My FitBit is great on land, but I need a way to count steps in the water.

[zick104]

My FitBit is great on land, but my workouts 3 times a week are in the water, constant steps in Zumba Aquatics.  I have no way to accurately log this into Activities as steps and not miles. Suggestions?  It is frustrating to work over an hour, doing constant steps and having to ignore it.  Thanks.

[jbeckett]

I have the same issue, and unfortunately do not have an answer.  What I do is log my swimming, which does not get me the steps that I do in Aqua Zumba, but it is a start at least on the calories side of the equation.

[gerrymcd]

Depending on your weight, you will probably burn about 500-600 calories an hour in a zumba aquatics class.

[gerrymcd]

I read intense aerobic dance burns 0.061 cal per pound of body weight per minute.

So....

0.061 times your weight in lbs equals how many calories you burn per minute.

Example: 1 hour class, 200lbs person

0.061 x 200 lb=12.2 calories burned per minute x 60 minutes=732 calories burned.

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Another example: 

1 hour class, 150lbs person

0,061 x 150 = 9.15 cal/min  x 60 mins =  549 calories burned

[Dominique]

You cannot compare steps taken in the water to those taken on the ground. You'd want to log calories burned during that activity. You can do so as explained here:

https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/413311-how-do-i-log-or-record-an-activity-

A waterproof heart rate monitor such as those used by triathlonists would probably be the best way to determine the calories you burned in the water. If this is not an option for you, search the internet for typical energy expenditure when performing that kind of activity.

[jbeckett]

D-

 I am not sure why you can't compare the two types of steps.  What is the difference between counting steps in a step class or Zumba class and steps taken in a water Zumba class.  Although yoy have the friction of the water, you are still moving your legs up and down in all of these activities.  Can you explain your comment more fully?  Thanks

[zick104]

The question is HOW to count those steps as the Fit Bit can not go into the swimming pool, as I understand it.  It is not easy to count steps in my head and work out efficiently and effectively.  It would seem the Fitbit in a step Zumba class would be doing the work of counting.  Hopefully, this makes more sense.  Thank you.

[gerrymcd]

I checked a couple of sources, and it looks like in dry land zumba you step at a rate of 150 to 197 steps per minute  - so between 9,000 and 11,820 steps in 60 mins.  I'd guess in aquatic zumba you step more slowly (never having done either I'm going on instinct), so I'd guess you are stepping at a rate of 4,500 to 7,000 steps per hour.  I guess you would need to rely on your experience of both zumba types, or ask someone to guage if aquatic zumba steps are half as fast, or even the same rate as regular zumba?

[LourdesA]

I've taken aqua zumba classes before. The calorie burn rate is much lower than land-based zumba. You move more slowly in the water, although part of that is due to putting effort into fighting the resistence of the water. I feel tired after an hour of regular, land-based zumba. Aqua zumba didn't really feel like a workout to me. I'd estimate 1/2 to 1/3 of the caloric expenditure of aqua zumba compared to land zumba.

[Mary]

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@jbeckett wrote:

D-

 I am not sure why you can't compare the two types of steps.  What is the difference between counting steps in a step class or Zumba class and steps taken in a water Zumba class.  Although yoy have the friction of the water, you are still moving your legs up and down in all of these activities.  Can you explain your comment more fully?  Thanks

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If you only care about 'steps' it probably doesn't matter but the Fitbit assigns calories and those wouldn't be the same.  If you only care about seeing your steps count rise, could you just manually log some steps for the day?  You'll mess up your calorie estimate but if you only care about step count, who cares?

I think the Flex would count the 'steps' in the pool.

[jbeckett]

if you don't feel you are getting a good work out in Aqua Zumba ask your teacher to give you some suggestions on how to "UP" your workout.  You if you are really working it in aqua zumba, you should feel like a wet noodle when you get out and maybe even ready for a nap.  Yes, you can just splash around a little, or you can really work it.  Ask your teacher to show you level three moves that you can insert into your workout while others in the class stay at level 1.  Simple things are to move your arms against the flow of the water ( resisting) vs. assisting. that will work you arms more.  Jump higher, kick higher, push down into the pool floor,add tempo to your moves, ie move faster, use your levers ie. long arms and long legs, vs. bend elbows and bend kness.  if you really want a work out become a certified aqua zumba instructor, your quads will love you.

[jbeckett]

I teach both land and aqua zumba.  I will do about 6000 to 7000 steps in an hour  land zumba class.  You have to remember that we have warm up and cool down including stretching that is not a lot of steps per minute.  I don't have a way to calculate the steps in Aqua but I would guess with the resistence of the water it is probably be about half of a land zumba class.  As one of the other posters suggested just add your calorie burn and go with it.

[LourdesA]

Honestly, I just decided not to take aqua zumba anymore. I've taken other water classes that felt intense and really wore me out. Aqua zumba, despite my best efforts of moving faster, jumping higher, reaching further, crunching lower, etc, still didn't feel like hard work. I'll stick with land-based zumba. That ALWAYS feels like an intense workout and is easier to intensify if I want to take it to the extreme. I definitely get at least 6k-7k steps in zumba.

