Is a heart rate monitor necessary?
 

Hi all, just wondering how many of you use a heart rate monitor and how important do you think they are for your everyday exercise. My workouts have been consisting of 15 min moderate walking on the treadmill, 30 min of strength/weight training and then finishing up with 15 min more intense walking on the treadmill so 1 hr total each workout. I do this 3-4 times a week at the gym. I am about 70 pounds overweight and fairly new to exercise. Does it seem like a wise investment for me? I have had my eye on a New Balance Pearl N4 display model I found on ebay for $39.99, free shipping. And it has the chest strap. Seems like a great deal. Would love feedback!

I just got the Polar FT7 and I love it. It has a much more accurate calorie expenditure reading than any equipment will.

I also wear it on days I don't work out from time to time to see how many calories I'm burning on an average day. It's nice to be able to keep my calories in check so I can adjust my diet.

Check Amazon too, they have good deals as well.

You may also want to think about getting it at an authorized dealer. If you have problems with it New Balance may not help if you buy from ebay, or Amazon for that matter.

Good point on buying on buying it off of ebay. I have seen that Polar's are real popular, but they are kind of pricey. I just want to make sure I am at least hitting my target rate. or if I am working out too hard, because sometimes I feel like I am going overboard because I want to lose weight so bad. I am 44 and have high blood pressure, so I worry about my heart rate.

I asked a similar question a few weeks ago:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/exer...-monitors.html

They are pricey. The FT7 was $99. I saved for a couple of weeks for it. The one I really wanted was over $300! Maybe when I start running marathons I'll ask them for a sponsorship! :)

Thanks! I asked before too and that is when someone mentioned the New Balance Pearl. It seems like a good base monitor. I guess I just want to get an idea if they are worth having. if they do seem so important, then I may just wait and get a better one.

I love my Polar heart rate monitor (RS200). But just be aware that if you do typical strength training, it's won't be that accurate. Strength training typically does not involve a large sustained increase in heart rate. I don't wear mine for my weight lifting days, only for when I do cardio.

Thanks for that tip! That's exactly what I wanted to know. Since I do cardio and strength training on the same days, alternation muscle groups, I wondered just how much I really need one to do two 15 min cardio walks a day.

I have used a HRM off and on for 3 yrs or so.
I have found that it really isn't necessary for me.
I don't know that it's not as accurate for strength training, it's just that you take more breaks between sets, and getting down on the floor did effect mine (lower readings).
I came to the realization that I burn approx 100 calories for 15 minutes of exercise. The HRM told me that, but I've read that somewhere before also. So, I found that it really isn't necessary.
It is kind of neat to see a number of calories burned, but other than that I didn't get any benefit really.

I am finding that after more research and by your replies here, I probably do not really need one. I focus more of my time and energy on the strength training part because that is what I absolutely love. Thanks all!