Problems with Heart Rate Monitor

Hi everyone!

Just wondered if anyone had encountered the same problem - I have been using a GARMIN Forerunner heart-rate monitor plus foot pod when working out (well, I use the foot pod if I'm walking, otherwise I just use the heart-rate monitor if I'm working out to my exercise DVDs at home).  I keep finding that the monitor watch loses contact with the chest strap VERY frequently, making the readings extremely erratic and unreliable, i.e. heart-rate 18 or 30 when working-out - I don't think so!!

I have tried moving the chest strap around so that the two sensors are either side of my heart position, putting the chest strap roughly equal to where my third rib comes (something the website suggests), but all to no avail.  It is very frustrating, because when I try wearing the strap and monitor around the house, or when I am not jumping around/walking it works perfectly.  But what's the point having a heart-rate monitor to help with tracking my fitness, if it doesn't actually work when I am trying to keep fit!  Arrgh!!

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions about what I could do?  My husband thinks it is because I have a narrow chest or that perhaps my bra is pushing the chest strap down and out of position.

Any advice would be much welcome, as this is winding me up no end!

Thanks very much in advance,

Karen

I had the same problem with my Polar HRM. I ended up buying some gel on the internet, I think it's named Buh-Bump or something like that. You put it on the conductors that you normally just wet and it seems to help a lot. I eventually just had to buy a new chest strap too, but it was only like $15. The combo of the new strap and the gel work perfectly!

The battery in the chest strap could be dying.

UD