when do you turn off your HRM?

clrrrr
clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all,
I just got an Polar HRM chest strap with bluetooth that I use with my iPhone. I've been using it for about 3 weeks and I'm loving it so far, but one thing that I'm a little unclear on is whether I should take into account calories burned in my warm-up and cool-down.
What I usually do is start recording when I leave my house to walk to the gym (about a 15-minute walk), record the calories so far under walking 3.0 mph, do my actual workout and record that as well, and then record the calories from my walk home under 3.0 again (obviously, since my heart rate is much higher when I leave the gym than when I leave home, I end up burning a LOT more on the second walk). Then, once I get home, I leave it on until I'm down from my gym-ish heart rate (150-180) to about 110; my resting HR is somewhere between 70 and 90, I haven't really paid too much attention to it so far. Basically, I keep recording calories burned until I'm cooled down enough to shower (don't you hate it when you shower prematurely and you're still sweating when you get out?? haha).
My question is: am I overestimating?? Can I trust the HRM to not include my BMR in its calorie calculations? The app has my weight, height, age, and gender in, so it should be about right. The thing is that I used to just go by whatever the readout was on the elliptical or whatever, or I would just guesstimate if I did a class or a jog; now that I'm using the HRM this way, I feel like I'm recording 200+ more calories burned than what I used to think I was getting out of the same types of workouts. I HATE the thought of overestimating my burn because I try not to go crazy eating my cals back. Anyone have any thoughts?

Replies

  • souperficial
    souperficial Posts: 122 Member
    I only record when I'm actually working out. So I wouldn't count the walk there or back, since walking places is just normal activity to me. And I definitely wouldn't count the time when you're not doing anything just waiting for your heart rate to go down.
  • katy84o
    katy84o Posts: 744 Member
    I have a 5 minute bike ride to the gym and I always record.. the ride to the gym, workout, ride home from the gym, carrying my bike inside and then I take my watch off and record it. I know that I'm still probably burning more than normal calories because my heart rate is up, but from what I understand even really accurate HRMs aren't 100% so I feel like if anything it just gives me some extra wiggle room for when I log something from the database that is an estimate
  • Klem4
    Klem4 Posts: 399 Member
    It seems like you would be overestimating to me. I stop mine as soon as im done with my workout, so right before my cool down usually, sometimes I forget though.
    I would not record my walks to and from the gym, if I were you. I would just count that as daily activity.
  • NotRailMeat
    NotRailMeat Posts: 509 Member
    I always start my HRM as I walk out of the locker room and stop it as I walk back in.
  • CaptChad75
    CaptChad75 Posts: 115
    I work outside almost all day in an active setting and I will sometimes wear my hrm all day long just to help see what kind of burn I'm getting. Nothing beneficial from it other than Id like to move a little more and try to beat last weeks numbers etc. I still stay at my calorie burn but just like to see the calorie burn go up and my weight go down
  • nel0311
    nel0311 Posts: 248
    When my heart rate returns to close to its resting rest.
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
    I think I'm burning cals on my warm up and cool down so I count them... I do all my stretching and stuff first and start it as I go on my "fast walk" leading to the run... and I turn it off when my HR gets back down to about 100 on the cool down.
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    I think I'm burning cals on my warm up and cool down so I count them... I do all my stretching and stuff first and start it as I go on my "fast walk" leading to the run... and I turn it off when my HR gets back down to about 100 on the cool down.

    yeah this is the way I've been seeing it...I make a point of walking the way that I would if I were intentionally taking a "fitness walk," and my daily activity is more like carrying my 30-pound bookbag all over campus lol
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    thanks everyone!!
  • Tat2dDom0105
    Tat2dDom0105 Posts: 661
    I stop mine when i'm completely done with my workout.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    Whenever I remember. :) Usually it's close to right away but I definitely forget sometimes. I always adjust my calories down about one calorie a minute anyway though and if I forget to turn it off right away than I will take some extra off as well.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Your HRM is taking your total calorie burn for the time you have it going. It does not deduct your BMR so for more accuracy you need to take the number off your total calorie burn as per the HRM.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    after sex. lol.......
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I usually account for a brief 5 minute warm up and cool down walk when I'm running (following the C25k program).
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
    I turn mine off when my heart rate is under 115.
  • 1CALIJIBARO2
    1CALIJIBARO2 Posts: 132
    of coarse they should be accounted for..the beginning & the end.......on mine it has a 3 minute timer for cool-down......KICK BUTT gurl........=D
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    You are definitely over estimating.
    If you are walking at the same pace on the way home from the gym, you are burning the same amount of calories as on your way.

    Also keep in mind that HRMs are not accurate during low intensity activities.

    I don't use a HRM but if I did I would consider my warm up and cool down a bonus and only use it for my actual workout. Unless I was looking to get my heartrate over a certain number during warmup.
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
    I turn it on when I start warming up and turn it off after the cool down, they are part of my workout so I include them in my calories burnt.
  • Kitiara47
    Kitiara47 Posts: 235 Member
    I start mine when I begin my workout, either when I start lifting or start my 5 minute warm up walk before c25k. I stop it as soon as I'm done lifting or am done with my 5 minute cool down walk. If I'm at a dance class, I'll start it as soon as we start and stop it as soon as everyone starts to disperse. I don't count my walk/bike home because I walk/bike everywhere!

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