Small stride and distance

[Jodonn5124]

Hello,

I'm at my wits end with this fitbit. I haven't gotten my steps in months and months. I finally realized the other day that I have an extremely small stride. About 8". Seems crazy, but now it counts right on cue. 

Now here's my issue. We are currently in Disney World. When we got back to the room today, my husband had 2,000 more steps than me (which could be accurate based off some errands), but where he had 6.4 miles logged, I only had 1.44. Fitbit support told me that it's calculated by my stride length and if I wanted to use the GPS to be more accurate, I would need to start it every time I walked. That seems like a lot of effort (and phone data to boot). Is this seriously this difficult???

[MakMak]

Hi, @Jodonn5124! An 8" stride length seems very low, unless you have a physical impediment or injury of some sort. How did you reach that number? I'm pretty short and mine is 30".

[Jodonn5124]

As awkward as it was, I stopped walking a bunch of times and measured how far apart my feet were. I tried stepping with that longer stride and looked and felt like a goofball haha. I took a photo of one time to prove it...I attached it.

This also explains why running has always been SO hard for me.  

[Rich_Laue]

Yoir stride is from toe to toe. 

The easiest way is to find a measured distance that is of the typical ground you usually walk on

Let's say mile markers on the road side, or distance calculated by Google maps. 

Now put your tracker in walk mode and walk this distance. 

You now have a step count and distance and can calculate your stride. 

[Jodonn5124]

Hmm. Ok then here is my question...

It now counts directly on cue with each of my steps. Is it possible that I step too light or something?  My original issue was that my steps were no where near accurate. If what you're telling me from toe to toe is true, then what it was set at before (18"), would be just about dead on. My husband often had 6000+ more steps than me when we would do the exact same thing. I don't want to get rid of the Fitbit, but it has literally never been right. 

[Jodonn5124]

So I just tested it out and my original setting of 18" would be accurate. HOWEVER, now being as I was still 2,000 steps under my husband earlier and then ADDED 10" to my stride, that would have made me have even less. THIS MAKES NO SENSE (I'm sorry. I'm just really frustrated. I don't want to get rid of the Fitbit, but it just seems that it isn't accurate for me. At all.)

[Elena_Iv.]

Hello @Jodonn5124!

Like any instrument, Blaze has its limitations.

Off the cuff, I can think of one possible cause why it wouldn't measure your steps accurately. This is linked to the way how Blaze motion detector / accelerometer works.

It does count steps fairly well for natural walking motions, with your arms slightly swinging at the sides. However, if during your walk you keep your Blaze-wearing arm motionless (for example, clutched at your husband's arm), or rest your Blaze-wearing arm on a handle of a (for example) baby stroller, the Blaze accelerator wouldn't recognize your motions as walking. In the second case, it may detect your movement as biking.

Of course, I'm just guessing here.

You may wish to read an Knowledge Base article on the way how Blaze detects walking.

E.g. this one:

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1136/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3AAccuracy&fs=Search&pn=1

Possibly you will be able to figure out why it wouldn't work well in your case.

Personally, I haven't had any problem with mine. Of course, yet another possible reason is that you've got a defective watch; in this case better to contact Customer Support for troubleshooting and possible replacement.

[Jodonn5124]

My husband and I were side by side with everything today. He has 3,500 more steps than I do, which could be due to holding my son's hand (though he was holding my other son's legs around his shoulders). HOWEVER, I have 67 active minutes and he has 147!!!  How is THAT one possible?!