heart rate monitor and calories burnt

[mrswhiskers]

hi. I have used a heart rate monitor for the first time this morning.
I have just started running and still find it quite tough.
I alternate between running and brisk walking.
normally I have used endomondo to calculate the calories burnt and it said around 200 for a 2.5 mile circuit of which I'd say 3/4 of a mile was running and the rest a very brisk walk. It takes me around 20-25 minutes.

today I used the HRM and it said I'd burnt 51 calories.
surely this can't be right!
I'm not sure if it could have lost connection but I'm totally deflated. I had assumed I was burning a lot more.

[LordEmsworth]

There are a lot of variables that go into working out calories burnt, probably both your versions are wrong . Does it matter? What would you gain from knowing?

[Suzannewithaplan]

I use this www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx
to work out calorie burn, it may not be 100% correct but there is a strong correlation between HR and effort so it gives a good way to compare the intensity of different activities

[mrswhiskers]

I do think there was an error with the HRM as I later did some yoga and burnt 90 calories in the same amount of time with a lot less effort.
The calculator is interesting but it looks like I'll have to get my average heart rate up to at least 118 before I can use it. maybe I haven't been working as hard as I thought as my average HR was only 90.

[Suzannewithaplan]

I had that problem with the calculator Mrsw but they do give the formula for the calorie burn so I copied that into a table that I made on excel and now I can use it for any average HR.
Like I said may not be correct but a good way to compare & measure progress.

sometimes HR monitors do drop out, I found the wrist based far mio link better than the chest strap (which drove me mad such that I hardly used it!)