Charge 6 not recording zone minutes

[CRKen]

I just replaced my charge 5 with a charge 6. My walks are identical now as with the 5. I’d get anywhere from 15 to 20 zone minutes with the 5, but ZERO with charge 6. 

My wife recently replaced hers as well and is also seeing far less zone minutes for the same activities. We walk together (she’s disabled and uses a walker) so the activity level hasn’t changed one iota. We have the same iPhones, too. Everything is updated , etc. 

It’s very frustrating. 

[RiekoC]

Hello @CRKen 

Are you tracking your walks using the Exercise app on your Charge 6? If so, what does your heart rate graph look like from your completed walk?

Active Zone Minutes are earned based on your heart rate during your exercise as this help page (<-- click link) explains. If your Charge 6 isn't tracking elevated heart rate during your walk, then that's why you're not seeing AZMs.

It might be worth checking your heart rate on your Charge 6 compared to taking your pulse manually or with a different instrument, like an SpO2 device.

[CRKen]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes, I’m using the walk feature. 
The graph shows my heart rate consistently below 108, which I’m sure is why I’m not getting the zone minutes.

The thing that puzzles me is there are basically 3 different walks we do each day (my wife has a walker and we use paved trails) and have done so for a few years. The Charge 5 always recorded ~15 to 20 zone minutes. We haven’t changed our walks, they take exactly the same amount of time, etc. 

I just checked my heart rate a couple times and the watch seemed to be a few beats slow. However, checking one’s own HR isn’t always perfect. Next week I’ll have one of the nurses in our clinic check my pulse a couple different days and see what the that shows. 

Thanks for your advice.

[RiekoC]

Hello @CRKen 

It will be good to see how your heart rate is when checked by a nurse as compared to what your Charge 6 is tracking.

If it is vastly different, please come back and let us know.

[FCD]

My Charge 5 died and I bought a Charge 6.   I have been averaging between 150 to 200 Zone Minutes/Day for the last year and am somewhat rigid with my schedule and workouts.  Yesterday I had 44 minutes, today 66 minutes?  I work out at a gym, I walk outside frequently and use a treadmill.  All of these are fairly consistent activities...Zone minutes are way down and my heart rate seems to be lower.  It's been very warm the last few days and would expect my heart rate to be higher.  It seems I'm not the only person with this issue. Has anyone determined why?  It's very discouraging to develop a consistent workout routine and then get dismal results.  

[CRKen]

My pulse was consistently measured about 2-3 beats higher by the nurse. Not a lot, mind you, but looking back at my walks over the past month or so there have been numerous times where the Fitbit 6 was measuring me just shy of AZM. 
Is there a way to manually adjust the threshold for AZM? It seems that dropping it down a couple beats I’d be attaining the zone minutes I was recording with the Fitbit 5.

[RiekoC]

Hello @CRKen 

This help page has the instructions on how to set up Custom Heart Rate zones (<-- click link)

Let us know if this helps with getting your AZMs.

[FCD]

@CRKen , I've noticed the same behavior.  My heart rates seems to be about 10 bpm less during activities I perform, lifting weights and walking.  It just so happens that 10 BPM is the difference between light and moderate activity, i.e. zone minutes or nothing. 

[FCD]

@RiekoC I saw the custom heart rate zone option, but would think lowering the target rate is kinda "working the system", no?  I would like consistency between the Charge 5 and 6 (I think that's reasonable) but also don't want to artificially manufacture results?  Thanks for any advice...

[RiekoC]

Hello @FCD 

I responded to your other post