Are Heart Rate Monitors really worth it?

xmissxamyx
xmissxamyx Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks


I noticed that Aldi have a big fitness sale coming up and I noticed in the catelouge they have a HRM + sports watch combo thing Im toying with the idea of picking one up tomorrow but then I don't know because I don't want to buy it and then it turns out its rubbish or I don't really use it and it just ends up being a waste of money (even though its not expensive)
My main form of exercise is walking just under 3k a day around my neighbourhood with some aerobics and strength stuff thrown in.
I then obviously log my exercise on MFP and just accept whatever calorie burn it comes up with...(I never eat back exercise calories any way so that part doesn't bother me all that much)

Does that really warrant me having/needing a HRM? has anyone on here got one of the Aldi ones and knows what its like? (I think its called a "Crane HRM")

Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I would skip it. If it doesn't have a chest strap it won't work great and for walking and strength, none work great. And you don't eat back so it doesn't matter what you burn in exercise.
  • sbox11
    sbox11 Posts: 59 Member
    I'm not sure of the Aldi one, but I have a Polar Loop activity tracker and I love it. I just ordered my heart rate monitor today and will be putting it to use tomorrow.

    Even though you don't eat back the calories, it might be encouraging to see how much work you are doing. Sometimes seeing it will make you push harder, or realize that what you thought you were doing is not as much as you thought. I would suggest researching it more before buying it to determine if that's the one you really want though. Good luck!
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    In reality, you don't really need it (IMO). Yeah, you'll know how many calories you're burning and can track your heart rate, but you'll know if your heart rate is at the top of the range by how you feel. When it quite high during really intense exercise, you'll feel like you need to stop for a quick breather. It gives you some info, but it's not necessary.

    Allan
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    First, if it doesn't have a chest strap, it won't be accurate.
    Second, you can use MFP numbers and just eat half the calories back, or just do TDEE-20% (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) and eat that, without having to worry about how many calories you are exactly burning... then adjust your calories depending on your loss.

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