Heart rate monitors, are they worth it?

I love mine!! I have two with the chest strap. I bought a Polar but lost my transmitter and found one at ALDI's for $20 that works just as well. It is the best investment I have made thus far....it keeps me motivated and I can track my burned calories during a workout.

This content has been removed.

I bought a Polar FT4. I think it is worth every dime I paid for it and some extra. Using it has helped me gauge just how much exercise I am actually getting, because I am still quite out of shape, I often have to stop and go on exercise things so it's good to have those real numbers so I don't overestimate. Statistically, research has shown overweight people overestimate the amount of calories they burn through exercise, which makes weight loss more complicated and difficult.

ETA: one good example, the numbers for zumba on MFP, would have given me credit for 6+ times the calories that my HRM said I actually probably burned-- if I just used MFP numbers, I would be gaining weight rather than losing it (my HRM said 251 calories for my 45 minutes of work, while MFP said something very crazy like 1750 for the same 45 minutes of zumba, this is probably because MFP makes the incorrect assumption that I am in good shape and going full speed the whole 45 minutes when in reality I am out of shape and just learning the steps for zumba right now)

YES. As everyone has said, they are really the only way to get an accurate indication of how many calories YOU are burning rather than some fictional average person. I notice that for a given activity, MFP was often way over on estimated calories and the equipment in my gym was quite a bit under!

They are still not perfect of course, the only thing they MEASURE is your heart rate so calorie burn is still an estimate based on that and some measurements you've put in, but get a decent brand like Polar and they are as close as you can really get.

What I have found surprisingly motivating is how much better my recovery time is now. Coming off a 15 minute run or cycle I see my heart rate drop back down much quicker than it used to which shows how much fitter I am getting.

Polar FT7 .... Wont leave home without it

Worth every penny.

I got a Polar FT4. I love it. I use it walking, hiking and during Aqua Zumba.

When I first discussed getting one with my husband, he immediately said no. I was pretty disappointed. But later that day after he came home from work, he told me he did some research on HRM's and asked reddit their opinions, and he agreed it would definitely be a benefit to me. So I bought it that night. He likes to surprise me like that. LOL!

But yeah, sooooooooooo worth it.

Worth every penny... I own 2 of the Chest Strap HRM's which are great if you use your phon to link it up... I often find that if I had a big lunch and a snack and say I have 200 calories left, I know how many calories I have to burn for the RIGHT to eat a dinner and I always make sure I leave extra...

I would say for the $60 it costs (Polar H7 HRM) and a food scale for $20 you need both of these to get to the real truth on what you eat and what your bruning while working out...

I would not do Insanity without an HRM.

Before I had one, I was getting "chest pains" as I pushed it... I did not know why. I bought and HRM and set it up and discovered it was because I was pushing beyond the 100% HR I was supposed to try to stay under. With the HR, I stay safe and I also stop slacking off. If I think "I can't do this! I'm dying!" and the HR says i'm being a wimp, I dig deeper!

I dont count cals, but I do look at my HRM afterwards to get an idea of how hard I worked that session. If its under 600 cals, I know I was a slacker!

Polar FT7 checking in.


I love it.

I like mine for 2 reasons.

On a day when I feel more tired than usual I can start to think that I'm working harder than normal. A quick glance at the monitor shows if that is true or not. I know a good day for me (for example) is a pace that keeps me between 165 and 170. If on one day I start to feel like I am dragging i can look down and see where I am at. If it reads 150 bpm or even the other way at 180 It is a reminder to check other things like my form or my breathing. I have problems with my knees and lower back, so form is real important, and at times I can get lost in the music or something and not realize poor form until it is too late and then I hurt the rest of the day.

The other reason is that it is a good tool. But a tool alone. Just like your digital scale at home, neither is 100% accurate. But if you are a tad OCD like me it is good to have an actual number to write down when tracking my improvement rather than a "feeling" of doing better or worse. If the same running course burns fewer calories on the monitor when measured a couple weeks apart, then I have a good indicator of my improvement. Of course that only works while we are building and improving. We can also then compare different courses for which one does require more exertion over another. I don't remember moment to moment things like direction or altitude change. So It can help me decide on an easier or more difficult course as I get ready to leave the house.

I don't really see the point, but whatever floats your boat.

SIGH. how do you explain to a man with abs like that that some of us have to use every weapon available?

thank you person who posted this...I was just asking my MFP friends the exact same thing and decided I would have a look at the forums and there was you question!!! Thanks to all of you who responded!!

Emperor's New Clothes.

I know if I've worked out hard by being drenched in sweat. I don't eat the exercise calories back cause I want to lose weight, I'd rather spend the money on an awesome pair of running shoes.

I used my HRM today for the first time in 6 months. Sure it tells me my heart rate, but I'm not that impressed by it.

What I do love is my FitBit - I wear it all day every day.

Worth every penny... I own 2 of the Chest Strap HRM's which are great if you use your phon to link it up... I often find that if I had a big lunch and a snack and say I have 200 calories left, I know how many calories I have to burn for the RIGHT to eat a dinner and I always make sure I leave extra...

Hahah. Same here. Sometimes I don't feel like doing Monday night Zumba but with being so close to being successful in my calorie goal for the day if I just attend, I go to EARN my dinner and work as hard as I need to so I get that burn

If you're a numbers person, it's definitely a cool gadget. No guesses, you just know the actual numbers and can make the necessary equations work out. I love checking my heart rate after a particularly challenging sequence and seeing it in the high 180s or low 190s