accuracy of heart rate monitor

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melindapipkin
melindapipkin Posts: 66
in Fitness and Exercise
i bought a heart rate monitor but i do not have the chest strap, how accurate is it without

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  • badbradclark
    badbradclark Posts: 47 Member
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    not very...
  • nokittyno
    nokittyno Posts: 293 Member
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    I'm, not sure myself.. Mine came WITH a HRM Chest Strap .. and if I don't wear the strap mine says, "CHECK HEART STRAP" Lol.. So I am not sure.. if yours calculates without it.. Maybe it's based on your Age, Weight..etc ..
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
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    Without the strap (assuming it was the type to come with a strap), it won't even measure your heart rate at all.
    If you're talking about calories burned, it may come up with a number anyhow if it has that capability (many HR monitors don't actually use the HR to calculate the calories anyway).

    Not sure if I answered your question ....
  • Lucilleharp
    Lucilleharp Posts: 2
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    It wont work without the chest strap-- Heartratemonitersusa.com is a good place to check out different models.
  • melindapipkin
    melindapipkin Posts: 66
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    i got this one at walmart and it does not come with a chest strap, but they do sell the chest strap separately should i go ahead and buy one and will they work together
  • wilted6orchid
    wilted6orchid Posts: 423 Member
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    I had a watch hrm that was "cheap" and didn't come with a chest strap. I'm sorry to say that it bases calories burned by a math formula based on weight and age, maybe gender also. which is what this site does. It's really not much use. I have one with the chest strap now, from Wal-Mart that cost about $30. It's much better. I'm sure that the Polar F crowd wouldn't put much stock in it, but I'm not in a position to spend several hundred dollars on an hrm.
  • wilted6orchid
    wilted6orchid Posts: 423 Member
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    If you can get a chest strap for it, that would be better.
  • Creiche
    Creiche Posts: 264 Member
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    I think some have the capability to read your heart rate when you put your thumb on the watch somewhere, but it's only taking sporadic instantaneous measurements, so it won't be very accurate. I'd look online for info about your specific monitor...there is probably a specific chest strap you have to buy for them to work together and you need to make sure it'll even work with one.
  • TrainerRobin
    TrainerRobin Posts: 509 Member
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    It wont work without the chest strap-- Heartratemonitersusa.com is a good place to check out different models.

    I thought that too, but one of my clients came in with the same predicament and I told her it wouldn't work and then she showed me that it was working (it had the capability of reading the HR just sitting on the wrist and touching it, as an alterantive to wearing the strap). I thought it was an either/or thing ...

    So if your monitor has that capability, it might work. If not, you need to go strap shopping!

    Good luck!
  • LongMom
    LongMom Posts: 408 Member
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    I have a watch-only HRM and it DOES take your HR when you put your fingers on the sensors.

    You have to do it often while you're working out though. I measured my Fuzion (Zumba on steroids) class and I was getting consistently close calorie burned values. Last night I forgot to check my HR for almost the entire class and the calories burned was waaaaaay lower than when I check periodically.

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