Heart Rate Monitor?

Do any of you use one? How helpful is it? Do you find it reasonably accurate in telling you how many calories you burn? Is it useful as a motivator? Preferred brand/model?

Kelly-Anne (wanting ALL the toys...)

Polar. Don't hesitate. It'll help you know if you're working out too hard or not hard enough. I am on my second one. First one was low-end and easy for me to program... the second one I had my trainer set for me. It's easy to use once it's set up, and yes I find that it does a very good job monitoring my calorie burn, etc. Fascinating to wear it when you're jus****ching tv to see how many calories you burn sitting on your butt (not as many as on the treadmill but still it's interesting!)

This is mine: http://www.polar.com/us-en/products/improve_fitness/fitness_crosstraining/FT60 only mine is bright pink (so DH wouldn't steal it!)

I have a polar ft60 and love it. I am ore-op but the difference between what the machines read and what the hrm reads is vastly different.

Before you decide, you should check compatibility with your phone and any apps you might be using.  I have a Zephyr, which works great for me, but I think it only works for Android.  And while I was using Map My Walk, I discovered that they don't integrate HRMs with Androids, only iPhones, so I switched to Endomondo, which I'm finding is better anyway.

I never really planned to get one but wanted to know how many calories I was burning during weight training. I boutht the H7 from Polar. I think it was around $60 on Amazon. it connects to your iPhone via BlueTooth and works with a bunch of other apps. Polar makes a bunch of these so if you don't have an iPhone they have other models that work with other phone as well as other types of monitors but I would say Polar is the gold standard in heart rate monitors for exercise.

I think its about the most accurate way to tell how many calories you are burning. 

I would say it is not useful as a motivator but very useful in providing you with information which you can use to build your motivation. Meaning I don't look at my heart rate when I am running and say oh I gotta get it up a few more points. But I look at my results from last week versus this week and see that my recovery time has improved or that I didn't spend as much time in the right zone and I can modify my routine based on that information. So overall it is a useful tool but I would not say its a motivator.

LOVE LOVE LOVE my Polar.  I just had to order a new one.

It really helps to insure you are working in your target zone, how many calories you burn, and avg & high heart rate.

I use one for cycling. In order to do long distances, it is important to stay out of the red zone (anaerobic). I can play at the edge and reserve my strength. Without it, I have a tendency to overdo it. My legs let me know later. I look at it like like a tachometer and don't let myself rev too high. Shift to an easier gear and keep spinning. I have a cycle computer that lets me see my HR, Speed and Cadence (RPM) all at the same time. It allows me to find the sweet spot to get the most speed out of the least amount of energy expended. All the pedaling is helping me burn the last pounds off.