Tracking Exercise When Running & Walking

[ahefner33]

So if you are tracking exercise and you choose the Run option, what happens if you walk during your run? For eg. Run a mile, walk .5 mile, then run again. Is it able to calculate correctly even though stride lengths are different between the two?

[ahefner33]

Was this posted in the wrong section?

[Rich_Laue]

I don't know and don't have an answer. The Fitbit has stride settings for both rim and walk.

Since it is mainly fellow fitbitters on the sight, it might be that none of the fellow users have an answer. My thoughts are what did your testing day?

[bbarrera]

I've seen posts and reviews that distance estimate loses accuracy when your stride changes, and you aren't using connected GPS.

[bbarrera]

Step count is accurate, but distance is estimated and appears to simply be RunStride multiplied by number of steps.

[Rich_Laue]

I don't think there is any question on how Fitbit guess at the Distance. Your tracker can only count one type of data, that is Steps. Everything else that gets displays is done through calculations.

The Fitbit counts steps, then multiplies it by the stride. It has to assume that the stride measurement that it has is the same as the person wearing it has. If the stride is changed without telling the tracker, it will be more that happy th continue to calculate with the data oit believes is correct.

Let's say I give you a stick that is little suppose than a person, and tell you to measure the room, would you be able to do this? You would be able to say the room is 20 X 18 sticks, but until I tell you the stick is 15 inches long, you will not be able to tell me the dimensions.

Knowing the length of the stick, is your stride.

[bbarrera]

@Rich_Laue and that is why other companies offer Foot Pods, to automatically detect changes in stride length and therefore achieve more accurate distance estimates (versus Fitbit's simple single-stride x steps approach).

[Rich_Laue]

According to DC rainmaker you'll still need to calculate a base number for the stride. The pod, like the Fitbit looks at tyre surge changes in movement between running and walking.
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/polar-bluetooth-footpod.html

[bbarrera]

I think you are missing the point - with a foot pod you get accurate distance estimates without GPS, even when running intervals or running at a different stride - perhaps going uphill, or downhill, or any other reason your stride isn't the same as the one you enter into Fitbit profile. See accuracy section of this article: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/01/garmin-ant-foot-pods-everything-you.html and also note that the Garmin foot pods back in 2011 allowed you to calibrate by going on a GPS run.

[ahefner33]

Thanks guys for all your feedback and resources