Need recommendations for a good heart rate monitor

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HopefulHeart

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
97
Location
Charlotte, NC
I'm going to spend my time exercising (walking/jogging) to try to keep my mind off my BAV and my ascending aortic aneurysm. Also trying to get in better shape for future surgery. I need a good heart rate monitor to wear during exercise so I can keep an eye on my heart rate and make sure it does not get too high. Can anyone recommend a good heart rate monitor? Thanks.
 
Anything from Garmin is going to be much more reliable/accurate than I Fitbit or iwatch in my opinion. Anything with an actual chest strap will be better than something that you wear on your wrist
 
I use Viviofit from Garmin with a chess strap heart rate monitor. I have been pleased with it. I used it to make sure I didn't push myself beyound my max heart rate. Note I did adjust my max rate to being on a beta blocker. It possible this is why I'm still here today. My aortic stenosis parameters did not trip the surgery is now guild line, but a stress test tripped an EKG event that was extreme dangerous. Without my heart monitor, I may have tripped that event at home, two houres away from my heart hospital. Chess straps are more accurate, the only drawback is I can't use it until my incision heals.
 
Hi

pretty much anything with a chest band will be sufficient. I'd say that one of the issues I've seen for ladies (certainly my wife) is that the location is often "in the way" of their sports bra. so this can present a challenge but with some thought you can get it strapped in and maintaining good contact.

Personally I also like the Garmin Vivofit system as its low cost and reports lots of useful stuff (including sleep if I was to wear the watch thing at night).

I've used even basic $40 watches with chest bands in the past, but the modern stuff also keeps all your records for you (as long as you sync it) but you have the drama that its "online" and "who knows who's seeing it"

As a result I don't use my real name there (well or here really).

Myself I prefer the Garmin watch over the others because it has a 6 month battery life (they claim 'up to a year', but I assume that's if you don't use it) and stores 20 days worth of data if I'm not an obsessive complusive syn'er needing to see how many steps I did in the last 10 seconds (every hour of the day).

So this means I can essentially forget about it for over a week. As it happens I also chart my active KCal as part of my weekly INR monitoring, so I usually sync weekly.

this review was what sold me on the Vivofit
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/03/g...it-review.html

I've changed (wrist) bands and they're available on eBay for like $5 ... this is not an insignificant point because some have "single unit" bands that are not replacable and one of the guys with a microsoft watch has had the band start to break after 4 months ... he's not a happy camper.

I go for the best bang for buck at the lowest price so if you loose it you're not weeping tears of blood (well and I'm on warfarin so imagine how that would end ... drowning in tears?)
 
I used, still sometimes use, a Polar one with chest strap which the cardiac rehab nurse recommended. it's perfectly adequate and has never gone wrong, is even a watch when my regular watch broke down !
 
Actually, I invested in a Fitbit HR. It's very accurate with counting steps, but I can't say I'm impressed with the accuracy of the heart rate. Any better suggestions for a wrist worn one?

The chest ones sound cumbersome, and besides I've got cleavage now.
 
The strap around the chest can be worn all day, without getting in the way?

BTW Pel, you must've thought I was a total noob when I said Vangelis did the sound track to Gallipoli. It was Chariots of Fire.

I hope you all had a good weekend. I did 10000 steps today. Got sick of staring at the ceiling. I'm going to try and sleep without Valium tonight.

Word to the wise. Get off the Endone as fast as you can. That stuff is poison.
 
Agian;n866870 said:
The strap around the chest can be worn all day, without getting in the way?
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Click to expand...

Only made for using for an hour or so while training normally.
They aren't designed for being anything other than effective and not getting in the way. They're made for training not wearing generally.

Also if it's not your thing then just because he's the most famous contemporary Greek musician is no reason you should know him :)
 
LOL I grew up with iron Maiden. Now there was some weird ****. I like Simon and Garfunkel... and the king. I'm convinced Elvis suicided. He sang from the heart and the world loved him.
 
Songs that inspire me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQem15Ow6hw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG9ph9xkOrw


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1DMwfn8C4M

Translation from Hebrew:
I will gather feelings that remain,
like the last fruits after the harvest
All that the hand of sadness hasn't destroyed from the root
And the fires of anger have not yet scorched within me.

I will line a wicker basket with memories of Kineret
And the pink of morning skies between garden trees.
The gold of noon on the tranquil expanse
And the evening lilacs on the Golan hills.

The memory of the night the crescent moon rose over still waters
This is my shout of joy as my days begin.
This is the shout of joy I'll bind the basket with
And send it to you - will you be happy for the gift?
 
I just happened to see this thread, so I'll chime in late. . .

I have used a Polar chest strap monitor for quite a while, but I found that once the battery in the chest strap went dead, it cost almost as much to send it back for a new battery as it did to buy a new device.

Also, since I have a pacemaker, the chest straps often give strange, unbelievable readings.

So, I changed to a wristband monitor. Mine is a Mio Alpha. These came out before either FitBit or the Apple or Microsoft devices. It can be work all day, as opposed to the chest strap models. The battery only lasts for about a week or two, but it is re-chargeable, so as long as you remember to charge it, the battery life is quite long. It has computer apps to record data, but I really don't use that part. I just use it to monitor heart rate during exercise. This device "reads" the blood flow in the wrist via infra-red sensors on the back of the watch. It seems to be fairly accurate, in spite of my pacemaker. It isn't the cheapest, though.
 
ATM, I don't need a constant read on my HR while exercising, only to check & be sure it doesn't climb too high. Plus I'm one of the few holdouts still not owning smart phone, so I went low tech. Bought a $20 pulse oximeter. I can pop it on for a few seconds while I'm in motion and ensure I'm in range.
 
I use a Polar bluetooth heartrate monitor chest strap. Works great with many applications on your smart phone and you can replace now the battery yourself which makes it very simple.
 
A former friend somehow wound up with two Fitbit Surge. The pedometer reading was WAY off the reading on my cell phone. I didn't bother checking to see which was correct. A major problem with the Surge is that the band is made to fit onto the watch and, if it breaks off, it's not replaceable. The guy who gave me the surge told me that his band had broken. I offered to give mine back to him -- and he took it.
I really don't miss it.
 
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