Activity & Heart monitors

nstephens
nstephens Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I hope I'm posting this in the right place, I recently posted and had no replies. Please let me know if I'm doing this wrong. I am very active but am not seeing any changes. So, I am trying to eat better and monitor my activity and heart rate. What are your favorite activity and HRM? and do they sync with MFP? I'm looking for something that is accurate but wont break the bank :) TIA

Replies

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    What activities do you do?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I highly recommend reading this blog for those who are considering a HRM. It outlines how it basically works, the issues with it and what to look for when buying one.
    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
  • aarnwine2013
    aarnwine2013 Posts: 317 Member
    I bought one and honestly I'm having trouble with it, but it shows less calorie burns than the machine or other ways I was measuring. I think these burns are much closer than what I'm actually burning. I'm going to return it and find one that is easier to use.
  • nstephens
    nstephens Posts: 4 Member
    I like to run and do classes like bodypump, fit-n-fab (some strength training along with cardio). I have been running and doing boot camps and am not seeing a difference. I'm wondering if maybe Im not getting into my "zone" to get the calories burned. That's why I was looking for a HRM or activity monitor to help me calculate better.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    I like to run and do classes like bodypump, fit-n-fab (some strength training along with cardio)

    Running, assuming it is set up correctly and ideally able to set for VO2 will be ok. I wouldn't trust the numbers for your other classes.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1044313-this-is-why-hrms-have-limited-use-for-tracking-calories
  • Marguarretthe
    Marguarretthe Posts: 14 Member
    That's a great link! Thanks for posting it... definitely won't be buying a HRM now due to personal physical reasons, it just wouldn't make sense!
    Marg
  • nstephens
    nstephens Posts: 4 Member
    Thank yall for your input and the links you have posted. Both links have been helpful. I guess I"ll just stick with an activity monitor.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    HRMs are great for tracking heart rate, including how well the body recovers from intense exertion after the effort level drops. For a select few activities, they are able of providing fairly accurate calorie estimation. I personally don't care about their calorie calculations. The fact my heart rate is down while my pace is faster on certain areas I run shows more than any calorie estimation ever could.
  • criticaltodd
    criticaltodd Posts: 86
    Regardless of the issues with calorie burning estimates, if you want to know what heart rate zones you're in during a workout, an HRM is a must.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Regardless of the issues with calorie burning estimates, if you want to know what heart rate zones you're in during a workout, an HRM is a must.

    Again, it depends on your goals. Strictly for weight loss - HR zones are pretty much irrelevent. For cardio conditioning it is a great training too, but that also assumes that you take the time to find your actual HR zones. Those online charts are general guidelines and can be quite inaccurate as well.

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