Heart Rate Monitor Questions

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HeatherShrinking
HeatherShrinking Posts: 805 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm thinking about getting a heart rate monitor and I have no idea where to start. Can anyone give me a quick overview of what I should be looking for when buying one?
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  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    Polar.
    You want the belt, you want it water proof, stop watch, record workouts, heart rate zone. I have the ft4 and love it. I have heard good things about ft6 too.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    I recently got the FT7 - also Polar - and I love it. I had a Timex before and learned it wasn't accurate at all. I like that I can back track and see previous workout sessions.
  • gk4chf
    gk4chf Posts: 2
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    I have the Timex belt and watch.. it records heart rate, calories burned, max. heart rate, and average. It was around $45 brand new on Ebay. Works great!
  • pilotgirl2007
    pilotgirl2007 Posts: 368 Member
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    I just got the polar RS100 and I am loving it so far! I am not too sure what the difference is between the other models and this one but it was listed as a multisport HRM
  • 20carrots
    20carrots Posts: 279 Member
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    Does anyone know if I can use the HR feature on the garmin for an aerobics class or something where I'm not running? I have the chest strap.
  • girlsaint
    girlsaint Posts: 209 Member
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    I had one that I bought at walmart... the kind you put your finger on and it takes your pulse that way. I was in the midst of a cardiac rehabilitation program, and wanted to drop out and exercise at a gym that was much closer to my home. It was suggested to me that I buy the chest-strap type, preferably a POLAR brand. I got the FT-40, and I am happy with it. You can set a goal heart rate, (or in my case a heart rate limit) and work out within it. There is also software and a device to get the info from your monitor to your computer, though I have not bought that yet.
    I like it because I really mix it up with my workouts. The Wii one day, treadmill, weights, exercise videos. This way all of your progress is tracked on one device. ( I wish the Wii had a place to input info from other workouts though)
  • AmberElaine84
    AmberElaine84 Posts: 964 Member
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    I would also suggest any make of the Polar brand!! I had a Sportline from Walmart and it was TERRIBLE! It wouldn't record my pulse ever, and then it went completely loopy and started miscalculating everything. My husband is buying me a new one for my birthday, and the hardest decision I'm making is which Polar model I want!! I would definitely recommend paying a bit more money for a good one, because if you buy a cheap one and it breaks, you're going to have to spend more money on a new one anyway!
  • sophia_uk
    sophia_uk Posts: 152 Member
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    Does anyone know if:

    1. this is a good effective heart rate monitor which calculates calories burned?
    2. this will work for swimming/rollerblading/bike riding etc
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    I have a Polar FT4 and love it, seems pretty accurate to me with the calories burnt. Don't know for sure if it's waterproof or not though, never tried it.
  • sophia_uk
    sophia_uk Posts: 152 Member
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    What sports do you do with it? I know a lot of HRM will only work for walking/jogging but I rollerblade...
  • girlsaint
    girlsaint Posts: 209 Member
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    The heart really doesn't know what activity you are doing to make it work. It simple pumps away , oblivious, and your monitor will record the rate at which it is pumping. My FT-40 has a function where you lie down and relax, and it gets a "resting" heart rate, and then from that calculates fitness, fat burning categories from that. It will calculate calories burned from any sport (though I am not sure about swimming either)... sometimes I wear mine if I am going out to do vigorous yard work. It helps me not go over my maximum heart rate, and gives me a calorie count to boot :)
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    Correct, the hrm doesn't know what activity you are doing, it simply uses you hr to calculate your effort. You could wear it all to learn how many you actual burn daily if you wanted. The ft4 cannot be used for swimming but polar does make one that can. Di singe research on the polars. They are spendy, but worth it!!
  • lessjess2
    lessjess2 Posts: 23
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    I have the Polar F6 - love it!
  • jswoods
    jswoods Posts: 23
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    FT 40 is advertised as water proof (any with the wear link transmitters should be) however I have never tested mine :) I would suggest the FT40 or better with Polar because they have a built in ownindex feature, which allows the watch to more accurately gauge caloric burns based on your heart rate range. They also have a sensor that will comunicate with a nike plus ipod sport kit to give audible HR feed back during runs.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    Does anyone know if:

    1. this is a good effective heart rate monitor which calculates calories burned?
    2. this will work for swimming/rollerblading/bike riding etc

    Any polar will, and my timex does as well. as long as the strap and watch are water resistantr, you should have no problem with any activity
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    What sports do you do with it? I know a lot of HRM will only work for walking/jogging but I rollerblade...

    ???

    it counts your heart rate, the activity you are doing doesn't matter.
  • brocksmom
    brocksmom Posts: 103 Member
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    I have taken my ft40 in the gym pool, you can't go scuba diving:-)
    I forgot to time mine off in the shower today at the gym and it still works;-)
    Good luck,
    Karen
  • girlsaint
    girlsaint Posts: 209 Member
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    Oh 1 more thing. The FT series in Polar are considered the "fitness" series. At least that's what the kinisiologist (sp?) at the cardiac program told me. She highly recommended the FT-40. From the Polar site I found that it is water resistant to 30m.
  • HeatherShrinking
    HeatherShrinking Posts: 805 Member
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    Thanks for all the help everyone. I just ordered my first HRM!
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    yay! Hope you love it! :) what did you get? Btw the ft4 and band is water resistant to 30m but does not work, as in count calories submerged underwater....the water just doesn't damage it. But I don't swim much...so no worries there!

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