Heart rate monitor for overweight folks?

GardenQueen30
GardenQueen30 Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there! I’m trying to choose a HRM, and my instinct is that I’d find an arm band more comfortable, but it seems like chest monitors are more accurate.
My hesitancy with a chest monitor is that I have lots of back fat and belly fat, and I’m worried it would shift around/not fit on me. I’m female and wear a sports bra, and they bunch up between my chest and my upper belly fat. Is a chest monitor even an option for me? Hoping for some real world answers from people in the same boat. Thanks!!
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Answers

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,826 Member
    Garmin has just launched the HRM-Fit which clips onto your sports bra instead of being a separate band.
    I'm a big fan of Garmin, but this product is a bit too expensive to my liking.
    Perhaps there are similar products from less expensive brands, if you also think it is too expensive.

    As for my own experience with HR bands, it will depend on what exercise you're doing as well. I slide it underneath (inside) my sports bra, right below the boobs, instead of being lower down on the chest.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 565 Member
    Id avoid one on your wrist. I've found my workout gloves always bump into it and cause a problem.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I used a chest belt when I was class 1 obese, and it sat above my belly fat around my rib cage. It stayed in place fine for me without a sports bra, or breasts (I'm post-mastectomy bilaterally, no reconstruction). Most bra-type tops ride up on me because of no breasts to hold them down, but the chest belt stayed in place OK. Maybe that's because I did/do have some width in my lats, not sure.

    If you have a bit of elastic hanging around that's half an inch to an inch wide, you could try pinning that firmly around your chest during a workout, and see whether it stays in place. That's not a perfect analog, but it could give some indication.
  • GardenQueen30
    GardenQueen30 Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks all! I went with a chest monitor and if it doesn’t work out, that’s what Amazon prime is for. I’m looking forward to getting some better cardio data!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    @GardenQueen30, if you feel up to it, maybe come back to this thread and let us know how it's going after you try it for a while? I think that would help other people who are considering a similar decision. :flowerforyou:
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    Garmin has just launched the HRM-Fit which clips onto your sports bra instead of being a separate band.
    I'm a big fan of Garmin, but this product is a bit too expensive to my liking.
    Perhaps there are similar products from less expensive brands, if you also think it is too expensive.

    As for my own experience with HR bands, it will depend on what exercise you're doing as well. I slide it underneath (inside) my sports bra, right below the boobs, instead of being lower down on the chest.

    I think dc rainmaker had a review of it, and wondered whether it would actually work with heavier people as the clip would bounce around.

    If TO is not too hairy and has very light skin then an optical sensor might not be too bad. I've been using one for years, for by Scosche, den Polar. I wear it on the upper part of my lower arm.

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