Exercise mode or active minutes?

[LisaDahl]

I'm a bit confused about logging an exercise manually or using the active minutes from the exercise mode as my workout? I had assumed that if I used the exercise mode on my charge whilst working out, it would translate into a workout on the app and show up in the "track exercise" section. However this does not seem to be the case. So, should I log my steps class manually as a workout or just stick to using the active minutes logged by using the exercise mode? Sorry if that's confusing, but I am confused, lol!

[LisaDahl]

I think I had it backwards. If I manually log an exercise, it also registers as active minutes. However, I am still confused about which I should use with regard to a workout. I regularly do the Leslie Sansone "walk at home" videos. So of course it would register as steps, but not if I track it as low impact aerobics. Then it tracks the calories burnt. Which is better for tracking?

[Algenon]

Hi!  I think it depends on the workout.  I log in the minutes and calories on my elliptical because I use a high slope and high resistance which fitbit does not track.  If you are only walking (speed or otherwise) I would not log it in because fitbit can track the active minutes and calories for you.

Hope this helps!

[Heybales]

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@LisaDahl wrote:
I'm a bit confused about logging an exercise manually or using the active minutes from the exercise mode as my workout? I had assumed that if I used the exercise mode on my charge whilst working out, it would translate into a workout on the app and show up in the "track exercise" section. However this does not seem to be the case. So, should I log my steps class manually as a workout or just stick to using the active minutes logged by using the exercise mode? Sorry if that's confusing, but I am confused, lol!

I think I had it backwards. If I manually log an exercise, it also registers as active minutes. However, I am still confused about which I should use with regard to a workout. I regularly do the Leslie Sansone "walk at home" videos. So of course it would register as steps, but not if I track it as low impact aerobics. Then it tracks the calories burnt. Which is better for tracking?

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There is no "exercise mode" or "active minutes" as if they are opposites. The are different things, so "or" does not fit.

You state the same thing above too, manually log exercise, registers as active minutes.

The Active Minutes is merely tagging any minutes where your calorie burn was 3 x your resting calorie burn. Very Active Minutes is 6 x resting.

Whether that is from manually logging a workout or seen by Fitbit and you tagging it as a separate workout doesn't matter.

The Exercise mode with correct selection of exercise will allow a more accurate calorie burn though for those non-step based workouts, usually higher.

Since it's higher, more chance of it being AM or VAM time.

If you want the workout to stand out from the normal daily data - you need to start an activity session, exactly as you would do when sleeping, so that time and stats is available for review on it's own. It's still part of the daily data, so no need to manually log it.

For sleeping, Fitbit reviews it of course, for exercise, you can review it later.

A step class is perfect use of the device, since steps is it's main ability.

Don't manually log it, what would you use as stats anyway for calorie burn?

[LisaDahl]

I am referring to the exercise mode on my charge, where you hold down the side button, which starts a timer for your exercise, there is no way to select what that exercise is, that I can find, because it translates into active minutes on my app, not as a workout. My charge goes to sleep mode automatically, so I don't have to do anything for that.

So, if I understand your response, use the track exercise option on my dashboard for anything that is not step based and just stick to the active minutes generated by my daily activity for anything else, including my steps class (regardless of upper body activity).
Ultimately I was concerned with accidently logging steps twice, essentially, by using my exercise mode AND entering in the class as a workout. Thanks for the help.

ps

*I previously used a chest strap HR monitor in my fitness classes, but was hoping to forgo that if I found the calorie burn estimations to be similar.

[Heybales · Accepted solution]

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@LisaDahl wrote:

I am referring to the exercise mode on my charge, where you hold down the side button, which starts a timer for your exercise, there is no way to select what that exercise is, that I can find, because it translates into active minutes on my app, not as a workout. My charge goes to sleep mode automatically, so I don't have to do anything for that.

So, if I understand your response, use the track exercise option on my dashboard for anything that is not step based and just stick to the active minutes generated by my daily activity for anything else, including my steps class (regardless of upper body activity).
Ultimately I was concerned with accidently logging steps twice, essentially, by using my exercise mode AND entering in the class as a workout. Thanks for the help.

ps

*I previously used a chest strap HR monitor in my fitness classes, but was hoping to forgo that if I found the calorie burn estimations to be similar.

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Yep, that's the activity timer than. Exercise mode is on some devices that lets you tell it what the workout is for potentially more accurate calorie burn.

And it does translate to a activity workout on the app, it just happens to have active minutes in it. You could do one at a slow pace and get no active minutes too for that matter.

You could also NOT use that activity workout and you will get exactly the same number of active minutes lumped in with rest of the day.

Which actually happens even when you do use it. You have daily value, then you have that single workout value.

