Do you count your "after burn"?

graysmom2005

I have a Polar heart rate monitor, which is great for putting in accurate calorie burn to my MFP. My question is, when spin is done, I can look down and see I burned 467 calories. I can look down an hour later and I've burned over 600 from my system still reeling from class. Do you put down JUST what you burned in those 45 minutes? Are the extra calories just "buffer"? LOL! Thanks!

wheelieblade

I stop my HRM when I finish my exercise

veriviki

I stop my HRM after my heart rate goes down enough to bring me out of my target zone.

foxxybrown

After spin class, I walk to the locker room and then turn it off.

CardiacNP

I only count what i burn during the exercise. i figure anything extra ....is icing on the cake ....So to apeak of course

aflane

I turn mine off when I leave the gym floor. Any after burn is a hidden bonus for me.

Crystalchaos72

I stop mine after my heartrate gets back to starting rate (normal) usually takes a few min

jsparent5

Your heart beating fast is what burns your calories. If your heart is still beating fast enough to burn that many calories, then you should count it. As you get more in shape, your heart will recover faster anyway, which is a sign of a healthy heart. I would record the calories until your heart rate is within a normal range for you.

SheehyCFC

You can count it but realize that your HRM doesn't "back-out" the calories you would be burning when you're at rest - so your exercise "burn" should be adjusted to remove those rest-calories.

nehtaeh

I stop my HRM when my cals get down to about 100, which can happen pretty much as soon as I sit.

vox23

I stop my hrm after I've done my cooldown and stretching. Usually by then my heart rate is getting back to normal. If it's not at resting yet, then bonus!

mertheg01

I stop my HRM after the exercise and then record calories burned.

Fattack

I turn mine off after the end of the class (after stretching). Then I go to the locker room, faff around for 10-20 minutes, and turn it back on for the walk home. As soon as I get home, it goes off, so I guess I am calculating some of the after burn, within my walk - I'm not sure how long after burn lasts!

mummum2

I stop mine as soon as I finish!

elcar7

I usually stop my HRM after exercising and my pulse gets back to normal after 5 more mins, guess I could try the use some of the after burn, but still I think it's better to log less calories, since then I won't eat too many

shaunshaikh

You should stop it right after you complete your activity. Read this blog to better understand the pitfalls of your HRM:

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

00trayn

I usually give myself about 5-10 minutes after I workout to let my heart rate return to more of a normal level. Once it's below 120 or so, I shut it off. I also subtract out 1 calorie per minute of exercise to account for what I would have burned if I went about my normal day, so I'm not double counting those calories burned.

aippolito1

I try to do a cool down after every workout so I stop the HRM after that...for cardio, I stop it once I get off the machine. For strength, it's once I finish my stretch. The extra you burn is extra.

BrownEyedG1rl

I turn it off once I get to the locker room. Which is only like a min or two after I stop.

graysmom2005

Sounds like we all do the same thing. :-) I look at my watch the moment I say thank you to the class, and record that number. If we've gone anaerobic on the last song, it's amazing to see. I burn another 1-200 calories in the next hour. Even if I'm sitting having coffee with a friend. Bonus! :-)

rileysowner

Your heart beating fast is what burns your calories. If your heart is still beating fast enough to burn that many calories, then you should count it. As you get more in shape, your heart will recover faster anyway, which is a sign of a healthy heart. I would record the calories until your heart rate is within a normal range for you.

I don't think that is exactly true. Your heart rate can be quite elevated with no extra calorie burn, it is your other muscles that burn the majority of your calories, and that happens while working out. I would not include the calories that come up after your cooldown because they will not be an accurate representation of the calories you have burned. HRM are for cardio exercise while it is going on, not for the time after you are done. If you want to include calories like that you need something like a Bodyfit Media or Bodybugg.