myles
New Member
Posts: 44 
|
Post by myles on Apr 26, 2015 19:18:10 GMT
I have recently been thinking about how runners/joggers use such implements to check on their heart rate and or cal burn and so forth. Does anyone use use a step counter for turning or a heart rate monitor? I'm thinking about getting something of the like. My stationary bicycle reads your palms and gives heart rate readings as well as approximate cal's burned.
The smart watches seem to have a lot of built in features like these but I'm looking for something a little cheaper, non intrusive, and light. I don't normally wear watches so anything too bulky might be distracting.
|
|
myles
New Member
Posts: 44
|
Post by myles on Jun 3, 2015 4:09:06 GMT
So I went out and got a fitbit. The one I procured was a watch variant that measures heart rate, counts steps, if you go online and sink it with your height and weight it also gives aprox cal burn as well as useless things like how many floors you've climbed.
After turning with it for an hour I realized I probably will use it for a few work out sessions and then know all I want to know from it. It cost $150 at bestbuy if anyone is interested.
Now on to the important information, though they may very slightly from person to person:
In an hour of turning*
Average heart beats per min: 150
Total steps taken: 4,524 (2.13 miles)
Approximate calories burned: 960
*not turning fast enough to cause enough shortness of breath as to need to open my mouth to breath
yet turning low/fast enough to have increased my respiration significantly
keeping my arms raised almost entirely through the hour of turning
and only changing direction when I absolutely needed to
I alternated 15mins lion then 15min bear, no noticeable difference were recorded in bpm or cal burned per min during the 15min intervals. There is an application for phones or a web based hub with the same information, giving charts of everything recorded once you set it up.
I will continue to use the watch and post if there are any significant variations while turning, and I'll probably post some other activities in case there is any interest. I know I have had problems trying to determine cal burn per hour as some of our training methods such as turning and standing are not really comparable to anything else out there.
|
|
myles
New Member
Posts: 44
|
Post by myles on Jul 26, 2015 5:37:29 GMT
So after a few months using the fitbit watch I've done a bit of an appraisal. It is not the most accurate heart rate monitor by any means but over all gets the job done. Accuracy is lacking, and at times, it just plain doesn't work. However, it is unobtrusive and comfortable enough. Though it's accuracy is on and off, with frequent use I feel the readings can be utilized to a somewhat useful degree, and I feel I've started to be able to tell when the thing is on the fritz or just acting wonky and omit that particular workout from the average.
The one hour blocks I usually work in give the following readings:
-Turning one hour seems to frequently average around 800cal, 4k steps (about 2 miles), and HR around 120-130 bpm
-Training an hour of strikes, forms, and a couple 2-3 postures often yields about the same 800cal, 1 mile (2k steps), and HR 120-130 bpm
I must attest that I find this to be highly unlikely; that my heart rate while training mostly strikes and combinations, with an occasional form or posture to be the same average as turning. Even understanding that turning is constant and strikes are intermittent. I train strikes until winded most times and then take short breaks only until I catch my breath or stand a posture between reps of strikes. I feel my average heart rate should be much higher with strike training than turning, but the readings are about the same. My feeling is that the strike training is giving low averages for cal burn. Also, the standing posture readings seem wildly inaccurate, in that the step count is zero and the devise thinks your just standing/sitting and thus only giving readings of a lowering heart rate during that time.
When turning the amount I sweat is significantly less than training strikes and such. Note: When standing between reps of strikes, sweating is not reduced.
I think that these, or at least this particular devise is geared toward walking/running and I wadge that it would give equally bad readings for a biker or lifter. After carefully sustained and frequent use I have come to be able to self correct it's misgivings. It's actual usefulness remains in question however.
|
|
