Burning Calories

A few weeks ago I bought a heart rate sensor to calculate my calories burned during workouts. It’s a Polar H6 with Bluetooth connection that works through a (free) app on my iPhone. Now this isn’t a advertisement, or even a review for this particular item. Though I love it, and it works great, it’s the only one I’ve really used extensively, so I can’t honestly compare it to any other brand.

It monitors my heart rate, calculates the calories I burn while exercising, and even tracks the distance and speed I’ve run by GPS. This thing has opened up a whole new aspect of fitness for me. It lets me see exactly how well I’m doing with every workout, whether lifting weights in my den or running laps around the lake trail. This, coupled with my 4-year routine of counting every calorie I eat, is helping me take my fitness to the next level. I wish I had gotten this a couple or more years ago.

With this, I’ve learned that my P90X and Insanity workouts burn from 400 to 600 calories per routine (40-60 minutes). An hour of running (with some walking here and there during) burns 750-800 calories. Just yesterday, Saturday, I ran around the lake trail 3 times, for a total of 7.25 miles over 86 minutes, and burned a whopping 1120 calories.

That evening I also did a core/abs workout routine for another 500 calories. That’s over 1600 calories burned in one day! This is the most I’ve managed in one day. Second biggest daily burn, (a week ago), was just over 1,000, and third place, (two weeks ago), was just over 800. I don’t think I could manage, (read: survive), more work in one day, though I am curious to try some time.

Seeing these numbers really helps with motivation. I often find myself pushing just a little harder or a little longer to reach a calorie burn milestone. Knowing I managed to work off that damn ice cream dessert I shouldn’t have had helps settle my mind. Granted, it would be better to know I’m burning off some of that fat over my six pack abs, (which I’m trying hard to reveal), instead of burning off just that stupid diet mistake/failure. But at least I know exactly how much I’m burning. The numbers support how hard I’m physically working with my exercise regimen.

If you are trying to exercise to get fit, a heart rate sensor/calculator is a great addition to whatever gear you use. I’d say a sensor/calculator is as important as any dumbbell or sneakers you might buy. I’m totally hooked on mine, and I can’t imagine working out without it counting my work for me. It is now an indispensable piece of exercise equipment for me.

Bullgrit