Tracking exercise

[Lawnmoewer]

Hello! I just got a fitbit Alta HR yesterday to track my fitnessblender workouts. The problem is, even when I do the 1000 calorie workouts, the Fitbit doesn’t automatically  track it as exercise. I tried manually tracking the workouts, but when you manually track workouts, is the Fitbit still calculating the calories based on your heart rate during that time or is it just giving you an estimate like on myfitnesspal? 

[NellyG · Accepted solution]

Hi @Lawnmoewer Unfortunately you have discovered a shortcoming of the Alta HR. It has no way of tracking something it doesnt recognise, and has no second method of tracking as some of the  more expensive trackers have. Having said that, even though it cant recognise what you are doing, the active minutes recorded and the calories burnt should be pretty accurate because of the HR monitor. As you have found, though, if you then manually enter an activity in the app, your heart rate is disregarded and population averages are used for these items. So you have a choice between stats that are accurate for your heart rate, or an activity listed with stats that are population averages.

[AiMeeGris]

Hi Nelly. Is there any accurate way to see my calories burned during a workout? Sometimes I have to log my exercises and I know the calories are based on which exercise I choose. There’s not a big choice to choose from. I feel like they are incorrect. Can you help?

[NellyG]

Hi @AiMeeGris 

No I dont think there is, as calories burnt are calculated in the app, not on the device, from your heart rate and the personal information you provide Fitbit. On trackers with Heart Rate, this occurs with auto recognised and activities started and stopped on the tracker itself (on trackers that have this function). When you manually enter an activity, the app calculates your calories burnt from population averages within your personal information range, but not using your heart rate.