Does anyone else find themselves resisting non-step related activities?

[Giftie]

I want to go swimming today, but my fitbit won't track it (automatically). I know I can log it manually, but my point is that I find myself gravitating towards more step-centered activities since getting the Fitbit. What about you?

[lizlocked]

I always do more step related activities so I might not be the best person to answer this. Okay I admit it... I'm not. Swimming makes me cold and wet and miserable. Maybe I'm just weird that way. Kudos to you for loving it! The world takes all kinds. I say do what you love and flourish. Who cares if the fitbit tracks it exactly. It's a lovely little tool but you gotta enjoy girl! Hugs! 

[nevets150lbs]

I think resisting non-step related activities defeats the purpose of the fitbit. Your goal is to become fit through burning enough calories, and we got a fitbit to help us track our in vs. out and overall progress. Personally, I would avoid over-counting steps and under-counting food. But sometimes at home I use the stairs for my step counts, which my FitBit flex doesn't really recognize as stairs leading to some under-counting of calorie burns.

Bottomline, actually burning more calories than the FitBit records is usually (if not always) better. So I think we FitBit users shouldn't be averse to doing 10k (or whatever your target is) steps PLUS some swimming. 🙂  

[pidgeon92]

I like to do a variety of activities, otherwise I get bored. I do two barre classes every week, and one Pilates class. I doubt I get more than two dozen steps with either. I don't get many in my strength class, either. I'm less about the statistics and more about how these activities affect my overall fitness level.

[Rosmilla]

I agree that you can get hooked on step totals and not effort. I have just done a class at the gym with maximum effort including step aerobics and weights. Step count is still only just over 6k. I can walk [stroll] and log more steps in a morning but would not be sweating or using any of the muscles I just used.

I'm sure I burn a lot more when doing fitness classes than if I'm just walking. Different if I do a run at pace but even this is not really recognised as the correct distance with my flex; I rely on my Garmin watch to verify teh kms.

Conclusion: it's just a tool to encourage activity as it reminds us all that if having an inactive day we can get out there and do some walking to counteract one of those days at the desk....................Housework also seems to get the steps up pretty good if you do enough of it over a few hours.

[Rosmilla]

So very true. You are on the right track in building up overall fitness. It's certainly boring if just walking around to get step totals.

[Heybales]

There are ones that have admitted that they got so hung up on step goals and challenges that they purposely skipped what would have been a better workout for overall body improvement merely to get more steps in.

I don't do step goals.

VAM goals, training goals, performance goals.

Nothing I do can be measured by steps to pertain in anyway to a goal.

[WendyB]

I do not either. I like variety. I love to swim, do weights and many other non step related activites.

I agree it's not all about steps. Its getting healthly over all.

[MRose]

I can tend to be that way, but it's helpful to remember the overall goal -- getting healthy. Just yesterday my husband went on a long walk, but I was cycling and on the stair stepper for exercise. We are both very competitive, and his steps were higher than mine for the day, but I guarantee I burned more calories. I also ended up walking aimlessly around the house for a while to up my step count to get at least a little closer to his; so really it works both ways.

[HelenaFitbit]

I tend to do more step based activities now, the only thing I regret is not being able to dance in the shower with my trackers, I know I'd get plenty of steps while doing it!!  

[Giftie]

My problem is these freakin challenges LOL. I want to do these other activities but they don't count towards my steps! I'm petty that way.

[Heybales]

Not petty.

Just focused on a different goal that it sounds like you recognize isn't the best one.

You want to challenge and win against others, rather than against yourself by improvements in other things that aren't step based.

People do it all the time.

Why else would they focus on a weight goal so intently that no one even sees unless they are in the bathroom with them naked on the scale, rather than realizing that what can be seen by others many times will not have much to do with that number.

It's how ones end up skinny fat, they reached goal weight, and then realize they still jiggle in all the wrong places.

[magzi]

Yes I do!

I used to be very fit and did a bit of running too.

Since getting my fitbit (last September) I recently realised I had stopped all my weights and aerobic exercise in favour of step based.

I recently tried to do a bootcamp (which I used to have no problem doing); it nearly killed me and I couldn't do half of it!

I now force myself to ignore the steps and am focussing on getting fit again.

I am left wondering if this really is the right gadget for me?

[RivalDealer]

I focus more on the activity calories than the steps. Doing the steps is just part of it, I can go out and walk for 10k steps but not hit my activity calories goal so I know I have to do something else.

At the moment I have some lower back pain from weightlifting too heavy and going on long walks is aggravating it so often I'm only getting around 8k at the moment but still pushing for the activity calories by doing non-impact training.

[Robert1846]

Unfortunately I'm an engineer and like accuracy in my statistics. I do lots of things including volunteer for accompanying therapists and their horses as they help young people resolve muscular and mind issues. That is in addition to intense daily weight training. There is no place to see it all. I probably wont use it for any activity except sleep - which I do horribly so at least I can show my doctor without having to live through another sleepless sleep test.