Ice Hockey

[dhartigan]

Anyone ever use their Fitbit while playing hockey? Does it actually provide any feed back about your motion/exercise and is it alright to sweat heavily while wearing it? I am interested to hear other's experiences while on the ice. Thank you!

[MrAndycan]

I just took the kids skating for their first time on Sat. It counted steps and gave elevated heart rate numbers. As far as accuracy, I have no clue, but it counted stuff. (Charge HR)

Andy

[SilviaFitbit · Accepted solution]

@dhartigan Hey there! You may want to check this post there are some advice from other customers. 

P.S. Welcome to the Community  

[MBanks_N49]

It will count steps for you, yes, but the overall accuracy of that count I can't really say.

[PuckJojo]

I don't know if this is accurate, but here is some background and my take...

They say that the fitbit does not track anything but step activities.  I guess this is true, but I enter a "Stairclimber" or "Workout" excercise options when I play (2-3 times per week).  I assume that the step count and heart rate results feed my calories burned count.  The stats I get on the workout generally match the same ones I get when 1) manually entering the workout in My Fitness Pal and/or 2) when using my old Timex heart rate monitor.

I would love to hear from the fitbit folks and others if this is a reasonable "hack" to get the data without having to do manual input (which I hate).

[Jaybee-fit]

I play hockey average 3 times per week. I also split games between player and goalie and have some great input/output. It is definately harder to play goalie than out.

Interesting to note that I burned an equivalent amount of calories going camping, where i set up a tent and stuff and then did a lot of walking.

On these I entered the calories and they should be more like 800-900 total

[Jaybee-fit]

I have the HR and it gets really sweaty while I play - I shower and do everything but swim with it. Last Friday there were several of us with various models (not just Fit Bit) and we were comparing notes. Discussions wondering about algrithms.

[ROB_FI-TBIT]

Yes I use it in hockey, the tracking for steps is not accurate.  The active minutes is accurate still.  I get 2500 steps playing a one hour hockey game.  I have the charge HR.

[Richard9]

I'm an 83 year old fitbit user. I love to relate fitness to my youth and compare it to performance at my current ripe old age. For athletes, fitness performance is in the head. If you excelled, your mind remembers how good you were. I played competitive hockey in my youth and was prone to charlie horses which often limited my ice time. My coach suggested mountain climbing as I am from B.C. I joined an exploration company and explored for phosphates in the Crows Nest Pass area. I climbed 4,000 ft each working day, dug for samples and returned to home base. That following hockey season I did not have one charlei horse. I became a fitness advocate.

Today at 83, anything I do has to be phyness related. My son bought me a fitbit for Xmas and I became instantly hooked. In cooler weather, I easily logged 12,000 steps every day as I walk an energetic PBGV. In the hotter weather of July I have slipped tp 9,500 steps per day, as has my pooch. So, what do I do in hot weather at 83?

Well, I have a large finished basement, some 1,800 sf, and I have my computer wifi to my BOSE speakers. I dance to my old 50s Glen Miller music [Sirius Escape 60]. And so it is with this curiousity that I ask myself iare music or hockey steps of any importance for the record. I feel great after dancing to GM, just as I felt great after mountain climbing or after playing/practicing hockey.

Moral of my 83 year old story is "Keep Moving. Who gives a hoot about the recorded steps."

[SunsetRunner]

Used my Alta today for over an hour today on ice playing hockey and it did not recognize steps or that I was active. All it did was tell me I burned some calories which was not accurate. 

[GershonSurge]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Used my Alta today for over an hour today on ice playing hockey and it did not recognize steps or that I was active. All it did was tell me I burned some calories which was not accurate. 

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Fitbits are primarily pedometers. They have a g-meter that senses the impact of steps. Since there isn't enough impact while skating, few steps are sensed. The Alta doesn't have a heart rate monitor, so there is no way to estimate calories burned. 

[ConnorHockey]

I absolutely love hearing this. Hopefully at that age I am that active!

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@Richard9 wrote:

I'm an 83 year old fitbit user. I love to relate fitness to my youth and compare it to performance at my current ripe old age. For athletes, fitness performance is in the head. If you excelled, your mind remembers how good you were. I played competitive hockey in my youth and was prone to charlie horses which often limited my ice time. My coach suggested mountain climbing as I am from B.C. I joined an exploration company and explored for phosphates in the Crows Nest Pass area. I climbed 4,000 ft each working day, dug for samples and returned to home base. That following hockey season I did not have one charlei horse. I became a fitness advocate.

