Bought an HRM

helenium

So I went on Amazon and bought an HRM. Then I panicked, decided I didn't want it and tried to cancel it - but they'd already started dispatching the order so it's on its way anyway. I haven't got it yet.

So I have various questions about HRMs.

- Can I wear it for 24 hours to get an estimate of how much my body uses in a day? I know it would be a rough estimate, not taking into account differences in muscle mass...
- Can I wear it during walking, or is it less accurate at lower heart rates? Can I wear it during something with wildly varying heart rates e.g. gardening?
- Any other interesting knowledge about HRMs you'd be able to share?

Thanks all!

KaleighL

im interested in knowing as well

melissatacker

I have a BodyMedia Fit HRM and it says to wear it 23 hrs a day and I do, the only time I take it off is to shower because it isn't water proof. I LOVE it, it tells me how many calories I burn while awake and asleep, you definitely want to wear your HRM during any activity even housework makes your heart rate go up and burn more calories.

rshells

Hi I just bought a HRM and it arrive last Saturday and I truly love it. I have used it when I was just leisurely walking and it calculated how many calories I burned. I also just finished using it this afternoon while at physical therapy and it a great job of adding up the calories I burned even though I did many exercies where my heart rate fluctuated. In my opinion it is an excellent investment. Now I dont wear mines all day and since I just got mine Im not sure how to answer that question for you

chantalicious

I have the Polar F6 and I only wear it when I workout. I use it not only for the calorie burn information but also to keep track of my heart rate (that's the point of the thing). This way I know that when I'm doing cardio I'm keep my heart rate in my target heart rate zone to maximize my cardio workout.

Considering your MFP takes into account what your body normally burns in a day I don't think you need to wear it all day long. Rather just record your workouts and figure that math into your daily log.

Make sense?

Minnie_Moo

I know that you said you already bought the HRM but here is a link that was posted in another thread with a lot of information on them.....

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

helenium

Considering your MFP takes into account what your body normally burns in a day I don't think you need to wear it all day long. Rather just record your workouts and figure that math into your daily log.

Make sense?

Yes. That raises another question - does a heart rate monitor (I went for the polar FT40) work out the number of calories you expend in total, or the number of calories you expend minus the number of calories you need to keep all your organs functioning? i.e. does it account only for the extra workout?

helenium

I know that you said you already bought the HRM but here is a link that was posted in another thread with a lot of information on them.....

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

Excellent link, thanks.

I tried to unbuy it! I can always return it to Amazon if necessary. Am reading the blog post now.

ccrawshaw

- Can I wear it for 24 hours to get an estimate of how much my body uses in a day? I know it would be a rough estimate, not taking into account differences in muscle mass...

You can wear them as long and as frequently as you want, but like melissatacker says, don't wear it in water unless it is designed to withstand being totally submerged. A HRM is actually probably the best judge of calorie burn (especially if it is one with a chest strap). While they don't take into consideration muscle mass, they do directly monitor your heart rate, which is an excellent judge of fitness and typically closely related to muscle mass.

- Can I wear it during walking, or is it less accurate at lower heart rates? Can I wear it during something with wildly varying heart rates e.g. gardening?

Any activity is a good time to wear your HRM, even resting. Matter of fact, comparing your resting heart rate from one month to the next will be a huge indicator as to the benefits you have reaped from exercise. As your body and, consequently, your heart get in better shape, your heart will be able to beat with more strength, thus pushing more blood with each pump. Since more blood is moved per pump, fewer pumps per minute will be required. You will probably notice that when you workout earlier in the day, your body will burn more calories throughout the day and when you don't allow your heart rate to return to normal between sessions then you will get a better burn (more calories). For example, if you walk for 30 minutes at lunch, the total calories burned will be marginally higher than if you were to walk for ten minutes at three different times throughout the day. Please don't let this discourage you from working out in little snippets if that's what works for you. You will be amazed at how rapidly your body will acclimate to your new level of activity and you'll find yourself seeking out ways to change things up.

- Any other interesting knowledge about HRMs you'd be able to share?

I love my HRM!!!!! It is the single wisest investment that I've ever made!! It will totally change the way you workout and the way you look at working out. You will find that it will help you be in better tune with your body and seeing the actual numerical benefit that you reap is awesome! I truly believe that you will not regret purchasing it and will be glad that you were unable to cancel the transaction.

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to send me a message or friend me.

Casey

helenium

Just to let anyone know who's interested, my HRM arrived today and I'm very impressed with it. The calories it throws up are less than all other estimations, so I'll get more done to earn the same calories. - Except for the 30 Day Shred, which threw up a higher calorific estimate. (As it should!)