Fitness watching "thing" that records heart rate over day?

[Bob]

Not something that connects with a smartphone or tablet.

I'm looking for a fitness watch (maybe it also uses a chest strap) that records the wearer's heart rate throughout the day.  So I'd put it on, let it record, and then connect it to a regular computer to view the results.

Does anyone know of something like that?


I've heard of Fitbit and something else, but it sounds like those record steps during the day.  I really don't care how many thousands or steps I take during the day. I am a little interested in my heart rate throughout the whole day.

[iancollett6]

 I use this little baby,

      https://www.magellangps.com/Store/Switch-Series/SwitchUp-GPS-Watch

[iancollett6]

 the only problem I can see with it is that the chest strap needs to be a little moist to read your HR accurately. I normally wet it before starting exercise and sweating during exercise keeps it accurate.
 I dont know how it would go if you were just going about your daily business without a sweat up.
 Dont quote me on it, but I think most of these straps need to be damp to work properly. Something to do with the conduction of electricity?

[Bob]

Thanks.  I'm still thinking.

Yes, the chest strap needs to be moist.  I suppose a gel could work.   Re-gel it at lunch maybe.


Dang.  I found a website that had the kind of graph I wanted yesterday but I didn't save the link.

This is similar though....
https://www.digitalmcgyver.com/personal/gadgets/basis-and-heart-rate-monitoring/
which mentions this thing...
https://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Monitor-Watch-Black/dp/B001F0PVO4


Found it...
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2012/12/a-day-of-continuous-heart-rate-monitoring.html
That's the kind of graph I want to see.

And this one too.
https://strengthrunning.com/2012/06/heart-rate-monitor-training/



Although then I'm wondering... "So what?  It's kind of common sense.  Move around more, the heart rate goes up.  Duh."  
I suppose it would be see when I'm not active and break that up a bit.  
I'm also curious what my heart rate is when I rushing around to things.  
Then again... I could probably take a pretty accurate guess on those concerns.  Save money by not spending $100+ and wearing the thing around all the time.  That actually sounds like a bit of a annoyance, to have something like that on all the time.



Dang... I read that article better.  That guy was still using an app on his smartphone to record data.  And he had to keep charging up his phone all day.  Way more work than I want to put into it.

I suppose another goal though...
Raise overall heart rate average for the entire day.  That might be a useful thing to do, to some extent.  The heart will adjust and become more efficient too and then it would become more work.  But it's still a way to measure and compare.

[Bob]

I use this little baby,

      https://www.magellangps.com/Store/Switch-Series/SwitchUp-GPS-Watch

Is that just a watch?   I keep seeing "ANT."  That looks like what it uses to communicate with something else.  No chest band with this one?   Or does it pull heart rate data off your wrist?

Hm.  ANT is wireless...
https://www.thisisant.com/consumer/ant-101/what-is-ant/

[Bob]

I've searched enough.  What I'm looking for doesn't exist.  $150+ for something that requires work and comes kind of close isn't cutting it.

They all need a chest band.  Doable but a bit of a pain.  If it works.

Looks like they all record data to a smartphone.  I don't want to mess with that.  That would be wearing an extra watch, a chest strap, and carrying a phone around all the time and having to keep it charged up all the time.  Too much effort for what it would tell me.


For the same amount of work, I suppose I could just use the heart rate monitor and chest strap I've got now and spot check the heart rate once an hour.  That would tell me essentially the same thing.

[iancollett6]

Is that just a watch?   I keep seeing "ANT."  That looks like what it uses to communicate with something else.  No chest band with this one?   Or does it pull heart rate data off your wrist?

Hm.  ANT is wireless...
https://www.thisisant.com/consumer/ant-101/what-is-ant/

It can be a watch, comes with a watch strap or the face comes off and you can attach it to your bike or stick in your swimming cap( it,s water proof). It has gps so it'll tell you how far you have ran.
I know there are 2 models and the cheaper one doesn't have the heart rate function.
Mine didn't come with a chest strap, I had to buy it separately. It cost AUD$250 for the watch and the strap. Australia is really expensive to buy stuff like this
I'm not sure what that ANT means, I've seen it in the menu, to have a guess I would say that it's the type of data transmission between the receiver and the strap.
You can go onto the Magellan website and log into your account, attach the unit to the USB and download your our workouts, it'll graph all a heap of info, heart rate, temp, altitude, shows a picture on google maps where you have been.
So.....good luck with your decision.

[iancollett6]

Is that just a watch?   I keep seeing "ANT."  That looks like what it uses to communicate with something else.  No chest band with this one?   Or does it pull heart rate data off your wrist?

Hm.  ANT is wireless...
https://www.thisisant.com/consumer/ant-101/what-is-ant/

It can be a watch, comes with a watch strap or the face comes off and you can attach it to your bike or stick in your swimming cap( it,s water proof). It has gps so it'll tell you how far you have ran.
I know there are 2 models and the cheaper one doesn't have the heart rate function.
Mine didn't come with a chest strap, I had to buy it separately. It cost AUD$250 for the watch and the strap. Australia is really expensive to buy stuff like this
I'm not sure what that ANT means, I've seen it in the menu, to have a guess I would say that it's the type of data transmission between the receiver and the strap.
You can go onto the Magellan website and log into your account, attach the unit to the USB and download your our workouts, it'll graph all a heap of info, heart rate, temp, altitude, shows a picture on google maps where you have been.
So.....good luck with your decision.

[timothy42b]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holter_monitor

When you get to my age many of your friends will have worn them at work.

[Bob]

Interesting.  A little bulky though.  Smaller than I expected after glancing through the article.  And about $1,000.  Haha.

[Bob]

I thought of another use. 

Instead of me looking at an exercise monitor while I'm exercising, I'd be able to see the heart rate over the whole course of an exercise session.  I've been looking for max heart rate, but it could tell me the heart rate over a range of time. Still possible to do manually though I guess.  I could just spot check the watch while I'm doing that exercise. After a while I've got a pretty good idea of what that makes the heart do.


Heart rate sounds interesting to know.  I don't quite see the point of having a little fob device that tells you when you sleep and how many steps it think you took that day, except the business selling the device.

[azgrand]

There are several apps on the smart phone that will check your heart rate at any given time and record it. I use the Runtastic Heart Rate app. It can be used periodically during the day and will keep a record of it on your phone. It is free. Can also record to some extent what type of activity you were doing at the time you tested your heart rate. You simply hold your finger over the camera window to record your heart rate. I find it to be very accurate.

[Bob]

Without a smartphone though.  So many of those are tied to a phone. If it recorded and then dumped info to a computer, I'd be ok with that.