do I need a HRM?

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Georg
Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I work out at a gym with equipment that monitors my heart rate & tells me how many calories I burn, I use a recumbent bike that does the same. The only other workout I usually do is brisk walking or a workout video. Do I really need a HRM? Or would a pedometer that tells calories burned be just as good for someone like me? I have no cardiac or blood pressure issues.

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  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
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    I work out at a gym with equipment that monitors my heart rate & tells me how many calories I burn, I use a recumbent bike that does the same. The only other workout I usually do is brisk walking or a workout video. Do I really need a HRM? Or would a pedometer that tells calories burned be just as good for someone like me? I have no cardiac or blood pressure issues.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    I work out at a gym with equipment that monitors my heart rate & tells me how many calories I burn, I use a recumbent bike that does the same. The only other workout I usually do is brisk walking or a workout video. Do I really need a HRM? Or would a pedometer that tells calories burned be just as good for someone like me? I have no cardiac or blood pressure issues.

    I woujld also like to have one and will get one,,,but for now the most important thing to me is get a good sweat going for at least 30 minutes a day sometimes twice a day
  • johnblake
    johnblake Posts: 661
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    I'm sure they are great but I have found I can still have a great workout without it.
  • robsonaraujo
    robsonaraujo Posts: 47 Member
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    i just got my polar f6 and it is great and helps a lot, like last time i was at the treadmill and i was going to fast the hrm told me i had to go slower....i was going over 85 %...
    buy it it s a great investment...
  • osmium
    osmium Posts: 107 Member
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    No one really needs a HRM, but they are a great motivational tool and excellent fun. You can take the machine calories and the pedometer, but just be aware that they often over-estimate the calories burned. I did a check between my pedometer and my HRM the other day and there was a 50 Calorie difference! My HRM was lower.
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
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    So how do you know which one is correct?
  • osmium
    osmium Posts: 107 Member
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    My HRM is much more likely to be accurate as it has all my details (weight, sex, height) plus it has a continuous recording of my heart rate. So the HRM knows how hard I am working throughout the entire workout. The machines are just guestimating the calories burned based on the settings you are using. Some are more accurate than others as they require more information. For example, the Treadmills at my gym require weight and sex so come up with better numbers for me. The elliptical trainers don't take any individual information so are just an average calorie burn for anyone on the ET and the amount you burn varies enormously depending on your size and also fitness level.

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