[slysam]

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@jbeckett wrote:

D-

 I am not sure why you can't compare the two types of steps.  What is the difference between counting steps in a step class or Zumba class and steps taken in a water Zumba class.  Although yoy have the friction of the water, you are still moving your legs up and down in all of these activities.  Can you explain your comment more fully?  Thanks

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The calorie burn estimates are based on some assumptions about the activity. There are differences between land and water activities. Water activity--you do not support your full bodyweight and there is no impact, additionally your core temperature will not rise as high (unless in hot water) as it would outside the water as the water will keep you cooler. However, water does provide resistance so you can get a good calorie burn swimming, water jogging or other activities it is just that you cannot translate a land activity calorie burn easily to water activities. Also, according to a book I read on heart rate monitor training people's heart rate doesn't typically rise as high during water exercise if it is the same intensity as the activities they do on land. Of course with any activity, the intensity os what you put into it. So one person can put a lot into the same workout while someone else is "phoning it in" and the person giving it their best should burn more--all things being equal. I've not been to Aqua Zumba (just land Zumba) so I can't comment on the intensity. I have tried some water exercise classes, and while some are challenging typically the classes are pitched to people with health issues or new to exercise. It is often marketed as a gentle way to ease into exercise or rehabilitate injuries (and it is of course). I love the idea of water exercise, but in all the classes I tried I only found a couple that provided me a vigorous workout. Oh one of those classes became easy within a month because the instructor said she was given feedback that it was too difficult for her students and people who want water exercise want a milder workout (though the description claimed it was high-intensity). So I really wouldn't be surprised if aqua Zumba was intended to be a less intense workout than land Zumba.

[slysam · Accepted solution]

About logging steps, I think you will need to log a distance. It would probably make the most sense to create a "Custom activity" that way you can log a distance (there isn't the option for some non-distance activities if I recall?). If you know how many steps you walk per mile, i.e. if you walked 2000 steps per mile use that as your basis--log a mile for every 2000 (or whatever) steps you want included. I think you would probably get a good step count doing Aqua Zumba. In the summer I take some water exercise--I try for the most intense available locally (which sadly isn't as intense as my land workouts but I love exercising in the local outdoor pool when it is hot out). I once counted steps in the shallow water class I prefer and got up to 4,000 before I lost my focus on counting. So I figure I get about 6,000 steps in the class--counting made it even sadder that I can't wear my Fitbit One in the water! I guess I would log that as something like 2.25 miles in a "custom activity" if I wanted to try counting those steps. I've been looking for a good, cheap waterproof pedometer thinking I would manually log steps/distance if I return to this class this Summer or do some water jogging. But I haven't found the right device yet. I actually wear a waterproof heart rate monitor for swimming and water exercise calorie burn estimates. My heart rate gets higher swimming than with any of the aqua exercise classes I tried, but even swimming fast it is not as high as vigorous land exercise and actually seems quite low for my perceived exertion. I read this is because the water keeps our core temperature down.

[gerrymcd]

Based on observation, not participation, water zumba classes appear much less intense than the regular version.  But appearances can be deceptive sometimes.  I do a barre workout once a week - some of the moves look really easy.....I mean they look less effort than a gentle stroll, but I'm left dripping in sweat and feeling like I worked hard. 

[jbeckett]

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed with Aqua.  I am glad you are enjoying land Zumba.

[jbeckett]

Aqua Zumba is not intended to be less intense than land zumba, but we are taught as instructors to dial it up or down based upon your attendees skill base, etc.  What we are learning from the European's that have perfected water aerobics, is that we are not asking enough of our students as has been said in earlier posts.  We in the US tend to think of aqua as a less intensive, easier on the body routine.  It is easier on the joints, but can be very intense if the instructor and the student chooses it to be such.  I would suggest that we all try different land and water activities to help balance out our workouts and our muscles.  It is very easy to get into a routine and not try new things that are less confortable both mentally as well as physically.

[depepsi]

I did both Aqua Zumba and Aqua Extreme (HIIT) up until the pandemic shut down; my gym has just now reinstated Aqua Zumba and we are waiting for an instructor to finish certifying in Aqua Extreme, as our old instructor moved out of the area. 

I use both a MyZone Switch and a Charge 5 simultaneously for the classes. Both trackers read in +/- 2 beats of each other; today my average HR per class was 74% of maximum, and my steps were 4300+ so I don't understand why people think Aqua Zumba is not intense. If you're keeping up with the instructor's speed of movement, it can get very intense, as your instructor is on dry land and not fighting the resistance of the water. I take two Aqua Zumba classes per week. Starting in March it will be 3. I have fun, and I get a fantastic workout, both cardio and strength training. You'll sweat a lot but you won't notice it, as the pool is cooling down your skin. Your instructor can give you hints as to how to make your workout more intense. Jump higher, kick higher, position your arms to work against the water rather than slicing through it. 

My tracker is a Charge 5 and it's easiest if I let it auto-detect "swim" and alter it on the website to say Aqua Zumba I will get a step count but no distance. My only tracking problem lies in the fact that I put the Water Lock on before class and the impact of the water in certain moves turns it off. 

I work as a massage therapist and would suggest that even if you do not find Aqua Zumba intense enough for your needs, that you use it for recovery days. The compression of the water is going to help your lymphatic return because of the external pressure on your tissues. Also, because aqua classes are so very different from working on land, whether weights, treadmill, elliptical. or even land zumba it's a great add-in to provide body-mind intensity to any training program. 

[depepsi]

If your tracker (I only know Charge 3 and Charge 5) can auto-detect exercise, try and let it auto-detect it as "swim" and then manually change it on the website to say Aqua Zumba. That way you will get steps but not distance. Hope this helps.