And you can manually log a workout that you also happened to created an activity record for. The manually logged workout calorie burn will replace what Fitbit came up. If walking or running, it'll also replace the steps and therefore miles too.

But if step based, no need to manually log it.

Some people use the activity record specifically because they do want to correct the calorie burn later.

That way there's a record right there with start time and duration to use when manually logging the better calorie burn.

More useful for many than remembering to look at watch, and remember the start time and duration.

[slysam]

The timer is mainly to show you the Fitbit counted stats for that period of time. So if you want to compare your Fitbit calorie burn vs your heart rate monitor for a given activity, it is easiest if you use the activity timer or "workout mode". It depends on your device so it is tricky to get too specific now that there are so many Fitbit devices. But for most, you do not assign the activity in this mode, it just reports the stats for that period of time (steps, distance, pace, calorie burn, duration, etc). If you have the heart rate monitoring Fitbit's it is a little different, bu you have the regular Charge, right? With a timer, the record should appear in your activity log, but since it is the same function as sleep tracking it can sometimes appear in sleep if it is an activity where the Fitbit picks up little movement (I have had this happen for yoga).

Now the active minutes are a different thing as HeyBales explained. It also varies a little by device. But for all devices it is when your trackable activity exceeds 6 a certain standard. For some trackers it also needs to be sustained at least 10 minutes (I think?). You can earn those minutes whether or not you are in workout mode if the activity is high enough. When you manually log an activity (as you might for cycling, swimming or other activities Fitbit doesn't track well), the active minutes are based on the calorie burn per minute compared to your resting rate.

[dcauz51]

I'm still confused how VAM is calculated - for example, I've been at my desk job all day and at last synch, my Charge HR shows that I've had 1,380 steps, but had 180! active minutes and burned 2,380! calories!  Wow! My kind of workout but definitely not right . . . what might I be doing wrong?  Or do I have something set wrong?

[slysam]

Without going too deep into your specifics. That sounds a little high, but possible in certain situations. The active minutes have to do with activity you log or your fitbit picks up. I believe it needs to be sustained for 10 minutes at a time for the ChargeHR (is that right?). It is possible to gain active minutes in real life without gaining many steps. This would be most likely if your exercise does not contribute to your step count so activities like cycling, swimming (though only if you log it since the Charge is not waterproof), rowing, weight lifting. If you had enough of those and some 10 minute bursts of step activity than maybe. It does sounds like a low step count for the step, but I don't know whether you were doing nonstep activity that elevated your heart rate. The calorie burn--most of that will be your BMR (calories someone like you would burn at rest). Not knowing your stats, I can't comment if that is high or not. For a very sedentary person BMR is often 70-80% (sometimes more) of their total calorie burn for the day. The BMR is estiamted from your height, weight, age and gender so make sure those are correct in your profile settings. Sometimes people get odd numbers if any of those profile stats are wrong. Something does seem odd, but not necessarily impossible. What type of activity were you doing other than working at your desk? Also, make sure your time zone/clock is set correctly or you can see odd stats since your day won't start at your 12am like everyone else. If you use any services that automatically log to Fitbit, that is also something to look at (My Fitness Pal, Endomondo, Digifit etc.). In that case check your activity log for signs of potential double logging (sometimes this happens).

[dcauz51]

Thank you for the reply! I think it's related to the heart monitor. ..it's
showing an elevated reading so it probably thinks I'm in the exercise zone.
The reading isn't accurate so I think that's the problem I have solve? What
would cause an incorrect reading?

[Hazardous]

I find that I have to hold down the side button everytime I recharge the fitbit in order for it to automatically count my exercise time.  I am becoming annoyed that i have to reset it every week andeven when i do the last 2 workouts at the end of the week do not show up automatically on the exercise log.  Why even have the option of pressing the side button before the workout if its not going to show up in the exercise log anyway?   

[Willpower]

I am new to using fitbit.  I purchased the "Zip"-which I love.  After reading many posts in the forum, I was logging my elliptical minutes which average about 65 minutes per session.  I discovered that my Zip was actually measuring my steps during my elliptical sessions-so I was in fact "double dipping" for calories burned !  I am confused though, regarding the "intensity level" I should designate for my elliptical sessions.  I average 3.5 MPH which keeps me at or near my target heart rate of 132 per minute-I am 62 years old.  Thus far, I am happy with my weight loss-have lost 18 pounds since 1/1/2015-though I have seemingly hit a "plateau" recently !

