Picking a device

[Ableman42]

I don't walk much and typically get around via a scooter.  I tried a fitbit and it kept thinking my scooter activity was walking...

I'm thinking I can still use it for heart rate monitoring,  calories burned and activitiy minutes but, are those things impacted by steps?

Advice appreciated,

Sean

[Kefentse]

@Ableman42 if you're looking at heart rate monitoring the Charge HR is the way to go. I own the Surge and while it has a few cool features, I can't strongly recommend it. Because of it's size and innacuracies with GPS. 

[betpchem]

I agree with the recommendation for Charge HR. You can hit the button and record an activity when you are not on the scooter. You can also subtract the time you are riding by creating a "scooter" activity. This thread explains how:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Share-Your-Story/Recording-distance-when-driving/m-p/384444/highligh...

[emili]

I too vote the HR based on your interest beyond counting steps. You can also invest in a chest strap one that doesn't count steps at all. They run slightly less than a fitbit. I have one and I loved using it. And no, calorie calcs go beyond steps. You can use the stop watch feature that will generate data for a specific period of time not based on activity, but your HR.

[ablemanstb]

Thanks!

Are the active minutes calculated separate from steps or distance travel?  I have alot of exercise I can do that will get up my heart rate but won't generate steps.  More to the point I wouldn't want my activity minutes skewed by false step readings.

Also, is there a way to set and track goal related to heart rate and/or activity minutes? Say X # of minutes at or above a certain rate or Y # of minutes of heart rate at or above a certain rate per day?

Thanks all!

Sean

[emili]

yes, when you synch to the app or on line, it will show you your active minutes as a separate stat. as far as setting goals- not as detailed as you describe. you can set your goal active minutes to whatever makes sense to you- but that's about it.

[Ableman42]

Thank you all, lots of advice. Let me see if I can ask it this way. True or false, none of the devices available track activity minutes or calories burned without including steps taken or distance traveled in the calculation. If false, which do? I don't walk much, and distance traveled in my scooter skews the calorie or activity minutes data. Thanks, Sean

[emili]

I would have to say true. It will take into account all your movement and I think its most accurate when steps are involved.

[Tave]

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@Ableman42 wrote:
Thank you all, lots of advice. Let me see if I can ask it this way. True or false, none of the devices available track activity minutes or calories burned without including steps taken or distance traveled in the calculation. If false, which do? I don't walk much, and distance traveled in my scooter skews the calorie or activity minutes data. Thanks, Sean

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What information are you interested in exactly?  Are you only interested in calories burned without importance to everything else or something else?  If you are only interested in calories burned, you could look into one of the devices with an HR monitor or just get a newer generation HR monitor that also measures calories burned based on body profile.  

Also, depending on the Fitbit model you have, you can track calories burned over a period of time without needing to initiate an activity or exercise function.  The basic increment value is calories burned by each 5 minute block.

[Ableman42]

I'd like to track calories or activities minutes but not have those figures impacted by getting around in a scooter or using crutches (which I do). The problem is that devices I have used and asked about will factor steps and/or gps readings into the calories or activity minutes- the problem being that those are false in my case.

[Tave]

You may be overthinking the calorie bit.  If you burn more calories when using your crutches, then that will be reflected in your count.  The same in that the fewer calories used when inactive will be reflected.  As I mentioned, the Fitbit models with an HR monitor constantly tracks data whether active or inactive in 5 minute blocks.  So you could always refer to that to get an idea of how many calories you are burning when not moving.  

Even if you initiate an activity that is logged, you could always ignore the GPS and step data and focus solely on the calories.  And if you don't want your device to think you are doing an activity when you are riding your scooter, you can disable that option in the settings. 

[Ableman42]

Its the other side of the equation, when I go somewhere on the scooter it reads steps (alot of them), which will impact calories, which I didn't expend. Sean