Heart Rate Monitors

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rainbowxelephant
rainbowxelephant Posts: 71 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've never used one, and I'm wondering if they're worth the investment! If I buy one, of course I'm going to make the investment in it if it's something worth having.. But that brings me to my question. Is it worth the money? Are they worth having to accurately track the calories you burn in a workout? Is a watch fine, or is one with a band that goes on your chest better? Which brands are accurate/worth the money?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • jefferytmc
    jefferytmc Posts: 26 Member
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    I am no expert but I have always heard that the chest strap ones are the way to go. The watch only may be okay, but it is not going to be as good as a chest strap.

    I would not do it solely to track calorie burn as most of your calorie deficit is likely to be your BMR - your intake. But I think they are good if you are working on improving your cardio to help you see how hard you are working and how quickly you recover.

    I just got one a week ago and so far I am loving it.

    I got a Polar H7 that is bluetooth and it sends all the information to my phone for tracking.
  • Tinker_Aria
    Tinker_Aria Posts: 36
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    Hi !

    I got an HRM with chest strap and it's the best investement I've done since I've started to count my calories.

    It's very useful to track you workout calories.

    I would be lost without it lol !

    Very accurate opposite to MFP !
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    A great read that addresses your question

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I have the Polar ft4 - it has the chest strap and is easy to use and not too expensive. With that said I couldn't even tell you the last time I used it. Guess it depends on what you want it for. It's only accurate for cardio where you have a steady raised heartrate - so if you do any lifting it won't be accurate, if you want to track all day it isn't accurate...
  • happynunn
    happynunn Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi :) I'm no expert either ..but I have used one for the last ten years ,right until a fall put paid to big exercise :( and I loved mine too. I found it invaluable when working out ,I could set it to bleep when i was out of training zone,therefore maximixing my work out. I used it when out on a walk ,to track my calories,my time in fat burning zone.
    I have used a POlar and a Cardiosport..the cardisport I had for years ! It was brilliant . Both were chest strap and I believe this is definately the most accurate form of HR monitor. The thing to look for is what do you want it to do..some only measure heart rate,some measure everything..same with budget some cost a fortune then you find you dont use half the features,some are so cheap they dont last or aren't accurate , so know what you want it to do. .

    If you just want to measure calories you might be better with a step meter ,pedometer .

    best wishes jan
  • JessieSky
    JessieSky Posts: 79
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    I'm so glad you posted this- I've been wondering the same thing. I was leaning towards getting one anyway (with a chest strap) but this thread is helpful :).
  • Sobus76
    Sobus76 Posts: 242 Member
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    I've been using a Polar F7 HRM, best investment i've made. i use it every workout. I definately recommend Polar and make sure you get a chest strap, a lot more accurate.
  • AidaF430
    AidaF430 Posts: 173 Member
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    I have the Polar F4 with the chest strap and it is much more accurate than depending on MFP, which was giving me much higher burns than I was really getting during my workouts. I love it. I also have the Fitbit Flex which I wear all day and it monitors my walking, movement and sleep. I think it all depends on what you want to accomplish. For me both investments were worth every penny.
  • prettygirlstorm1
    prettygirlstorm1 Posts: 722 Member
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    I use the Polar as well and I love it. You need the chest strap to monitor your heart rate during your workouts. I agree that it will be a good investment no matter which brand you buy.
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
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    I have a Polar FT4 as well and while I love it and am glad that I bought it, I can't tell you whether or not it's worth your money. I love fitness gadgets so that's where I tend to dump my money, but I love all of my stuff. :) I didn't have a gym membership when I got it so I did lots of workout videos and running/walking outside so it was perfect for that. I haven't used it much recently but I used it multiple times a week for over a year.

    The Polar FT4 comes with the strap (a must, don't waste money on just the watch ones) and runs you about $60 online.
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
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    LOVE my Polar FT4!! I got mine a few weeks ago and love wearing it during my workouts! I love seeing the calories burned as well as monitoring my heart rate during the exercise.

    I find it to be very motivating too! Sometimes I will workout another 20 minutes or so to get to over a 400 or 500 calorie burn.

    Totally worth the investment! Go for it! :smile:
  • rainbowxelephant
    rainbowxelephant Posts: 71 Member
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    Awesome thanks everyone for the replies :) I'm probably going to do insanity again (I was going to start p90x but decided that the cardio fat burning purpose of insanity is probably a better step before the muscle building and well-rounded program that is p90x.) and I figure that when you're doing max interval training a HRM is probably a smart step!

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