Rowing/Stationary Rowing Machine Exercise Shortcut

[Donnaj415]

Considering most of the important cardio equipment is represented in the Exercise list, I think it's more than justifiable to add a stationary rowing machine to the list. Almost every gym in America contains at least one or more Concept 2 rower as it is a total body and low impact method of Cardio. It's one of my favorites and I'm sure I am not the only user that is a bit disappointed that is not represented.

Moderator edit: Edited title for clarity and added labels.

[edbatham]

I would really like to see an Indoor Rower Feature.

Also a user of a Concept 2.

Regards,

[MickMills]

Hi, I use a Concept2 rower regularly, can a rowing workout be added to the surge please??

[DerrickS]

@Donnaj415 Excellent idea! You can currently manually log both "Rowing" and "Rowing Machine", which I would recommend doing if you do not use a heart rate tracker, but it would be cool to have a Surge excercise shortcut.

Thanks for posting on the Feature Request Board!

[MartynWalmsley]

I  use a Concept2 Series E with a PM4 and BoatCoach via USB to a Samsung Note 4 (Android 4.4.4)

The ability to 

1. have Rowing as a short cut and 
2. to take HR data in real time from the Surge to BoatCoach via Bluetooth

would be fantastic.

[Cookieg1953]

According to Harvard Health Publications, rowing at a moderate pace for 30 minutes burns about 210 calories for a 125-pound person and 311 calories for a 185-pound person. http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activiti...

I'm about to begin rowing and to get an idea of what to expect when I add it to my dashboard, I logged "rowing machine" as an activity for earlier this morning. I entered the activity 3 times at 3 different intensities/watts at 30 minutes each. Got the results of 106 calories each time. Not helpful.

Furthermore, before entering the activity, my dashboard shows I'd burned 935 calories so far today. After entering a rowing machine activity as if done earlier in the day, calories burned on my dashboard increased to 1,008 for a change of only 73 calories, not the 106 calculated.  

Next, I entered another 30 minute rowing machine activity but also plugged in 200 calories burned. Only got credit for 172. I don't understand why ALL the calories reflected in the activity log aren't added to total calories burned so far. 

Since it seems I'll not get enough credit for burning calories rowing and I can manually enter calories burned per activity, I'll use the Harvard calculation -- or maybe the rowing machine I use will tell me -- and enter that to get better credit for my workout . But apparently not FULL credit.

It's nice to see Fitbit has added rowing machine to the list of activities we can log but I question the accuracy of calories burned and how it affects my daily calories burned. 

[Cookieg1953]

That Harvard link was truncated for some reason. here it is again: 

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activiti...

[WaCox]

Dear Cookieg1953;
I LOVED your email. I have a book called: *A mathematician reads the
newspaper* and your tracking of mis-added calories and same number burned
for different times/intensities made me think of that book and laugh out
loud. When I use my Concept 2 Rowing machine, it's read-out gives a variety
of information and one of the items is calories burned. A little more
conservative than the Harvard source, but maybe I'm just a wimp when I row!
I use the Concept 2 online logbook on their site and enter my information
there. I quit bothering adding caloires burned to the FitBit log because it
did seem to be inconsistent.
If I'm really frustrated with them, I check for updates "to fix bugs" and
download it. I would say, in general, that FitBit has a way to go in the
calories for exercise department.
Thanks for sharing your info and the article/study. Great stuff!
Ready all....Row!
WaCox

[dmtattny]

It would be great to be able to synch data, but I'd be happy at this point just to get steps credited for rowing - I get no step credit at all for rowing. 

[Pat_M]

I was wondering if it is possible to add rowing & rowing machine to the exercise section

[thomasclark]

Greetings,

I also have a Concept2 Rower. I'm an avid runner, weight lifter, and rower. My wife also has a Fitbit Charge HR, however, her ability to get out and run are limited as she is a stay/work from home mother of two small children. I am sure she is not alone. If you added a feature to seamlessly add a rower option alongside the run/walk/hike features that would be really great. I have sent an email to Concept2, just waiting to hear back. I haven't looked at their API development kit either. I just started toying with idea after buying the Fitbit Charge HR a couple days ago.

Cheers,

Thomas Clark

[WaCox]

Hi Thomas;
That sounds brilliant to me! I'd LOVE to have a rower in the line-up.
Thanks
WaCox

[dmtattny]

Rowing strokes don't count as steps - can this be changed? Maybe a way to integrate with Concept II monitor or log card in the alternative? 

[MickMills]

Please add rowing as an option on the surge, and I would like to see steps as ameasurement whereas distance is converted to steps e.g. 7k gives me approx 7000 steps, I would like to see that so against someone who jogs I would see a comparative effort.

[MickMills]

Please add rowing as an option on the surge, and I would like to see steps as ameasurement whereas distance is converted to steps e.g. 7k gives me approx 7000 steps, I would like to see that so against someone who jogs I would see a comparative effort.

[Kittyhawk]

I'm a big user of my Concept 2 rowing machine. Is it possible to add an exercise option for Stationary Rowing. I'm new to the surge having owned a Charge HR previously.

[Pat_M]

At the present time when I use the Concept rowing machine at my Cardiac Rehabilitation Program l log all the details from the Concept display manually to my Fitbit Dashboard. It would be great if we could just add the details via the exercise shortcuts

[K10bro]

Hi Fitbit!

I am a collegiate rower and I'm looking for a better method to track rowing, both on the water and on the erg.

While on the water, if the workout could GPS the location so I can track my meters/miles that would be great. A stroke count for a rowing workout would also be great (and possibly convert to steps so I can compete with my friends who do not sit while they workout).

If there could be a method to input concept2 ergometer workouts and results, that would be great. This would allow for people on these machines to track erg workouts and improvements. The software on a concept 2 is pretty basic, so creating this tracking function on an external device would not be incredibly difficult. A stroke count conversion to steps would also be beneficial.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions regarding how a rower could really benefit from this software update.

[jnoble123]

Another user of the Concept 2 rowing machine here. I would really like this option as well pleaseon my Surge.

[Yukicat]

Stationary rowing machine exercise should be added to the app.

[Dmull13]

As the Fitbits are getting more and more popular, so is the drive to stay healthy. One of the best ways to do so in my opinion is the Ergometer (the rowing machine) but there doesn't seem to be a good workout option for rowing. I know that the erg is getting its name out there with all of the crossfit and everything going on and as a college rower I think it would be awesome to be able to get accurate information while rowing/erging. Thank you for your consideration and I hope this makes its way out there.

[WCONWAY]

Am deciding between the Surge and Microsoft Band 2 at the moment. Was very surprised to learn Rowing wasnt in there already but must say the biggest disappointment was that the basic feature request is nearly a year old and still no progress.

Makes the choice simple for me i guess.

[surfj9009]

I row 5 days a week. I cant believe this hasnt been added yet. Please get this aded as a workout.

[akipola]

I just got my fitbit and love it.  However, I row 5-7 days/week in liew of running as my knees can no longer take the pressures.  I would love to see the following rowing features - a) rowing as an exercise option and b) conversion to steps (as I have a step goal) and calories. 

[surfj9009]

I agree with akipola 100%. Same things here. And it is sad that this is over a year old. I row 4 days a week at my local cross fit gym. This is a common complaint among all the Fitbit owners I have worked out with there.

[JessieS]

I would love to be able to have rowing or rowing machine as an exercise shortcut on the Fitbit surge. The rowing machine is becoming just as popular as things like treadmills, stationary bikes, and ellipticals, and it would be nice to have that on the watch.