Heart Rate Monitors...CONFUSED!

Avalon203

Hi guys, Ive heard a lot of people talking about heart rate monitors and how great they are as they give you an accurate number for your calorie burn. Would anyone who already has one, pleae let me have your views on whether its worth getting one...? Also, do they usually calculate your calorie burn for you or do they just monitor your heart rate and then you work out your calorie burn from that....? Bit conused about how useul they really are!! Any advice would be great ta!

4lafz

First, you need a programmable (sex, height, weight, age) HRM with a chest strap (you hardly know it is there) for accurate calorie burn information. That way it calculates based on your information. Many people on MFP like Polar. I have the Polar F6 but people say the F7 and FT7 are great too. It really does help me get an accurate count! Love mine!

Fabulocity

I use a Polar heart rate monitor. It really depends upon your goals. I am using one because I stopped losing weight and it was because I wasn't working out at my target heart rate for my age. My suggestion is to google Polar website, do some research, possibly find a retail store so that you can talk so someone and take it from there. Good luck!

silhouettes

I just recently got one. At first I wasn't sure, the calories burned were over double on it and in the beginning I wasn't loosing as much weight as I had been prior to using it.. but then I realized a few weeks later, it just took some getting adjusted to. Now I eat more than then, sitll loose weight at a healthier rate while not being hungry!

I love the thing, it's a Polar to. It's pretty accurate I would say judging my weight loss and how many calories I have left each day!

c7eat2live

like other said, it uses a suite of aspects to calculate calorie burn. for me, the BEST possible thing about it is that I feel like it gave me freedom from the gym. I wear it any time I want to really focus on fitness, when I hike, walk or jog outside, and I feel so gratified after my workout cause I know exactly what I burned. I use it for strength training and dance classes as well, and I have found it to be a huge motivator because I now only feel satisfied if i get at least a 500 calorie burn in every day or even a 1000 cal burn, when before I had a HRM I would settle for 300 or less. HUGE difference and I certainly saw weight loss right away. I have a Polar FT7 for women.

NMay50

Hi! I have a Polar F11. This is my second HRM. I use it every time I work out. I don't know about any other types, but the F11 gives me weekly totals (duration, frequency, intensity). It motivates me to do better than the last week. I also like monitoring my improvement over time. I'm not competitive, but I am very encouraged by seeing my own improvement.

My advice to you, is do some research... If you like gadgets, you may enjoy using a HRM. Good Luck!!

cmriverside

Here is a really good blog post by Azdak, here on mfp....it covers all your questions! He's very knowledgable about Heart Rate Monitors.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472

timbotina

I had purchased my 1st heart rate monitor back in June and it is the best investment I have made yet...it is personalized to your exercise intensity....Mine is a Bowflex---check around because there are a lot of other great ones too other than the polar brand and they are a lot cheaper but same results so just research....Just purchased my second HRM so I can have one in my car to take to the gym or when I go running at the track and this way I can leave one at home for when I do DVD"s and such.....good luck finding one....there are oddles out there., just make sure it has a chest strap!!

belfastbiker

I've never had a HRM not totally overestimate calorie usage.

I use a Bodybugg for measuring that.

I use a HRM for checking heart rate only. Well, in my case it's a Garmin 305, so also for checking distance and bike speed / walking pace too, but deffo not calorie usage.

Hope this helps a little at least.

jmae418

I just bought a heart rate monitor and and so confused as to how to calculate the calories I burned while excercising>>> My HRM is an Oregon Scientific brand. I did not have to enter my age/weight or anything... does anyone know of a way to figure out how many calories I have burned according to my heart rate? HELP!!!