Heart Rate Monitor for YOGA!

iolano

Hi All!!

I am in the market for a heart rate monitor/calorie counter that I can wear to yoga. I would love to know, most accurately, how many calories I am burning during my hot hot HOT yoga sessions.

Any fellow yogis out there with an HRM that they swear by?

It needs to be comfortable enough so that I won't tug and adjust it during all those twists and balances during yoga. Also, it has to be quiet (or at least have a function to shut off all sounds), as to not disturb the people trying to get their meditate on.

OKAY! Please let me know if there are any brands, makes, or models that I should really look into.

Thank you

Azdak

HRMs cannot be used to estimate calories for hot yoga. The increased temperature makes them useless. Worse than useless, actually, because it is too easy to be seduced by the abnormally high numbers an HRM will display. The calorie burn for hot yoga is essentially the same as regular yoga, assuming the positions are roughly the same. Don't waste your money on a device that will be far less accurate (in this case) than just making up a number out of thin air.

CoderGal

HRMs cannot be used to estimate calories for hot yoga. The increased temperature makes them useless. Worse than useless, actually, because it is too easy to be seduced by the abnormally high numbers an HRM will display. The calorie burn for hot yoga is essentially the same as regular yoga, assuming the positions are roughly the same. Don't waste your money on a device that will be far less accurate (in this case) than just making up a number out of thin air.

^this

iolano

oh boo.. that sucks.

Well, I'll just get one to count my HR when I try Slim in 6.

That would work, right? haha

ATLMel

HRMs cannot be used to estimate calories for hot yoga. The increased temperature makes them useless. Worse than useless, actually, because it is too easy to be seduced by the abnormally high numbers an HRM will display. The calorie burn for hot yoga is essentially the same as regular yoga, assuming the positions are roughly the same. Don't waste your money on a device that will be far less accurate (in this case) than just making up a number out of thin air.

^this

^this too

Also, I've used HRMs in the past and can't think of one that wouldn't make me crazy in a yoga class (not to mention be distracting). Assuming you're talking a Bikram/Iyengar/Forrest style yoga I usually assume around 400 calories for that 90 min session. I've seen some people put it at 800-1000, but I think that is very very very overstated.

CoderGal

HRMs cannot be used to estimate calories for hot yoga. The increased temperature makes them useless. Worse than useless, actually, because it is too easy to be seduced by the abnormally high numbers an HRM will display. The calorie burn for hot yoga is essentially the same as regular yoga, assuming the positions are roughly the same. Don't waste your money on a device that will be far less accurate (in this case) than just making up a number out of thin air.

^this

^this too

Also, I've used HRMs in the past and can't think of one that wouldn't make me crazy in a yoga class (not to mention be distracting). Assuming you're talking a Bikram/Iyengar/Forrest style yoga I usually assume around 400 calories for that 90 min session. I've seen some people put it at 800-1000, but I think that is very very very overstated.

Not to mention, when you're the a girl, even the cardio burns can be off
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study

ThatDamnRobyn

I know this is an old thread, but I found it while googling. I have a program called DDP Yoga, and the instructor is really, really big about people wearing a HR monitor while doing it. His purpose is to keep you in your fat burning zone for the most effective weight loss, but I suppose not for counting calories burned. So I think there could be a purpose for a HR monitor with yoga, but I have to agree that it would probably be annoying and in the way.
Still, I don't see why you couldn't get a calorie count when you're doing a very active form of yoga like vinyasa flow where you are moving constantly. Why is that different from, say, walking or doing aerobics of some sort? I don't really know that much about it, so I'm just curious.

osmsolutions

I've been wearing a Wahoo Blue HRM for about a week at Hot Power Yoga Vinyasa Flow classes. The HRM works well when biking, but I'm getting mixed results during yoga. I attribute it to the heat and/or heavy sweat at the room is heated. I am using STRAVA to track my HR. Wahoo Blue HRM works with iPhone/iPad only, cost is $69

FrnkLft

HRMs use a calorie burning formula geared towards steady state cardio, like running or even for sprinting. It will be completely off to whatever degree, the farther you get from that kind of activity.

For instance, I could easily trick my heartrate monitor into calculating a bunch of calories, just by holding my breath (which would make my heartrate highten).