Charge 3 is tracking arm movement as steps

[Donnasradford]

My charge 3 is tracking arm movements. Anyone have any ideas on this?

[Colinm39]

@DonnasradfordWelcome to the forums and what I'm posting may not be new to you because you may have used other wrist type Fitbits.... well done on your 3 years with Fitbit.

The arm movement is the way your Fitbit detects steps and you have to think of it in context with your HR and calories burned..  If you find the arm movements are from day to day domestics or desk type work you can adjust the setting in your Dashboard to dominant for the arm you wear your Fitbit.

When I say in context, I was doing awkward pruning yesterday (pulling and cutting creepers) and the steps were out of proportion to what I see as normally but..... for that period (my Ionic auto detected me), my HR was 100% cardio..

I also accept the gains because you may find that the wrist type Fitbits under count the steps. I prove this because I always wear my Fitbit One which is  a pedometer, and that, on most days is 10% higher recording steps,

The same with the altimeter for your floors... On some days you get a bonus of steps because of the wind and I mentally offset that because where I walk I have some marginal inclines 9' ((3-m) and miss those, but over a year it averages out.

Finally in a domestic, at home situation, walking through our long home on the carpeted floor I have to be aware of arm movement because I definitely lose steps.

Enjoy your Charge 3 and keep us posted...

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@Donnasradford wrote:

My charge 3 is tracking arm movements. Anyone have any ideas on this?

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[Colinm39]

@Donnasradford   Here is an example of my 10% lost steps on a wrist type tracker..comparing the active use of the Ionic and the Fitbit One.. A typical domestic day so far, walking around the house, shopping with some aggressive walking between shops and the car.. 11.75% difference.. Lost steps..

I went to bed after midnight and wasn't wearing my Fitbit One, Time equating the One to the Ionic is listed below.

Another vagary with me, I'm ambidextrous and have the Ionic set as non-dominant to attempt to positively pick up the difference.

I was due to do this comparison again and your post was opportune..  I will post again at sleep time and see how the day went.

Steps before sleep .........................=124

Steps while

asleep/bathroom visits................... = 127

Total =========================251

Steps on Ionic                                   4005

Difference to Compare Fitbit One =  3754

Fitbit One while the Ionic was active 4225

Steps loss difference ============ 471  = 11.75%

[Colinm39]

@Donnasradford  Late night here and mainly domestic and some car driving and more shopping. 

The gap has closed, and the difference between the One and The Ionic is now 5.8% where the Fitbit One still has slightly more steps but close to Fitbit's tolerance of +/-5%.  I could put the 6% loss in steps on the Fitbit One as domestically walking on carpet because the device would not "feel" as many steps. Whereas, the Ionic would detect my arms moving.

[Donnasradford]

Thanks Colin

  I'll keep.an eye on it.  It records steps if I'm doing something where i.move my arm alot while.sitting.  I was usj g my left more due to a shoulder injury on my right, maybe that is the difference.  I'll try changing the dominant arm.