heart rate montior or fitbit?

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boymom75
boymom75 Posts: 74
in Fitness and Exercise
Looking to get myself a little something to get these workouts going after the holidays! I thought a new gadget would help in seeing how many calories I really burn! especially in the classes I like to take...Zumba, Bodypump...
Which one do ya'll prefer? I'm leaning towards the polar monitor as it shows your heartrate and calories where as I think the fitbit only does calories and steps taken, but I understand with the fibit, there's an app you can link to your iPhone for diet/etc?

Any advice would be helpful! thanks ya'll!
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Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    The biggest difference is that HRMs are only for use during steady state cardio while the other gadgets like fitbit are for all day use.
  • moeggep
    moeggep Posts: 219 Member
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    I love my Fitbit, I do wear it all day every day. I carry pen and paper in my gym bag so that I can write down my biginning calories burned and steps taken before my work out so I can compare.
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
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    The hubby just gave me a fitbit for Christmas! Haven't opened it yet, but the outside says it tracks everything, including SLEEP, which I'm very interested to see. Good luck to you whichever route you take! :drinker:
  • purple180
    purple180 Posts: 130 Member
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    I have the Polar FT4 and I love it! Not sure on the FitBit as you have to wear it all day long....
  • RyanJK85
    RyanJK85 Posts: 580 Member
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    Fitbit is great if you are a runner, or trying to make sure you stay active during the day more...I use it cause I work a desk job and it motivates me to walk more and stay moving...
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
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    I have both, but I no longer use the Fitbit.

    The Fitbit is useful if all you want to do is keep track of your steps taken. However, the Fitbit cannot keep track of the intensity of the steps, or track your BPM. All it is really is a glorified pedometer.

    I have a Polar FT4, and I find it far more useful than the Fitbit. It comes with a chest strap, transmitter ( that you click onto the chest strap) and a watch, that receives your BPM from your transmitter. Based on your age, weight, height and BPM, it gives you a very accurate calorie burn count.
  • mcblevins
    mcblevins Posts: 74 Member
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    I have a fitbit force and I love it! I really like meogge's idea of tracking before and after though, I need to do that for a week and see.

    I also like that it actually gives me a lower calorie burn than what all of the cardio machines say so I have lost more weight having it than before.

    Also, I like the cheers and updates it gives you through the day to be more active and meet your goals.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    ... especially in the classes I like to take...Zumba, Bodypump...

    For that type of activity, you probably want the HRM. Fitbit's good for walking / running type activities but, even there, for cardio-focused walking & running the HRM will probably be better.

    With that said, they're really two different (and complementary) tools...

    The Fitbit is good for all-day tracking of activity levels and estimating your total daily calorie burn relative to the food intake that you're tracking on MFP. Using Fitbit, you can "automagically" adjust your daily intake up or down based on general activity level throughout the day.

    The HRM is good for estimating calorie burn during heavy cardio style activities. While the Fitbit may track those activities, depending on exactly what it is, the HRM will likely be more accurate.

    In a way, I think there's more value for the dollar with the Fitbit, but the HRM can also be used to target specific heart rate zones to maximize your efforts.
  • Juliane_
    Juliane_ Posts: 373 Member
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    I have both gadgets and I love them both. They work together actually along with MFP. I use the fitbit for all day calculation of my NEAT which is activity done throughout the whole day. Those calories count too believe it or not. I then use a Polar HRM for workouts because it will give me a more accurate count of my calories burned during higher intensity workouts. I log this in MFP and it syncs up pretty nicely with the information given by the fitbit. With both I have MFP setup to give me a calorie deficit daily.

