Just got Fitbit: Counting steps on a elliptical

[Joy2]

Does the Fitbit count steps while doing elliptical

[Corney]

memyjoy:  When I'm on my elliptical it only registers about 50% of my steps because my elliptical does not have movable arms.  After every song I change from holding on to the bars and let my arms swing free.  This helps to improve my balance.  I never have been interested in steps anyway.

[Sputnik34]

Put it in your pocket. 

[Kimr430]

Thank you. 

[JohnWilliams]

You can find here some answers...check and write your experience thanks!

[Sceven]

Okay, so after a lot of manual tracking and testing and changes to my workouts over and over here is what I have concluded (when it comes to the Charge 2 that is).

Elliptical and FitBit miles are often off my about 1.5 miles for me (Elliptical stating I have gone almost 7 miles, fit bit says 5.5), so this is nothing to sneeze at, sometimes the discrepancy can be off by almost 2  miles (as was the case this morning) this doesn't matter whether or not I use the arm bars, or even if the machine has them, it does this miss-count on both, and 99% of the time I am running free hand. Placement of the Fitbit doesn't seem to matter, except when it comes to calories burned because that takes heart rate into account. The reason is a combination of the following:

-Movement of the Elliptical does not provide enough impact to register a step causing you to miss some (for me it's about one of six to one of five it misses)

-Holding a water bottle to drink, a phone, or adjusting something will not count steps while you are moving

-The faster you go, the larger the discrepancy because you have a tendency to smooth out your steps when you go faster, thus the impact count is reduced

Conclusion, you can try to manually log your workout, but that will not make it exact because you cannot manually enter steps or calories burned, which is what you're going for. You can try and move the FitBit to an area that you know you will get the impact counts (waist, bra strap, anywhere that is core) but then you lose the Heart Rate function, this is also not ideal. None of these will get the elliptical and FitBit step counter equal, it just won't happen. Or do what I do, and manually write it down every time, and accept that beating your friends on the challenges will just be harder for you. Or you can switch to a treadmill, but honestly, I would rather lose the steps than run on a treadmill.

[Heybales]

Good job with methodical testing.

I think a bigger conclusion using a HR-based device and being concerned with calories - steps don't matter.

No need to manually enter anything to improve step-based calorie burn, as your calorie burn was HR-based anyway.

But the points are great reminders of why elliptical is not a step-based workout as far as any tracker that is estimating calorie burn from distance from steps. It's just not running or walking.

Even if out of sheer coincidence, you could get it to see all your steps, and somehow get it to match the distance the machine reports (distance based on what though?) - the formula for calories from distance and time and weight are for walking or running.

And elliptical is NOT walking or running calorie burn, as it's not weight impacting.

So HR is the best available - even if that can have it's caveats.

[Kimr430]

Great info, all. What I chosen to do is use my heart rate monitor &
manually enter the stats it gives into the Fitbit app.

[LadyDi1882--]

not a good solution its a work around, figure out an automated solution

[SunsetRunner]

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@ChristinaDiwrote:

My elliptical step count is very accurate.  

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Same here.  I just got an Ionic this week and the tracker matched the elliptical stride count perfectly at the gym this morning.

[Kimr430]

I guess the Ionic is improved in this way.
Thanks for the input.

[JorrunFulhelm]

I do 10 flights of stairs every day (to the office) and it logs them just fine. I have the Charger HR btw. I also have never had a problem with the elliptical catching all my steps. I counted once, to be sure. I wouldn't wear my fit bit on my ankle....seems like the bone-y part of the ankle might prevent accurate readings. 

[Kimr430]

Thanks for that info.
I found my Charge HR was better as well.
I like the Flex 2 for swimming, so it’s a trade-off.

[Rhino1313]

There seem to be varying responses related to this.  Me and wife both have Fitbit Charge 2's that we bought around the same time (about a year ago).  Mine is very accurate in counting steps on the elliptical, when my elliptical says I have 3000 strides my Fitbit counts 3000 steps, etc....  My wife's only gives her credit for 1/2 the steps, when she gets 3000 strides on the elliptical, her Fitbit only counts about 1500 steps.  

[Corney]

@Rhino1313 2 questions, does your elliptical have moving arms? If it
doesn't do you hold on to the side rails, does your wife hold on to the
side rails? My elliptical doesn't have moving arms and I only let my arms
swing half the time and my fitbit only registers half of the steps my
elliptical registers.

[Lmhadley]

Did you have your Ionic on the elliptical setting? 

[Kimr430]

Thanks! I’m not using an Ionic, it’s a Flex 2 (need the swimming option). 

I have figured out something that works: I either put it on my shoe or wear it on my ankle (which works for cycling as well. 

[dregan]

Christina, does your elliptical have the swinging hand-holds?  If so, it makes sense that it would count accurately. If not, do your arms swing free as you "elliptize"?

[dregan]

SWAG - since the elliptical motion is mimicking many of the dynamics of actual steps, an equivalence is set based on the acceleration along three axes and for linear motion. i.e. the motion looks the same as walking in many ways.

[dregan]

Elegant explanation KC!

[llo]

so, the fitbit only registers step if my arms swing, or it can detect my leg moving?