Heart Rate Monitors

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canelove
canelove Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm looking to purchase a good heart rate monitor that also tracks the amount of calories burned. I know I won't get out cheap for a good one, and that's fine. I just want something accurate. I don't mind wearing a chest strap, or whatever they are called, I'm just tired of the guesswork. Some days I feel like I'm giving myself too much credit and some days I feel like I'm not giving myself enough. It's so frustrating! Do you guys and gals have any recommendations? Thanks so much!

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  • atombud
    atombud Posts: 38 Member
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    Check out garmin.com iif you want to keep track of any walking you may do outdoors, the 305 has gps tracking, it is a couple hundred but is pretty accurate from my use. Or Polar has some good ones also.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Polar FT60. My favourite part of the FT60 is that it's compatible with the Polar Foot Pod. Foot Pod calculates distance and speed, so I can change my route mid-course and get an accurate distance read or better yet, come up with intervals on the fly.

    The FT60 comes with a chest strap (you need one in order to get an accurate read) and runs at around $220. It has different programs and coaches you by setting target calorie burns and % for each HR zone for every week. Best purchase I've made in a long time!
  • getinshapegirl
    getinshapegirl Posts: 19
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    I purchased the Polar 6 at Target last year and have been very happy with it. It is very user friendly - easy to update data such as weight changes and it seems to keep a pretty accurate measure of the calorie burn from exercise. It is nice to have because I found out that I burn calories at a much lower rate then most of the machines output. The times that I have made sure to use my monitor and change my calorie intake accordingly are the times when I have had success. I stopped using it this winter and my weight crept back up. I think for me it is truly the only way I will lose weight - carefully measuring calories in and measuring calories out. Good luck.
  • sharyl1269
    sharyl1269 Posts: 1
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    Im a personal trainer and the the one I recommend to my client is the polar brand. I purchased te polar F6 a couple of years ago. I'm sure they have a newer version now. But this one tracks calories burned, heart rate, amount of time you spend exercising, and it also keeps a diary of everything. What I mean by that is that it remembers everything you do for months. The only thing it doesn't do is keep track of distance. I think the new version does all of the above plus more. They run about $130 to $170. Good Luck!
  • shmilla
    shmilla Posts: 19
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    Sadly, my Polar F11 died on Sunday, so I high-tailed it to the store and got a new Polar FT4. It doesn't have as many great tracking tools, but it keeps me working hard during my workout and that's the point. It's also a nice reminder throughout the rest of the day when I wear it as a watch because I remember the pain and suffering of working out at 4:30 in the morning and back away from the candy bar. So, Polar is my vote.
  • balance9
    balance9 Posts: 160
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    I *love* my Garmin FR60 (womens model, which is smaller than mens). I've used at least 4 others...3 Polars, and the entry-level Omron. This one is SUPER easy to set up, and easy to upload all data to computer with ANT stick, so you can track your progress on a graph. Optional foot pod tracks running/speed/distance, and optional bike sensor tracks miles/cadence. Tracks calories. You can set up your own heart zones/alarms, like others in this price range (under $150), Nice balance between bells/whistles and simple out-of-the-box setup.
  • canelove
    canelove Posts: 5
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    Thank you so much for all of your responses! I'll be checking out your suggestions tonight. I hope to make my purchase tomorrow or Thursday.

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