Movements of the upper body.

[ChucktheMonk]

If I row that is quite some exercise. I mean really row on the sea. Fitbit does not however give rowing as many points even as roving about in the woods, When rowing a boat the boat usually moves forward however except when rowing against a very strong wind. Should be possible to record!?

Also I do now and the hew and saw firewood. That is quite hard work if you are not using motorsaws and other machines. In an old book from the 1960ties they recommended such activities. I am aware that my  feet do not move much while rowing nor while sawing and hewing wood. Still both activities are quite healthy. Unless you saw off a finger or put your axe int your knee of course.

So Fitbit dows not like to encourage movement of the upper body, it seems.

Might not the person/user pick say 5 times when starting and five times when stopping upperbody activities? Like the monitoring of sleep. Perhaps even automatically shut down to normal when the activity stops?

[Heybales]

Very true - and that's why non-step based workouts that would be using calorie burn formula for walking/running must be manually logged if you want anywhere near a decent estimate of calories burned.

"Steps" seen rowing, biking, stair climbing, elliptical, lifting, even steep inclines - are not accurate estimates of calorie burn using formulas for walking/running. Even if all the steps were seen in the first place.

So yes, possible to record rowing.

But I'd almost suggest using a HRM if your device isn't (if it is, the above on steps doesn't apply), or finding a website dealing with open water rowing calorie burn, which I'm sure will be different than machines and average watts, ect.

And yes, there are database entries (or used to be) for dealing with firewood, or cutting trees, ect.

The problem with trying to estimate upper body stuff, is not nearly the research done on them, too much variety, and too many variables.

But walking/running is the most used study method of testing actual calorie burn, and the formula's from all those studies are very accurate when applied to pace and weight moved, hence the reason step based movement is good estimates.

But upper body, not so much.

You and I are sawing logs by hand, our cadence is exactly the same, 1 stroke per second say.

But you are pressing harder and cutting faster, and therefore burning more per time.

Now, you finish your log faster, and perhaps the calorie burn per logs matches up between us.

But if we both do 60 min worth - you'd burn much more overall doing more logs.

And my shoulder really hurts despite doing it lighter.

[Shouston303]

Put your fitbit on your bra stap if you are a female this will record your movement. I have to do this when on the eliptical.