Heart Rate Monitor

jhloves2knit
jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I need a simple, easy-to-use heart rate monitor, preferably watch style with no chest strap. I read a thread about them from May 21, but the emphasis seemed to be on viewing calories burned. I have heart disease and need to monitor my heart rate while walking to make sure I'm not overdoing it. I thought I was starting easy, just walking 20 or 30 minutes daily at a moderate pace. I just started walking after being very sedentary and have had "spells" where I felt weak and needed to sit down. Any suggestions?

Replies

  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    Maybe this is too personal but why no chest strap? The hand held are not as reliable as the chest straps...

    I think Polar are the best hands down.

    It is important especially at first to not over do it. Dizzy spells and even nausea and vomiting are not uncommon, especially when you first start or when you increase your workload to the next level. I have a plastic bag next to my spinner during High Intensity Training just to be on the safe side...You need to make sure you are hydrated and you don't red zone (go too high). Polar uses zone technology to let you know when you are not in the right zone. It beeps to encourage you to speed up or slow down. A few models even test your over all health that day and let you know when to reduce your exertion
  • jhloves2knit
    jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
    Thanks for responding. I thought the chest strap was a hassle, but the continuous display watches are too pricey. Can you tell me which Polar monitors give your overall health? That would be great for me.
  • fitnessfreddie
    fitnessfreddie Posts: 74 Member
    I have a polar ft4 and thinks it's awesome. Great accurate readings and reasonably priced.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    If you can live with a chest strap, any Timex or other name brand will do just fine.

    All have EKG accuracy, that's been around for 40 yrs. Shoot, cheap $20 walmart brands do too, but their durability and ability to replace batteries may leave a lot lacking.

    The Timex has 2 very reasonably priced models depending on how you want to use it.
    Digital, less interference sending signal to the watch unit, for in gyms, around other people, high transmission lines, ect.
    Analog, possibly more interference, but most gym machines can pick up and display the signal.

    Timex nice because you can set zone alarms easily, with optional audio if desired.

    The Polars, while nice for the best calorie burn estimates, add price for every feature they add to a model. Or rather, the same software is on the HRM, they just disable stuff for cheaper models.
    That feature of health will be a over $120 model probably.

    Zone alarms takes about 15 min of research to find your best bet.
  • jezama77
    jezama77 Posts: 138 Member
    I borrowed my mom's HRM with the chest strap and it wasn't a big deal at all. It might be because I'm a girl though. Easy to just wear right underneath my bra. I am used to having something on my chest in that spot anyway. I barely noticed it.

    I am also interested in buying one of my own though, so I want to see if anyone responds to your secondary question. I want a HRM that can be used with endomondo and my iphone 4... :) I love technology!
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    The chest strap is really no big deal, I don't even feel it most of the time.

    I use a Polar FT40, at the moment (this is my 3rd Polar device) but I swim, bike and lift and I used to run too before my knee injury. I kinda am a gym toy freak and love all the bells and whistles but If you can afford 100 dollars it is a great investment.

    The lower end FT4 series will work and it will be around 50 dollars if you get it from amazon, and often they go on sale at the sports stores like Sports Authority.

    Here is a comparison chart of polar HRM FT series, you will have to do a little research to see which is best for you, but an ft4 probably is best for a beginner.
    http://www.heart-rate-monitor-specialist.com/polar-heart-rate-monitor-comparison.html

    I have friends with Timex, they seem to be pleased with them, especially if all you want is to occasionally look down at your arm to check your rate. I am not sure, but I would just check to be sure if you get one from Timex or another brand (Mio is another brand) that it can be used at the gym. It should not "cross talk" in other words pick up other people's chest strap signal.
  • jhloves2knit
    jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
    Just one more question - one of the few small parts of my body is my wrist. It measures 7". Will the Polars mentioned in this thread, such as the FT4 or the Timex, fit a small wrist? Polar makes one just for women - Polar 60F - and it's 8" long. But it's $140, pretty pricey.
  • fitnessfreddie
    fitnessfreddie Posts: 74 Member
    Yes the wrist band isn't very big at all. In fact I wish it was bigger.
  • Thyme4change
    Thyme4change Posts: 46 Member
    Hi J..

