Charge 5 won't track my distance accurately when on a treadmill

[DanielleJ]

Is there a way that fitbit will accurately track pacing and cadence whilst using a treadmill?

Using the "treadmill" mode tracks the distance and time, but using "run" mode on a treadmill I worry won't be showing accurately due to not physically moving anywhere with the GPS.

I know Garmin has things like the foot pod, does Fitbit have a mode/setting/accessory which will help with pacing and cadence on a treadmill?

(Of note, I have a Charge 5)  

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MarreFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @DanielleJ. Thanks for stopping by in the Fitbit Community Forums and sharing the details about the inconvenience with your Charge 5.

If you are using the Treadmill exercise mode on the Charge 5 it will use the Walking Stride Length and not the Running Stride Length for calculating distance from the number of steps. This will cause the distance to be off substantially. So, if you are running on the Treadmill/Elliptical, it is better to use the Run exercise mode, assuming you have correctly set up the stride lengths for Walk and Run. However, keep in mind that it is important that your arms swing freely in order for the Charge 5 to count steps, and not held next to the body.

Also, please note that your Fitbit device may not detect the number of steps if your arm is not moving. If you walk with a normal arm swing on the Treadmill/Elliptical, it should count the proper number of steps and calories. Take a look at the article: How does my Fitbit device calculate my daily activity?