Compound problem: Exercise doesn't count as active, hit-or-miss HR monitoring with certain exercise.

[DietBakingSoda]

I have routinely encountered an issue wherein exercise does not count toward active minutes, for instance: 60 minutes of a cardio exercise with a heart rate averaging 120 or so sometimes counts as 70+ minutes (presumably because of a elevated heart rate and movement afterward), sometimes 20 or less. Just to be clear, this is exercise that is in fact recorded on the device, not simply a case of me not noticing the watch is loosely dangling from my wrist and not reading my HR.

This is my main issue, since it just seems to be a programming bug.

However, this is especially problematic with the 'weights' exercise: Unlike cardio exercise, the heart rate is NOT always recorded accurately or consistently, so at least that not counting as 'active' has *some* explanation. Still:

I do understand certain movements can interfere with the HR sensor's ability to get a reading, but even doing seated leg presses with arm relaxed and wrist straight, the HR doesn't seem to update more often then every few minutes and insists I'm sitting down stationary with a HR of 75 or so despite the fact that when I go to check my chest is pounding and I'm sweating buckets.

It takes easily a whole minute to *start* noticing that my HR isn't in fact that low *if* I keep the screen from going black (scrolling through display options, etc), which seems to mean the watch doesn't attempt to track HR without being prompted to by intentionally checking it. If that theory is correct, then there is a serious need to reprogram the manual weights exercise function...

Solutions I've tried (as applicable for either/both):
-Resetting the watch.

-Resetting the app and/or phone.

-Cleaning the sensor thoroughly.

-Re-seating the watch tightly at different positions on the wrist.

-Adjusting the tightness of the watch band.

-Keeping track of arm position in a manner to ensure the sensor is seated agaisnt my skin, such as keeping my arm relaxed and wrist straight while doing machine leg presses.

At the end of the day, I will say it generally works well, so I doubt that this is a defective unit. I also am not part of a work program that actively rewards me for being more active, so I am not being shorted some sort of monetary reward like some are, but it would be nice to not finish an hour an a half at the gym and be told you've only been active for 20 minutes, ya know?

[Julia_G]

Hi, @DietBakingSoda, first, your "active minutes" issue:

Fitbits are programmed to award active minutes when it detects you are burning at least 3 times your BMR calorie burn for 10 consecutive minutes.  As you probably know, BMR calories are the calories you body burns just keeping itself alive (respiration, circulation, digestion, etc.).  Therefore, you will not necessarily get active minutes credit for all of the minutes you are working out at the gym.

Fitbit trackers have two ways of calculating when you reach 3 times your BMR rate.  The first is how rapidly you are accumulatong steps (it needs to be at least a brisk walk, not just a stroll...). This is basically how trackers without a heartrate detector work with Active Minutes.

The second way it detects is by using your HR.  Since steps are not relevant when you are weightlifting, the Fitbit will need to award active minutes based on heartrate alone.

You report that your Fitbit does not always recognize an elevated HR when you are at the gym.  Also, your HR may be only elevated for a short time (due to the nature of weightlifting exercise) and therefore not long enough to trigger the active minutes 10 minute threshold.  This is not a programming error -- it is just the way it is designed.  Weightlifting is probably not an ideal exercise to trigger significant active minutes.

As for your HR detection issue, I can confirm that whether or not you are checking your watch does not affect its recording.  How you wear your Blaze may make a difference, however.  For exercise you are usually advised to wear it a little higher on your wrist, and a little tighter, than for day to day wear (but obviously not so tight that it restricts blood flow or causes discomfort!)

Finally, there is usually a little delay in detection of raised HR (as you have noted) so for exercises where you do bursts of intense activity it may not detect these peaks because the bursts are just too short.  

I hope this helps.  Welcome to the Community Forums!

[DrLaura]

During exercise , my fitbit rarely records an accurate HR.  I mean, not even close.  It will read 68bpm when my actual heart rate is 140 or more.

[DietBakingSoda]

@DrLaura:

Glad I'm not alone. I did some digging and apparently it's a common complaint now that any exercise that doesn't keep your heart rate elevated is something the Blaze just can't handle.

Makes me wonder why they bother putting a 'weight' workout in the list since it's clearly not designed to handle it.