How to reach the cardio load target?

[WendelPost]

How can you meet your cardio load if it requires a range of 210 to 240 or more? I find that unrealistically high. How do others see that? And what are ways to reach that 210 or 240 if you don't want to spend hours exercising?

I have set my goal on improving my fitness. I now have a one month period over which i get a target for my cardio load. And follow that fairly consistently. The print screen is from last week. Nevertheless on Saturday I get the message that I am at risk of undertraining. With a target of at least 155 minutes. I tried to meet that with a walk can an hour and a half (heart rate slightly elevated, just above limit of moderate for over 40 minutes). That was insufficient to meet the lower limit of the target. It added 26 to the cardio load of that day. So today the range is even higher...

I'll try brisk brisk walking today.

[LZeeW]

@WendelPost   I moved your post to the Get Moving forum.  It seems to be a better fit for your issue.  Cardio load doesn't require Premium.

[RiekoC]

Hello @WendelPost 

You might be interested in this help page which has the information on how the Fitbit algorithm calculates Cardio Load and Cardio Target Load (<-- click link).

Have you updated your Fitbit app to version 4.34? According to a Moderator post, this updated version has the fixes for general Cardio Load/Target Load issues.

I have the Pixel Watch 3 and have had access to Cardio Load & Target Load since the feature first launched for this device about 3 months ago. I've noticed that my Target Load seems to be more reasonable in the last few days after updating the my Fitbit Android app to version 4.34.1.

I've seen other users report that they get very high Target Load values, especially if their fitness goal is to Improve. You might try switching the goal to Maintain and see if the recommended Target range is more reasonable. After the Target Load range seems to settle in, you could then change your fitness goal back to Improve.

[JazzyMelon]

Mine is unrealistically high as well, I do 30 minutes of intense cardio 5 days a week, plus 2 hours of walking the dog every day.  My Fitbit is telling me to get around 150 to 200 cardio load and I just don't think that's healthy.  I'm only reaching around 60 per day. My zone minutes are much higher than cardio load. I'm kind of trusted with this new addition as it doesn't seem helpful or accurate of what is healthy 

[RiekoC]

Hello @JazzyMelon 

For whatever reason, it seems that some users selecting Improve as their fitness goal are getting ridiculously high Target ranges.

One user who took my suggestion to change the goal to Maintain, reported they are now seeing that their activities puts them in the Improve range, which is what they originally wanted.

I'm at a loss to explain it.

[WendelPost]

I still have improvement as a goal. I reach or am  above the target range on most days. And I still get maintain fitness as a result. I find that odd, you would expect to improve your fitness because being within or above the target range (except for the occasional day).

I see a difference between the daily outcome and monthly. So daily would say i'm maintaining, monthly i'm improving. So i've decided to just see what it will be in a few weeks time.

[martinezz]

I'm curious if this has worked for anybody?

[RiekoC]

Hello @martinezz 

I'm not sure what you're asking. Are you asking if anyone has gotten their Cardio Load to work?

If so, I've been using the Cardio Load feature since it was released for the Pixel Watch 3 late last year (2024). As best as I can tell, it's working for me.

[MtnHiker2]

Same problem here. I barely made the low end of my target yesterday by Nordic skiing for over an hour and then a 2.6 mile hilly power walk. Just registered 136 cardio load. Today it said I was at risk of under training and I have a target load again of 136 to 207. I am currently on “improve” and am going to switch to “maintain.” Also, I barely get a cardio load of 30 when exercising on the Peloton bike for 40 minutes where my heart rate is in the vigorous to peak ranges for 95% of the time.

[cat_adams]

Thank you for the info

[RiekoC]

Hello @MtnHiker2 

I've seen other users report that they get a high target range when they set their goal to Improve. Switching to Maintain sounds like a good plan. After you switch your goal to Maintain, you can keep an eye on where your dot is on the Past 7 days training bar graph. You might find it easier to get your dot in the Improve range without having to work so hard.

Also, there's currently an issue on the Fitbit side with Cardio Load & spinning/biking. For some reason, users who bike/spin don't seem to get full Cardio Load credit for their workouts. At this time, there isn't any troubleshooting that we can recommend since the problem is on the Fitbit side.

[Tukk]

I have the same! Setting it to 'improve fitness' gives me unrealistically high cardio load targets. On days where I have a 'mediocre' readiness score, I did a 5 km run, a 1 hour bike ride and a half hour brisk walk, which made me reach half of that day's cardio load target... the next day, my muscles weren't fully recovered yet and again the target cardio load was 150+. I've now set it to 'maintain fitness' and see if that gives me more realistic targets.

[Skajanahahah]

I read through several of the replies, and I fall squarely into the this is a ridiculous target camp. I DO NOT have improve fitness as a goal. I have maintain set as the goal. This is not to boast, but I will say I am in in very good condition for a 57-year-old. I'm very active with my boys and if anything, I'd like to gain weight. Fitbit knows this, because I have a target weight 5 lb over what Withings scale data shares with Fitbit. Fitbit has to be either undercalculating my cardio load for the day, or wants me to have a heart attack trying to reach the cardio load target most days. Other important pieces of information, I have a pixel watch 3 and I've worn it all but 3 days since it hit the market, including while sleeping. I'll just use today as an example, it was a very active day, a very normal day if I don't have much work to do. Wake up at 6 :00 get the boys to school, do an hour or two worth of invoicing type stuff but then I play with the dogs. Then I put on the 22 lb weight vest and hike 2 mi with all three of them, often running to get them running. Clean up some rooms around the house, pick up the boys from school, settle them in and I walk to the gym and do circuit training for 40 straight minutes. Lots of playful activity in between. I usually come in around 11,000 steps a day,, today was 12,,000 my cardio load right now is showing 112 and my target is 190. No Tulsa my day yesterday was just like today .I like the concept of cardio load but it's just way off. I use the watch religiously, it keeps very accurate heart rate. I also want to point out on my really active days, most people would say that's way overdoing it for a 57-year-old. These are days I have a blast being a kid again, throwing a frisbee playing basketball or hockey, go to the gym do the hike with the 20 lb vest on, play with the dogs... 18knto 22k step days, my cardio load on those days has gotten as high as 280. Several times in the last month, admittedly after very quiet days, my target cardio load is well over 300. I love my 240 to 250 days. They are non-stop fun, but if I followed fitbit's Target cardio load suggestions I'd be in the hospital!