    I would recommend both gadgets even if you just get one first and later on you get the other. I would start with the Polar since you mention in your posts that you workout and you might want to know what you burn in those clases. You'll find the number motivating plus it will tell you if you are overdoing it if your heart rate is too high. I use it to tell me if I'm exercising at too low an intensity or a high intensity.
  • tasha_rena
    tasha_rena Posts: 25 Member
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    If you want to see your calorie burn for classes, you don't want the FitBit. I love my FitBit, but it is only good for tracking walking/running exercise, and that's it. It does sync to MFP and it does give me goals and limitations - I can see my overall calorie burn vs what I've eaten so I can stay on track to lose Xlbs a week, but it won't properly acknowledge other types of exercise. (I have FitBit Flex, not Force; I think Force acknowledges stairs climbed but Flex does not.)

    I do, although it's not "accurate," log my other exercise into MFP and then it adds to my calorie burn in FitBit.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    The Fitbit is useful if all you want to do is keep track of your steps taken. However, the Fitbit cannot keep track of the intensity of the steps, or track your BPM. All it is really is a glorified pedometer.

    I don't think that's quite true, although I agree that the HRM will be more accurate.

    Fitbit does factor intensity level of movement into its estimations. Again, not as accurate as the HRM (although many HRMs can over-estimate calorie burn unless they're well-calibrated to the individual wearing them) but Fitbit's quite a bit more than just a pedometer.
  • boymom75
    boymom75 Posts: 74
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    wow, I like the features of both! I am leaning towards the polar only because I am a heavy cardio person and looking to add more weights/strength training in the future so would love to see how many calories I burn during those workouts...

    There's also the scuttle (sp?) and the Nike fuelband. any experience with those? just looking at all my options here.

    Thanks!!! :)
  • Mylolamia
    Mylolamia Posts: 88 Member
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    I have had my Fitbit One over 18 months now and love everything about it. Bought the One for my DH as well and now we compete for steps and miles. It is accurate in measuring calories, steps, miles/kilometers, flights of stairs climbed, and sleep. I wear mine 24 hours/day except in the shower (it is not waterproof however the Fitbit Flex is supposed to be water resistant). It automatically syncs to the website when you are within 15-20 feet of your computer or IPhone. It has proven to be as accurate in calorie burn as an HRM as tested by trainers. Also, someone mentioned earlier that she carries paper and pen to the gym to record calories and steps burned...not necessary. It also has a chronometer which I start at the beginning of every workout and stop at the end....this info is automatically sent to the Fitbit website as well. I would be lost without my Fitbit One!
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    wow, I like the features of both! I am leaning towards the polar only because I am a heavy cardio person and looking to add more weights/strength training in the future so would love to see how many calories I burn during those workouts...

    There's also the scuttle (sp?) and the Nike fuelband. any experience with those? just looking at all my options here.

    Thanks!!! :)

    Don't know anything more about the Fuelband than what I've read but, from what I've read, Fitbit's a better option... and I like my Fitbit. :)

    Keep in mind that the HRM won't accurately measure calorie burn during resistance / strength training, unless it's a blended routine that keeps your heart-rate elevated for the duration. They're designed to estimate calorie burn during periods of consistently elevated heart rate. The reduced heart rate during rest periods throws their algorithms off completely.

    Polar does make one that has some functionality geared towards strength-training but, even there, it's primarily geared towards helping you target and maintain certain heart rate zones rather than estimating calorie burn.
  • boymom75
    boymom75 Posts: 74
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    wow, I like the features of both! I am leaning towards the polar only because I am a heavy cardio person and looking to add more weights/strength training in the future so would love to see how many calories I burn during those workouts...

    There's also the scuttle (sp?) and the Nike fuelband. any experience with those? just looking at all my options here.

    Thanks!!! :)

    Don't know anything more about the Fuelband than what I've read but, from what I've read, Fitbit's a better option... and I like my Fitbit. :)

    Keep in mind that the HRM won't accurately measure calorie burn during resistance / strength training, unless it's a blended routine that keeps your heart-rate elevated for the duration. They're designed to estimate calorie burn during periods of consistently elevated heart rate. The reduced heart rate during rest periods throws their algorithms off completely.

