. I was hoping it would help me out when I walked outside, rode my bike around or roller bladed. I guess basic math is what its gonna have to be and guesstimations. The online calculators are far better. Maybe money is better spent on a decent pedometer. Or better yet a new pedometer app for my phone, a holster for it and some headphones.

Thanks everyone for your input! I got a few emails too.

AmyRhubarb

I started with a watch-only model and touching the face through a workout to get a reading. Tedious and really inaccurate. I finally ended up getting one with a chest strap - SO much better. Press start and go - no messing with trying to get a reading during a workout, and more accurate results.

I've been using mine for around three years now - love it. If you can send it back and get something with a chest strap, do it!

rileysowner

Too damn complicated! I am sending it back. I was hoping it would help me out when I walked outside, rode my bike around or roller bladed. I guess basic math is what its gonna have to be and guesstimations. The online calculators are far better. Maybe money is better spent on a decent pedometer. Or better yet a new pedometer app for my phone, a holster for it and some headphones.

Thanks everyone for your input! I got a few emails too.

HRM are not too much trouble, they just require a chest strap for calorie estimations. If they don't have it, they are completely useless for it pure and simple.