Polar HRM

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Ninikins2
Ninikins2 Posts: 73
in Fitness and Exercise
Just got my new Polar FT7 today! To those that have this, how accurate is the calories burned? Just testing it out, I wore it around the house and sitting eating dinner. Says I have burned 90 calories in 21 minutes. Is this right? If thats true, that means I would burn 6,400 plus calories in a day!! Of course I am just sitting here. Am I doing something wrong? I don't want to log calories that I'm not burning.
Do you log all the calories that it says in a workout session? Or are some of those calories BMR calories? So confused!
Thank you for helping me!

Replies

  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
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    That sure does not sound right I have a polar and working hard during a run or fitness cycle I can burn UP TO 10 calories a minute or 600 an hour If I am resting and my pulse is down it drops to more like 2 calories a minute
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Hmmm. Could mine be off? I followed the instructions to a T! I don't know what to do?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    They aren't made to be worn for daily activity. They are most accurate when you have input all the data, including your VO2 max (or whichever VO they ask for.....)

    If you want to wear one all the time, look at BodyBugg or other monitors that work for all day use.


    Read this: (talks about how HRMs work)

    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

    ....and, when I used my Polar, I always backed out about 70 calories per hour to account for what I would have used anyway, if sitting down.
  • Tarapac
    Tarapac Posts: 2 Member
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    I don't know how to start my own question so I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the HRM and bodybuilding class? I wear mine and it only says I burn 220 calories in 60 minutes. I am working HARD in this class too...just seems like I would burn more...is there a different calculation for working muscles hard but not getting HR UP???
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Thanks cmriverside. I am working on it. I hope I can get it going! It didn't ask for Vo either? I'm checking online manual.
  • bjfrezell
    bjfrezell Posts: 241
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    Also make sure you have wet the strap, that it's not too tight or too lose, and you should be okay. I get fairly consistent readings on my Polar FT7. I only wear mine for exercising though.
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Ok. I did wet them. I will try when I exercise and compare with the machine (which is what I went with before). I just hope mine isn't crazy high! Lol
  • kammy92
    kammy92 Posts: 408 Member
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    :bigsmile: I can't wait to buy one and see exactly how many calories I am really burning!!!!!!!!!!
  • piccolarj
    piccolarj Posts: 488 Member
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    Agreed that a HRM is NOT intended to be worn all day or during normal activities or yes you will get false readings. They are made to ONLY be worn when you are engaging in exercise or an activity that is intended to increase your HR. If you want something to record your total calories during the day you should look into a Body Bugg or Fit Bit. Hope that helps.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Agreed that a HRM is NOT intended to be worn all day or during normal activities or yes you will get false readings. They are made to ONLY be worn when you are engaging in exercise or an activity that is intended to increase your HR. If you want something to record your total calories during the day you should look into a Body Bugg or Fit Bit. Hope that helps.

    Exactly this.. Those 90 calories mean nothing and there is no way you are burning 6,400 in a day sitting around... hate to tell you.

    Polar FT7 also does not take into account Vo2max.. Only the FT40, FT60 and FT80 do. So the calorie count may be a little bit off, but it still pretty accurate estimation.
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Agreed that a HRM is NOT intended to be worn all day or during normal activities or yes you will get false readings. They are made to ONLY be worn when you are engaging in exercise or an activity that is intended to increase your HR. If you want something to record your total calories during the day you should look into a Body Bugg or Fit Bit. Hope that helps.

    Exactly this.. Those 90 calories mean nothing and there is no way you are burning 6,400 in a day sitting around... hate to tell you.

    Polar FT7 also does not take into account Vo2max.. Only the FT40, FT60 and FT80 do. So the calorie count may be a little bit off, but it still pretty accurate estimation.

    Oh I didn't believe I was really burning that much! I guess I just assumed that you could wear it and it would give you an accurate calorie count for whatever. I will try it next time I go to the gym. How much do you have to be working out? Will it be accurate on activites like weight lifting where your heart rate isn't increased?
  • piccolarj
    piccolarj Posts: 488 Member
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    Agreed that a HRM is NOT intended to be worn all day or during normal activities or yes you will get false readings. They are made to ONLY be worn when you are engaging in exercise or an activity that is intended to increase your HR. If you want something to record your total calories during the day you should look into a Body Bugg or Fit Bit. Hope that helps.

    Exactly this.. Those 90 calories mean nothing and there is no way you are burning 6,400 in a day sitting around... hate to tell you.

    Polar FT7 also does not take into account Vo2max.. Only the FT40, FT60 and FT80 do. So the calorie count may be a little bit off, but it still pretty accurate estimation.

    Oh I didn't believe I was really burning that much! I guess I just assumed that you could wear it and it would give you an accurate calorie count for whatever. I will try it next time I go to the gym. How much do you have to be working out? Will it be accurate on activites like weight lifting where your heart rate isn't increased?
    If you are doing what I call traditional wieght lifting it probably won't be accurate but if you are doing super sets or circuits where you are moving quickly betwenn each exercise and not resting between sets you should get an accurate reading since your HR will stay elevated.
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Thanks guys so much!
    I would like to do super circuits but my gym is small and I don't wanna get in ppls way. Maybe I'll try it on a Sunday am when nobody's there!
  • LilMizDetermined
    LilMizDetermined Posts: 175 Member
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    I LOVE MINE!!! Make sure you do wet the straps. I only wear it when I exercise. Make sure your settings (weight, etc) are correct!
  • Tarapac
    Tarapac Posts: 2 Member
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    I just did the fitness test...after recording it it will just make my calories burned more accurate.
  • FittingIn
    FittingIn Posts: 162 Member
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    I just bought a Polar HRM as well. In fact, it arrived today from Amazon and I need to open it before my workout. I bought the FT40 because that is the cheapest one that measures V02 which is reportedly necessary for accurate caloric readings.

    Someone smarter than me made an informative post about it on MFP at 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
  • Ninikins2
    Ninikins2 Posts: 73
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    Okay guys, just wore mine on the treadmill for ~10 minutes. ((I am going back on the treadmill, but the laundry needed rotated)).
    Anyways, in that 10 minutes, HRM says I burned 95 calories and treadmill says I burned 40 calories. MFP says I burned 32 calories. So the HRM has got to be way off right? Mine is the FT7 and there isn't anything I can really change on it, all my settings are accurate. Suggestions??

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