Relax Guided Breathing Sessions

[DerrickS]

Charge 2 provides Relax, an on-device personalized guided breathing sessions, based on your heart rate to help you find moments of calm throughout the day. You can choose between two-minute and five-minute long sessions. You can begin a Relax guided breathing session by:

1. Pressing the button on your Charge 2 until you see "Breathe".
2. The two-minute session is the first option. Tap to choose the five-minute session.
3. Press and hold the button to start.
4. Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period, which lasts 30-40 seconds. You’ll see the phrase “sensing your breathing” on your tracker’s screen.
5. When prompted, follow the guide and breathe deeply. Sparkles will appear on your tracker’s screen to indicate how closely you’re following the guide.
6. After you’ve completed the session, press the button to return to the clock.

What's important to note is that all notifications are automatically disabled during a guided breathing session. If you’ve set a silent alarm, your Charge 2 will vibrate at the time specified.

Click here for more information about Relax, including the benefits of practicing deep breathing and safety information.

[alexotica]

I'm interested in upgrading to the Charge 2 mainly for the Relax function. This would be my first daily wearable with a heart rate monitor.

Does the Relax feature use the wearer's realtime heart rate to customize sessions in the way a biofeedback device works? A long time ago I had a device called the Stress Eraser which did something like this... very useful but not a very sturdy device (at least mine wasn't.. it didn't last).

Or are the guided breathing sessions more "follow these instructions and we'll give you a score based on how well that's working for you" (like devices from Heartmath).

Thanks.

(Edited a typo)

[DerrickS]

@alexotica Welcome to the Fitbit Community.

I personally haven't used Stress Eraser or Heartmath before, but the way Relax works sounds more similar to Stress Eraser.

When you initiate a Relax guided breathing session, Charge 2 will measure the beat-to-beat changes in your heart rate (or heart rate variability) and then use your HRV to recommend a personalized breathing pattern during each breathing session.

Hope this answers your question!

[andrea444]

Sorry I'm late in viewing this. I really like my Charge 2. That being said, I wouldn't buy it for the relaxation feature. I've taught breathing, meditation and yoga for years. There's nothing special about this. You can find free phone apps that do the same... simply teach you to take deep breaths in/out and slow down... same ol 'inhale exhale follow the circle' app. There's a 2 min one and a 5 min one. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing you can't find on your phone.

[alexotica]

If that's all it is and it's use/intention/process is not biofeedback, I'd agree.

I'd love to see/read a tech or developer rundown on how (if at all) it uses the heartrate to customize (or not) the sessions.

[Dominique]

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@andrea444 wrote:
I wouldn't buy it for the relaxation feature. I've taught breathing, meditation and yoga for years. There's nothing special about this.

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The feature may be of little use to you, because you’re already familiar with breathing, meditation, yoga and all. However, it can definitely have a value for people like me, introducing them to all this. I wasn’t surprised there were already such apps for smartphones (after all, there’s an app for almost everything), but it wouldn’t have occured to me I should install one. Having it available right on my new Fitbit certainly eased my way into this new world.

[Tara3077]

Is there a way to adjust the speed of the inhales/exhales? It goes so quickly I can only get in half a breath, and that kind of defeats the purpose of "deep breathing"!

[gzam420]

During the beginning of the guided you see a phrase on screen that says sensing your breathing. There is no score at the end. It just a 2 or 5 min relaxation.

[MMV12]

I just got my Charge 2 and tried the guided breathing session yesterday. I like the 2 minute time to relax and breathe and this is one feature I was looking forward to because I can stop and breathe with guidance when I need to throughout the day.

Of course there are many options for guided breathing apps, but it's nice to have it on the tracker I'm wearing. When I need total body movement, flexibility and relaxation...I go to Yoga!

[SunsetRunner]

I can't seem to get to the breathe screen on my Charge 2. When I press the button, the screen eventually goes black and stays black. Any ideas?

[alexotica]

Hit the button. Then hit it again while it's still lit for heartrate. Then again for exercise mode, then again for "relax" (which is the guided breathing). Once you're at the right mode, you can tap the screen anywhere to cycle through options (2 minute vs 5 minute), then holding in the button begins the breathing session.

It's not a perfect UI, but it's more intuitive (to me at least) than it sounds.

If it's not doing that, then it might be stuck in exercise mode (or another mode). Try holding down the button. 

But the breathing sessions are a bit useless without non-visual feedback (vibration or something). Holding my wrist at a weird angle and staring at it isn't the best way to experience this.

[DerrickS]

@SunsetRunner You should be able to start a Relax guided breathing session by:

1. Press the Charge 2's button until you get to the Relax screen.

2. Choose either a two or five minute session by tapping on your Charge 2.

3. Press and hold the Charge 2 button to initiate the session.

If for some reason you don't see guided breathing sessions at all on your Charge 2, you can re-add them back to your tracker by following the instructions listed here.

Let me know if this helps!

[andrea444]

@Dominique sure, I understand what you're saying.  I answered someone who asked if they should get this device for the purpose of the relaxation feature and if it was personalized similar to biofeedback, which it is not.  It's a great FitBit, I love mine.  I wouldn't suggest for someone to buy it just for this one feature though.  I suggest phone apps that have audio so you don't have to hold your wrist at an awkward angle and watch a screen. 
Glad you like yours though, we all have different features we enjoy. 

[SunsetRunner]

This did it. Thanks for your help!

[john-is-my-name]

As a long time user of FitBit and Heartmath, I was intrigued by this feature. Like the Charge2, Heartmath also uses heart rate variability (HRV). As you inhale, your heart rate increases, and as you exhale, your heart rate decreases.

[ElizabethOR]

 Hi

I cannot get the relax screen up on my new fitbit.  I press the button and it cycles through, but never reaches the relax screen.

Could you help please?

[USAF-Larry]

@ElizabethOR - In your Fitbit App go into the setup for Devices, select the Charge 2, scroll down to Menu Items, and make sure "Relax" has a check mark in it. Then resync your tracker. It should now be on your tracker display as you toggle through the menu items.

[stepper5]

Helpful Suggestions:

It would be nice to have or be able to set a reminder for a breathing session. 

Adjustments for length of time during inhale and exhale would be useful.

vibration pattern during inhale and exhale would be helpful so that you don't have to stare at the screen.

Moderator edit: format

[ElizabethOR]

Totally agree with this suggestion.
When can we have it? 😀

[CGati]

As the relax feature use HRV analysis, it would be a nice development if it would give you a fatigue/recovery status when it's finished.