why do you wear a HR monitor

[cathemade]

I was given a gift card for my b-day for a local sports store and have been contemplating what to get. I see alot of threads about heart rate monitors.
I wanted to know WHY do YOU wear one. Is it really that important to know how many calories you burned each workout, even if you feel like you pushed yourself? What other reasons do you wear one?

 

[teddy16410]

I wear mine:
1. Motivating to see calorie burn each day and for the week based on goals I set for myself. IE: Burn cardio calories of 2000 this week
2. Allows me to see if I am under target heart rate (while working out- if yes...Start Pushing
3. Allows me to see if I am way over my target which puts me in anarobic state VS fat burn state and I can adjust accordingly
4. Allows me to adjust my caloric daily intake based on calories burned (I tend to eat less than my body needs)

Just my personal reasons

 

[BuffyR]

>I wear mine:
>1. Motivating to see calorie burn each day and for the week
>based on goals I set for myself. IE: Burn cardio calories of
>2000 this week
>2. Allows me to see if I am under target heart rate (while
>working out- if yes...Start Pushing
>3. Allows me to see if I am way over my target which puts me
>in anarobic state VS fat burn state and I can adjust
>accordingly
>4. Allows me to adjust my caloric daily intake based on
>calories burned (I tend to eat less than my body needs)
>
>Just my personal reasons
>
I wear mine for all of the above reasons. I started using it about a year ago when I began using Cardio Coach. Strangly enough, once I started using the HRM I realized that I was pushing myself way too hard and while doing CC. With a HRM its easier to know what level I'm exercising at. I use it for Cathe workouts too. It's addictive to know how many calories you burn.

 

[hokypoky]

I use the calorie burn as a gauge for my fitness. For example, I did LoMax yesterday and burned about 440. Sometimes, in the past, I've burned over 600, like if I was getting over a cold or injury.

 

[andtckrtoo]

I've been wearing a HRM for over a year now. I agree that it's a good fitness gauge. I also found that perceived exersion is different than actual exersion. I burn as many calories with IMax 2 as I do with Rhythmic Step. I feel like I burn so many more with IMax 2. And I'm a number junkie... I use the numbers to show me a weekly total to see how I'm doing compared with before.

My latest HRM (I'm on my third - in a year - they all work, I just want different features) tells me when I run how far I've gone, fastest pace, and average pace, and will show me current pace so I can do things like tempo runs.

 

[pixie9]

I also use it as a basis of comparison with calories and average heart rate. It's a great tool to help you learn where you are HR wise. Even if I don't have mine on, I can give a educated guess as to what my HR is.

carolyn