Question about Polar FT4 HRM

ltosti
ltosti Posts: 27 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Well..I guess it could be any heart rate monitor, but I have the ft4. I have had it a couple of weeks and it is working great. I always log my exercise calories by the number that it gives me right after I am done. But today, I stopped working out and was talking to the trainer for about 15 minutes. I noticed after those 15 minutes that I burned quite a few more calories (like 60 i think). Is this accurate or what? I am only counting the calories I actually burned during the workout, but I just got to thinking...do we really burn that much after the workout is over or is my HRM inaccurate?

Replies

  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
    You continue to burn calories at a higher rate than usual even after exercising. That is one of the great things about exercising. The more you do the more you burn....even once you have stopped!!
  • TiniTurtle
    TiniTurtle Posts: 595 Member
    your hrm is probably accurate but i wouldn't log those extra cals burnt :o) they're accounted for when you list your activity level & how many times a week you intend to work out on here ♥
  • lipt8611
    lipt8611 Posts: 60 Member
    I'm no expert, but I think it's just because your heartrate is still up from the workout. It's very likely that you do burn that many more after the workout. I've read about people who turn it off right away and think of those as "bonus" burnt calories, and some people who keep it going until they regulate. I keep mine going until I finish my bottle of water (or I "like" the number that is showing :) )
  • emancipateurself
    emancipateurself Posts: 175 Member
    I always pause mine after getting off my machines and getting back on or between strength training excerices, some people keep it going for the full time so it's really up to you, but when you are 'cooling' down your heart rate is still up there so you do burn extra calories.
  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
    I also have the Polar FT4. If you leave your HRM running it just continues to calculate based on your heart rate, so it would be accurate. I guess it is personal preference as to whether you want to record the extra time and the calories burned. I know when i do a heavy workout, I don't just shut it off the second I come to a screeching halt! I also have a cool down period to my exercise and while my heart rate is coming back down to a normal range I still count it towards my calories burned, just as I count the warm up period that my heart rate is climbing towards my average/maximum rate. Make sense?

    It's all good! If you feel that your heart rate dropped back to your just hanging out and laying around rate then no don't count. But if talking to the trainer was a slow decline like a cool down period then count.

    :bigsmile:
  • ltosti
    ltosti Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks Everyone, I did not record those calories, nor do I plan to. I figure it will be some freebies that may help me to get to my goals faster, but it was a nice motivator!
  • ltosti
    ltosti Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks Julia, I also have been turning off my heart rate monitor the second that I am done with my workout and log only those calories. But I leave it on the whole time I am working out when I am strength training, cause I keep my heart rate up during strength training as well by adding cardio intervals.
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