Today at 83, anything I do has to be phyness related. My son bought me a fitbit for Xmas and I became instantly hooked. In cooler weather, I easily logged 12,000 steps every day as I walk an energetic PBGV. In the hotter weather of July I have slipped tp 9,500 steps per day, as has my pooch. So, what do I do in hot weather at 83?

Well, I have a large finished basement, some 1,800 sf, and I have my computer wifi to my BOSE speakers. I dance to my old 50s Glen Miller music [Sirius Escape 60]. And so it is with this curiousity that I ask myself iare music or hockey steps of any importance for the record. I feel great after dancing to GM, just as I felt great after mountain climbing or after playing/practicing hockey.

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@Richard9 wrote:

I'm an 83 year old fitbit user. I love to relate fitness to my youth and compare it to performance at my current ripe old age. For athletes, fitness performance is in the head. If you excelled, your mind remembers how good you were. I played competitive hockey in my youth and was prone to charlie horses which often limited my ice time. My coach suggested mountain climbing as I am from B.C. I joined an exploration company and explored for phosphates in the Crows Nest Pass area. I climbed 4,000 ft each working day, dug for samples and returned to home base. That following hockey season I did not have one charlei horse. I became a fitness advocate.

Today at 83, anything I do has to be phyness related. My son bought me a fitbit for Xmas and I became instantly hooked. In cooler weather, I easily logged 12,000 steps every day as I walk an energetic PBGV. In the hotter weather of July I have slipped tp 9,500 steps per day, as has my pooch. So, what do I do in hot weather at 83?

Well, I have a large finished basement, some 1,800 sf, and I have my computer wifi to my BOSE speakers. I dance to my old 50s Glen Miller music [Sirius Escape 60]. And so it is with this curiousity that I ask myself iare music or hockey steps of any importance for the record. I feel great after dancing to GM, just as I felt great after mountain climbing or after playing/practicing hockey.

Moral of my 83 year old story is "Keep Moving. Who gives a hoot about the recorded steps."

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[Mukluk4]

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@Jaybee-fit wrote:

I have the HR and it gets really sweaty while I play - 

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I cover mine with a sweatband (1.00 for 2 at your local wal-mart).  It keeps the sweat to a minimum and protects it from impact.

[PuckJojo]

Great idea and advice!!

Sent from Joe's omnipresent iPhone

[NDThrower]

I've used two different Fitbits to play ice hockey with different results from both.  At first I used a Blaze HR, it never worked well.  I think its because it's a touch screen, and when you stuff your hand into your glove, it's so hot and humid in there that your glove will turn off the exercise mode midway through a game.  Or if you tried it on "auto recognize" it'd only pick up one or two shifts because when you sit on the bench and your heart goes down it would kick it off.

This frustrated me to no end because it was the sole purpose for buying a Blaze in the first place.  

Then i purchased the new Charge HR.  This one has a "tap screen" not a "touch screen". So as i step out of the locker room I turn it on to "workout" mode for the entir 60 or 90 minute session and it does a great job of staying in exercise mode and tracking my heart rate and calories burned (i assume).  Steps are kinda bogus, but really I figure you want to find out your heart rate, how hard you are working, and approx how many calories you are burning off.

Hope this helps because I had the same questions 18 months ago.

[no6todd]

I know this post has been solved but am trying to promote a Facebook group called fitbit ice hockey.

Any thing related to the sport I also play and fitbit am trying to get people to share what they can on their as well as here. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/171017383624697/

[PuckJojo]

Hey buddy! Just joined the group, but have been on DL for 15 months with injuries. Hope to be back by summer.

I had bad luck with the surge band. Went through 3 of them. Could’ve been me though.

Good luck with the page

Sent from Joe's omnipresent iPhone

[no6todd]

Thanks mate, going to play hockey tonight so an intrigued to see the results. I know it can't work on steps but going to track my with GPS and see if I have a pattern. I will post it on the group at some point so keep an eye out for it 😉

[PuckJojo]

I always used just a plain “workout”. I’m old, but that usually catches what I want. And the more I thought about it, it’s a whole body anaerobic HIT anyway. Good luck!

Sent from Joe's omnipresent iPhone

[no6todd]

Thanks Joe hope to post as much as I can and am old too 😆 well I feel like it today.