Measuring steps for an amputee

[fatwilly]

Stupid question i guess but i was using a Surge and it helped me lose 29kg. 4-5 weeks ago i had a big motorcycle accident and suffered traumatic amputation of my right leg above the knee. I got given a Blaze after I came out of ICU as an encouragement which is awesome, but with only one leg, walking on crutches I am clocking up 2-3000 steps a day.......does it measure the step of my good leg or the action of one movement that would have been two steps? Also seems to record the arm movements when using a wheelchair.......would the effort to wheel a chair equal the effort of a step for an able bodied person?

[SunsetRunner]

I would think that the action of a step would get counted correctly- It will be interesting to see how others chime in....

I would also think that the calories burned while operating the wheel chair would be impacted by heart rate, which the blaze will see...

I find your story and question inspiring / inspirational- thank you for sharing!

[Rich_Laue]

Personally since it is you and your crutches, you are the only one who will be able to answer this.

My suggestion would be to test it yourself, take a reading of the steps on the Blaze. Start moving, counting your steps in.your head. Stop and look at the Blaze count, did it go up what you counted?

[jackarm]

Willy  -  i recently got a prosthetic leg just above knee.   I have a Versa 2.   it will not measure my steps when I walk with prosthetic.  However - I am just starting and using a walker.  SO MY ARMS DO NOT MOVE.  When i swing my arm, sitting still, it racks up steps.

Apparently the device using your arm motion to detect a step.   I tried hooking watch to my leg but that did not work - at  least on first try.

So the step measurement function is pretty low tech - just looks for a movement of a certain kind.   that explains the arm steps you are getting.   At least you are getting a measurement with the crutches.

[jackarm]

A Versa 2 simply looks  for your arm swinging.   I can rack up steps sitting still and swinging my arm back and forth.

[LZeeW]

@jackarm   You added on to a very old thread.  A wrist worn tracker needs that wrist movement to count steps.  It's part of the accelerometer programming.  There is another current Fitbit device, the Inspire 3, that has an On Wrist/On Body setting.  Now, I'm not saying that you should replace your Versa 2 with an Inspire 3, I just want you to understand the programming.  I know some people will put their Fitbits in their pocket when pushing a stroller, shopping cart. or walker.  The say their set count is better (it's accelerometer physics stuff), but you don't get a heart rate.

If you are going to wear your Fitbit on your leg, I recommend wearing it about an inch or so above your inside ankle bone of your leg.  I think it might improve your step count accuracy.  It just might not count well at all if you are early in your rehab and are moving slowly.

You're absolutely correct about the arm swinging.  My hair stylist gave up on her Fitbit because of the high "step" count just styling hair.