[TandemWalker]

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@Willpower wrote:

I am new to using fitbit.  I purchased the "Zip"-which I love.  After reading many posts in the forum, I was logging my elliptical minutes which average about 65 minutes per session.  I discovered that my Zip was actually measuring my steps during my elliptical sessions-so I was in fact "double dipping" for calories burned !  I am confused though, regarding the "intensity level" I should designate for my elliptical sessions.  I average 3.5 MPH which keeps me at or near my target heart rate of 132 per minute-I am 62 years old.  Thus far, I am happy with my weight loss-have lost 18 pounds since 1/1/2015-though I have seemingly hit a "plateau" recently !

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Your Zip is totally oblivious to all the energy from your upper b

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@Willpower wrote:

I am new to using fitbit.  I purchased the "Zip"-which I love.  After reading many posts in the forum, I was logging my elliptical minutes which average about 65 minutes per session.  I discovered that my Zip was actually measuring my steps during my elliptical sessions-so I was in fact "double dipping" for calories burned !  I am confused though, regarding the "intensity level" I should designate for my elliptical sessions.  I average 3.5 MPH which keeps me at or near my target heart rate of 132 per minute-I am 62 years old.  Thus far, I am happy with my weight loss-have lost 18 pounds since 1/1/2015-though I have seemingly hit a "plateau" recently !

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Your Zip is totally oblivious to all the energy from your upper body movements and platform incline of your elliptical machine. So for those types of workouts, I prefer NOT to wear my tracker and simply log them manually. In doing so, not only do I get the full caloric burn for the activity, as per the machine readout, but I avoiding skewing my step metrics with things that aren't really true steps but something more or different than just steps. My take. Have a good day.

    TW     

[slysam]

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@Willpower wrote:

I am new to using fitbit.  I purchased the "Zip"-which I love.  After reading many posts in the forum, I was logging my elliptical minutes which average about 65 minutes per session.  I discovered that my Zip was actually measuring my steps during my elliptical sessions-so I was in fact "double dipping" for calories burned !  I am confused though, regarding the "intensity level" I should designate for my elliptical sessions.  I average 3.5 MPH which keeps me at or near my target heart rate of 132 per minute-I am 62 years old.  Thus far, I am happy with my weight loss-have lost 18 pounds since 1/1/2015-though I have seemingly hit a "plateau" recently !

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It should not be double dipping (unless this is a new bug), if it actually is then email support. The way it usually works is if you log an activity what you log replaces whatever Fitbit had credited. Whether I need to log the elliptical depends on my resistance settings. On no resistance my One over credits intensity. On low resistance my One and HRM give matching calorie burn estimates (but lower than the machine), on higher resistance levels the One underestimates compared to my HRM. I wear my One clipped to my sports bra so it does pick up some upper body movements. Where it falls short with the elliptical is factoring resistance, but that is true for most (maybe all) Fitbit devices and most activities where the intensity comes from added resistance.

[dynagirl]

from what I understand fitbit will not track ur exercise if you are not actually moving in distance.

[slysam]

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@dynagirl wrote:

from what I understand fitbit will not track ur exercise if you are not actually moving in distance.

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I am not sure what you mean, mine definitely will track activity if I am moving in a way it can detect but I don't have to be moving in distance. For example, my Fitbit One credits pretty much the same calorie burn whe I jump rope while wearing it as my Polar heart rate monitor. I am in the same spot the whole workout (and didn't log it so it is just what the tracker detects). A triaxis accelerometer can track movement in three directions, usually forward and back, right to left and up and down. I think it does credit walking covering space (forward or back) better than stepping in place, but it can track movements in one place too. It doesn't do as well with resistance activities since the movement isn't where the intensity comes from or activities like cycling or rowing where you are mostly still as far as the device can detect.

[dynagirl]

I only thought that funtion was for sleep mode. Sometimes I would accidently hit it not realizing the timer has started.

I'm talking about the "track my exercise" on my cell phone APP. Sorry,I miss understood.

Spoiler

[Marydoll]

When you exercise on the charge hr should it also show as active minutes as yesterday it didn't but today it has??

[Heybales]

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@Marydoll wrote:
When you exercise on the charge hr should it also show as active minutes as yesterday it didn't but today it has??

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Totally depends if it thinks you burned 3 x your resting calorie burn for the entire minute for that stretch of time.

So don't compare just active minutes - go look at your daily 5 min graph bars, and how many calories per block during that exercise time.

Is the calorie burn indeed higher today?

And if you look at the steps or HR during that same time - see a difference?

[scudmore1214]

I just went for a quick walk at work and set the exerice tracker on my phone.  Apparently the GPS or something wasn't working, so there was no activity recorded.  When I went into the dashboard and logged the activity it doubled my steps and distance.  What am I supposed to do to keep activites working for an accurate look back on my exercise?