    Polar does make one that has some functionality geared towards strength-training but, even there, it's primarily geared towards helping you target and maintain certain heart rate zones rather than estimating calorie burn.

    Interesting. now I'm thinking the fitbit. lol Maybe I'll just get both. :smile: I like that I can wear the fitbit all day. I'm pretty active at my job so I know I'm definitely burning calories there!!!
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
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    Interesting. now I'm thinking the fitbit. lol Maybe I'll just get both. :smile:

    Yeah, I have a Fitbit (Flex) and the Polar H7 bluetooth HRM that I hook to my iPhone for running, and I also use a Google Spreadsheet that I worked up from the Compendium of Physical Activities for estimating calorie burns of other stuff, including strength training.

    It's possible that I have a gadget / numbers fixation or two though. =/
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    I use my fitbit daily. Because my goal is to increase my step count...so using the bathroom upstairs at work and such...I like knowing how many floors I've climbed and trying to up my daily all day movement. A very different goal than finding out how much you burned during a particular workout.

    You can go to fitbit and set up an account and see what it's all about. It's free to set up an account. I like that what I log on MFP transfers to fitbit and that I get calorie credit on days that I have earned it from Fitbit TO MFP. I like that fitbit lets me know if I have been sleepwalking again. I like that fitbit lets me know how many minutes during the day I have been active. So, for example, if I go to costco this week...and spend an hour meandering the store, I get the steps...but if I work to "powershop" I get my active score up more. I LIKE watching my flower grow. I LIKE getting that little encouragement at the end of the day that says "Only 1,200 steps from goal! You can do it!" and then "Congratulations, you made your goal!"

    SO, with all of these things that I like...for me it is about increasing my overall daily activity. If your goal is to know how much you are burning in your individual workouts, then that would be a heartrate monitor. You could totally splurge and do BOTH! ;-) Fitbit would work well with your Zumba class, but I'm not sure about the other workouts you do. I would LOVE for fitbit to add a heartrate monitor (bodybug-ish) and make it completely water proof so I can wear it swimming!!! *sigh* Someday!

    Enjoy whichever you choose!
  • mjterp
    mjterp Posts: 655 Member
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    I have both, but I no longer use the Fitbit.

    The Fitbit is useful if all you want to do is keep track of your steps taken. However, the Fitbit cannot keep track of the intensity of the steps, or track your BPM. All it is really is a glorified pedometer.

    I have a Polar FT4, and I find it far more useful than the Fitbit. It comes with a chest strap, transmitter ( that you click onto the chest strap) and a watch, that receives your BPM from your transmitter. Based on your age, weight, height and BPM, it gives you a very accurate calorie burn count.

    It does track the speed/intensity of your MOVEMENTS...You can see this if you check out the website. One of the tracking blocks is minutes active...where it is broken into light, moderate and active. A fun but superfluous feature is the more active, the taller your flower grows (fitbit one). It is not a heart rate monitor which would calculate using different formula.
  • boymom75
    boymom75 Posts: 74
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    I got a Polar from Santa! Excited to try it out this evening at the gym! thank yall for your advice!! :smile: :smile:
  • SimplyDenyse
    SimplyDenyse Posts: 124 Member
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    I have both and use both daily..

    I love my fitbit cause it gets me motivated to be more active throughout the day. Compete with other fitbit friends ect.. If you used it for zumba or walking/running you would get a higher calories burn reading on days when you moved/jumped faster ect.. so in a way it can give you a feel for if you worked out more that day or not.. I also like that it can read the stair climbs you make and track sleep. But I find I never use the sleep function any more.

    My FT7 HRM though is my favorite.. I know where my HR is and can track calories burn more accuratly. Spinning, weight lifiting and boot camp style classes read better with it I think. I had lost my HRM and replaced it within a week becuase I felt I had to have one.

    If you have to pick just 1 go with the HRM.

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