    I didn't like the chest strap however for accuracy chest straps is hands down..

    I used a inexpensive reebok from target, very much like the timex. Tried it for a weeks and returned it. I had trouble getting it to synch w the watch but it did synch w the gym machines. It might of been the device or the user ;) so I returned it.

    Now, I have a Polar chest strap. I decided I didn't want the watch, so i got one that would synch with my iPhone (or even a watch if i want later)and use the digifit app which synchs which MFP :) I love it! It's accurate and so simple for me to use. I just down loaded the fitness app to set up my target heart rate zones even more accurate but it's not really necessary ;)

    I love the digifit app because it can track different exercise I do like hike, walk, run, weights, indoor, outdoor, cardio and so on. It's not necessary to track each one separately but I like to keep them all separately.

    Now after all said...if you don't want to use a smartphone then I guess my way might not work :D

    Check out Best Buy...I waited almost ten mins for a guy who bikes and he gave me a lot of info so I could make my decision that would work best for me...

    It was all worth it for me :)
    Kim
  • jhloves2knit
    jhloves2knit Posts: 268 Member
    Thanks for all the great info. MFP is an awesome resource. The address to compare the Polars was especially helpful. I was getting lost wading through all the websites Google provided. I think I'm going to get the FT40 or the FT50, mainly because they test your fitness. I probably don't want to know the answer, but I need to, Those two models also are for women, and I wanted something besides black since I'll wear it as a watch also.

    Thanks again, everyone!
  • SarahSmilesCA
    SarahSmilesCA Posts: 261 Member
    Thanks for all the great info. MFP is an awesome resource. The address to compare the Polars was especially helpful. I was getting lost wading through all the websites Google provided. I think I'm going to get the FT40 or the FT50, mainly because they test your fitness. I probably don't want to know the answer, but I need to, Those two models also are for women, and I wanted something besides black since I'll wear it as a watch also.

    Thanks again, everyone!

    Actually testing fitness is one of the best things about polar. It knows when you need to reduce or increase your effort based on your general fitness. I had a day where I went to the gym a little "off". I got on the spinner and though I didn't know exactly what was wrong I thought I would "push past it" . I tested myself and I could not believe how low the heart rate zone was it told me to work out at. I thought something was wrong with the device. I went ahead and exercised, and decided to ignore the recommendation but knew afterward I probably should have taken it easier because in the end I was totally exhausted ALL day afterwards

    I went home and that evening came down with a whopper of a UTI...I NEVER get these...ever. But I was run down and my immune system was low. I should have listened to my Polar, it knew before I did.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    With an actual heart condition - that feature of the Polar's is going to be worthless. It has no idea it is not dealing with avg heart of someone your gender, age, weight, height.

    It's recommendations come merely from your workout logs, if you have been really intense with no breaks, it recommends lower zone.

    That's not going to work for you, and in fact when it encourages you to go harder because it only sees what it thinks is mild activity - you could have problems.

    I don't think it's going to do what you are thinking it will do.
  • 4everchanged101
    4everchanged101 Posts: 50 Member
    Have you looked into a basis watch? It has no chest strap and is also a activity and health tracker. Its a bit pricey, but really neat. I have a polar F7. The strap doesn't bother me at all either.
  • lmb3171999
    lmb3171999 Posts: 65 Member
    Are there heart monitors that link directly into MFP? If it is determining your calories, then why would you need to enter your activities?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Are there heart monitors that link directly into MFP? If it is determining your calories, then why would you need to enter your activities?

    There are some apps that link in, and some of those apps on the phones will read HRM data. So you can get it in to MFP.
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
    I have a mio, a wrist monitor. I didn't want a HRM with a chest strap as summer is hot where I live (sub tropical) and I sweat a lot. My mio is accurate, I've compared it to the heart rate readings on the different machines I use at my gym. It seems to meet your requirements. I'm happy with mine. I suggest you google heart rate monitor reviews.
  • ayankeefan51
    ayankeefan51 Posts: 135 Member
    bump
  • MzzFaith
    MzzFaith Posts: 337 Member
    Polar ft 7

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