When do you stop your heart rate monitor?

T_Marie4

I've asked this question on my wall to my friends a month ago or so, decided to post to community as well. When do you stop your HRM - right after you stop working out or when your heart rate returns to baseline? I'm not sure what is right or gives most accurate cal. burn. Most of the time I stop it after my cool down stretches, but sometimes I wait until my HR is closer to 100 range (baseline is 70-80), which ends up looking like I worked out an extra 5 - 10 minutes more than I did. Just FYI I have a Polar FT4. Thanks for any advice!

sarahkatara

I stop when I return to around baseline. It's usually roundabout 112 bpm that i stop counting it.

taso42

When the workout is over.

k2quiere

I start when I leave the car, and I stop when I get back in the car. I just remember best that way, else I forget to start until halfway through my workout and I forget to turn it off completely.

abnerner

I typically stop it when my heart rate gets more normal. if I'm at the gym, I wait till I get out to my car and sit down (i leave the gym immediately after i work out, I don't shower or anything there) but if I take a walk around my apartment complex, i usually turn it off right away.

gogojodee

When the workout is over.

This. I'm not one to record the "afterburn".

takehimaway

I have a FitBit, so I don't have that problem, but.. I don't start tracking my work out until I step foot out my door, and end it when I am standing on my porch.

happypath101

I stop it when I take it off, e.g. just before my shower. What I found is that the extra burn I get during my cool down makes my HRM numbers virtually match the database numbers for most activites. That was probably the most interesting find from getting and wearing an HRM.

abideedum

Is getting a heart rate monitor a good idea?? i know this is nothing to do with the topic but you guys using them would know.

mgnmsn

I tend to stop it immediately when I am done with the workout. While my heart rate is returning to baseline, I guess that is just an added bonus for my own personal benefit. I have thought about this often. good post!

Brandi0418

I do mine when I complete my exercise.

mgnmsn

i love mine!

erin_zuk

I turn it off when I've completed my "cool down" or stretches. Usually my HR is still about 110-115 at this point.

IndianCat3

I stop my heart rate right after my workout is completed, so I can record it here on MFP

AJ_Pete

When it's over AND I subtract my TDEE from it as well.

WestCoastPhoenix

After I wipe. Wait, what?

StarIsMoving

abide - Yes, HRM is the best investment I have made. I have a PolarFT60 and love it

OP - I stop mine after workout is done (cool down stretches). I figure the rest is just a bonus

loneworg

When the workout is over.

This. I'm not one to record the "afterburn".

same here.

skylark94

I stop it when I take it off, e.g. just before my shower. What I found is that the extra burn I get during my cool down makes my HRM numbers virtually match the database numbers for most activites. That was probably the most interesting find from getting and wearing an HRM.

The problem with this is that the database tends to give way too high numbers for calories burned. I bought a HRM because I wanted accurate numbers. Back when I was relying on the database, I would take whatever it said I was burning and subtract about 25%.

To answer the OP's question, I start mine immediately before exercise and stop it as soon as I have ended. I do not wait for my HR to return to normal.

BaconMD

Is getting a heart rate monitor a good idea?? i know this is nothing to do with the topic but you guys using them would know.

I use mine whenever I work out and I eat back most or all of (and sometimes more than!) my calories burned. If you are going to rage against the system put in place by MFP and NOT eat back your exercise calories, then you likely ought to save your money and just keep working out, trusting in the physical results rather than the numbers.

shedding60

I never knew if there was a correct time to stop it, so I've always just stopped it once i've finished stretching.

andeey

I start my HRM right before my warm up and end it right after my cool down. I don't wait for my HR to get back to baseline - that burn is the cherry on top of my sundae.

T_Marie4

Thanks for all the posts everyone - I will continue to stop mine after cool down/stretches are complete and be more consistent with this! As stated in my OP, I typically do this anyway, just needed to know I was correct in doing so. Thanks again!

T_Marie4

I start my HRM right before my warm up and end it right after my cool down. I don't wait for my HR to get back to baseline - that burn is the cherry on top of my sundae.

Well said - I like the way you think!!!

BrianSharpe

I start mine as I leave the driveway at the start of a run and stop it as soon as I stop running (my heart rate recovers very quickly anyway) as I get back to my house (I don't count my cool down and stretching - I figure it helps offset some of the errors that are bound to occur in recording calories consumed)

tappae

I stop mine right when I stop running, mostly because it has a function that tells me how fast my heart recovers and improvement there would indicate improved heart health. Mine doesn't seem to be accurate at estimating calories, though, since it's usually way higher than the MFP database (by more than 1100 calories today). I still post it on my wall, though, because it may not be accurate for caloric burn, but it is accurate for how hard I was working.

JulieDerda

i stop mine after my heart rate gets to a lower zone--- 100-90ish.. not at resting heart rate.. but def after im done doing my final stretch.

Bob314159

I stop as soon as I finish. Sometimes I start a new lap to look at my recovery time. Since I always upload the HRM data to my computer and look at the graphs its nice to see recovery every so often, but then I delete that extra lap from my history.

imnotyourpal

Once my hr gets to 100. Depending on what I'm doing (spin, elliptical, etc) the time for it to get there varies. It's very quickly post spin (because of cool down in class) and takes a few minutes more after elliptical because I don't cool down and usually hop off when my hr is around 155. And I'm old and fat, so that's over 85% of max.