BodyMedia Fit people!!

twinmomtwice4
twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
When you do a workout, do you wear your BMF on your arm as instructed or do you wear it some other place on your body?

The reason I ask is because I had been wearing it on my arm while working out but recently I started wearing it on my left calf when I go on bike rides.

It shows my burn to be a lot higher (almost double) when worn on my calf instead of on my arm. Incidentally, it makes no difference whether I wear it on my arm or calf during circuit training.

Replies

  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I only ever wear it on my arm since the website specifically says not to wear it anywhere else for accuracy reasons.

    If I'm doing the ARC trainer or the very rare time I'm on a bike, I take it off and only wear my HRM. Then I just use the edit off body time feature and add the calories from the HRM into the BMF site.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    Thanks for your feedback! I knew you could enter activities manually but didn't realize there was a way to enter the specific calories from your HRM!! I'll have to look at the site more closely...that may be the solution to my issue!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Unfortunately you can't just enter a set calorie amount, you have to choose an activity to enter for that time. But all of the different activities only add calories, they don't affect your steps for the day or anything like that. So I just use the calculator tool on the site to find the closest match to the number of calories I burned and then enter that in.

    For the ARC trainer, I usually just use the running entry but there are different intensity levels available for biking, so you can just find out which one gives you the closest calorie burn to your HRM.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
    I switch it to my calf when I'm riding my bike. Yes, you are supposed to wear it on your arm but the BodyMedia Fit company acknowledges that it doesn't track accurately for cycling. They claim they are working on making a "stronger metric" (or something like that) for cycling. In the meantime, I know that a lot of people who bike wear it on their calf for better tracking of that exercise.

    I just put it on for that and as soon as I'm done I switch it back to my arm.
  • sophy28
    sophy28 Posts: 72 Member
    I only ever wear it on my arm like the websites advices, I googled the same question a while back and found quite a few cyclists wear it on their calf and find that more accurate then their arm but it's obviously not
    Guaranteed accuracy unless your following instructions, maybe if u have a heart rate monitor and the calorie count is about the same on that wear it and manually input onto your activity log like wolf child suggested.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
    I only time I move it is when I am using the elliptical. I move it to right below my elbow facing up. It works for me.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    Thanks for all the feedback!!

    Okay, I get what you're saying now about the HRM and manually entering the activity!
  • LindsayE007
    LindsayE007 Posts: 212 Member
    I switch it to my calf when I'm riding my bike. Yes, you are supposed to wear it on your arm but the BodyMedia Fit company acknowledges that it doesn't track accurately for cycling. They claim they are working on making a "stronger metric" (or something like that) for cycling. In the meantime, I know that a lot of people who bike wear it on their calf for better tracking of that exercise.

    I just put it on for that and as soon as I'm done I switch it back to my arm.

    This! I put it on my calf when biking and then immediately switch back to my arm. I swear I read somewhere on their website to put it on your calf for a more accurate burn when biking. I have found it to be a lot more accurate on my calf when biking. Hope that helps!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I swear I read somewhere on their website to put it on your calf for a more accurate burn when biking.

    BodyMedia doesn't even seem to factor in the possibility of someone wanting to wear it on their leg. Here's what their FAQ section says about wearing it:

    Where should the Armband be worn?

    The Armband should always be worn high on the triceps area of the left arm, with the sensors touching the skin, with the logo on top, closer to the shoulder.


    Can I wear the Armband on my right arm? Or upside down?

    Algorithms analyze the Armband data to estimate your calorie burn. Those algorithms have been written to give optimal performance when the Armband is worn on the left arm, the right way up. The "right way up" has the logo closer to your shoulder and the lights closer to your elbow. We do not recommend wearing it on the right arm or upside down. If the Armband is worn on the right arm or upside down, we expect calorie burn values may show a difference of up to 8% for routine activities like resting, walking, running, household work and road biking. The differences can be significant when using certain exercise equipment.


    Does the Armband have to be worn on the left arm?

    The Armband should be worn on the back of the upper left arm (the triceps). To work properly, the BodyMedia logo must face upward towards the shoulder and the silver sensors on the underside of the Armband will be in contact with the skin.
  • pearsj10
    pearsj10 Posts: 9 Member
    I know this thread is older but I just got a BodyMedia armband and found this on the website if anyone hasn't tried it yet!

    Problem: My Armband is not recording all of my Activity while riding a bike or stationary bike.

    On a road bike - ensure that you are wearing the armband correctly.

    On a exercise bike, also called a stationary bike, some people may feel they deserve more calories than they get credit for. This can be attributed to the exercise bike's geometry and handle bar style. In this case, just for riding the exercise bike, try wearing the Armband lower on the arm, closer to the elbow than the shoulder, and rotate the Armband a little to the outside of your arm. With your arm hanging at your side (not sitting on the bike or holding the handle bars), the Armband's face would be in line with your wrist watch. When you have finished riding the bike, pull the Armband back to its normal position.
  • KimberlyinMN
    KimberlyinMN Posts: 302 Member
    I found it easier to just take the Bodymedia off while on any bike (indoor/outdoor) and then use the Edit Off Body feature via their website.
  • pherring00
    pherring00 Posts: 3 Member
    I did a 25 mile ride with it on my upper and then one on my lower arm. I averaged 62 steps and 393 calorie burn. Did the same ride with it on my calf that yielded 3,998 steps and 544 calorie burn. While I still think the calorie burn is off, it demonstrates the difference of wearing it on your arm versus the calf.






    p.s. I'm looking into a HRM for a much more accurate read.

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