Register activity for rowing?

[muffinplwl]

I have recently started rowing and it doesn't seem to register on my FitBit zip.  Any suggestions as to where to wear it?  I ususally have it on my waist and tried putting it on my shoe but not much record of steps or activie minutes.  Thanks.

[Marcy · Accepted solution]

Fitbit trackers, such as the Zip, are only designed to count steps.  For rowing, the best thing is to log those manually as an activity.

[slysam]

I think you would need to manually log it, I do when I use the rowing machine. I use a heart rate monitor, but rowing is in the exercise database on Fitbit.

[muffinplwl]

Thanks for the response.  I didn't even know you can enter anything manually (I'm not real savvy on using the site, but I enjoy the device).  I actually find if I hook it on my bra and get "credit" for the rowing activity:)

[timlazisa]

Mmmmm... this is a bit disappointing, rowing is my main sport and its a shame this isn't supported. I'm going to experiment with various positions and see if I can figure out were best its hould be worn. 

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@Marcy wrote:

Fitbit trackers, such as the Zip, are only designed to count steps.  For rowing, the best thing is to log those manually as an activity.

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[Heybales]

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@timlazisa wrote:

Mmmmm... this is a bit disappointing, rowing is my main sport and its a shame this isn't supported. I'm going to experiment with various positions and see if I can figure out were best its hould be worn. 

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@Marcy wrote:

Fitbit trackers, such as the Zip, are only designed to count steps.  For rowing, the best thing is to log those manually as an activity.

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Even if you get some "steps" seen for the movement you are doing - the formula that takes steps and calculated distance and your mass to figure out calorie burn - has absolutely nothing to do with rowing.

If you don't care about calorie burn because you aren't trying to eat less than you burn or eat at maintenance, or you don't care what the workout really burned, then by all means find the placement that sees the most difference in direction. Probably wrist since it stops when retracted suddenly.

[CrazySusan]

I did log my rowing activity manually and it is a very disappointing experience.  As it was pointed out, the calories burned calculation has nothing to do with rowing.  E.g., I did 30 minutes of rowing, covering 5856 meters.  This activity "earned" me 82 burned calories by the calculation in this system.  Really?!!!

[Heybales]

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@CrazySusan wrote:

I did log my rowing activity manually and it is a very disappointing experience.  As it was pointed out, the calories burned calculation has nothing to do with rowing.  E.g., I did 30 minutes of rowing, covering 5856 meters.  This activity "earned" me 82 burned calories by the calculation in this system.  Really?!!!

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No, not really.

I think you may have converted to km (which it asks for) incorrectly.

I got 458 cal for same stats, obviously my weight is different.

So something was entered wrong.

Or did you enter in an activity record?

All that does is seperate the Fitbit seen stats in to it's own section instead of buried in daily stats. It wasn't calculating anything for rowing, it was merely showing what Fitbit estimated.

Which we know is wrong, hence the attempt to manually enter it correctly.

[CrazySusan]

I may be crazy but I know my metric system.   Distance entered as 5.856 kilometers, which shows up as 3.64 miles for the logged activity.  Not sure what the difference is between my logging it as a "Rowing machine" activity under the Activity tab, vs. the "Activity Record" mentioned.  I did entered another activity the same way, a Bootcamp activity, 1 hr, and that one got a more reasonable credit of some 412 burned calories.  The craziness continues...

[Heybales]

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@CrazySusan wrote:

I may be crazy but I know my metric system.   Distance entered as 5.856 kilometers, which shows up as 3.64 miles for the logged activity.  Not sure what the difference is between my logging it as a "Rowing machine" activity under the Activity tab, vs. the "Activity Record" mentioned.  I did entered another activity the same way, a Bootcamp activity, 1 hr, and that one got a more reasonable credit of some 412 burned calories.  The craziness continues...

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Activity record, whether manually done on the Activity tab or via a button on devices that support it, merely separates that time and stats from the normal daily data.

Otherwise you'd be adding up 5 min chunks of time for steps and calories to get a total. And yes, I did that a few times, sadly for a 3 hr bike ride for calorie burn just out curiosity before I manually logged an activity with more accurate calorie burn.

And then I discovered how to compare the totals prior and post adding a manual workout to figure out what Fitbit had estimated for that time that I just replaced.

Then finally I checked out what the activity record function does. Doh!@ Exactly what I'd been doing the long way around.

Also, even if an activity record is there, manual or device created - and then you manually log a workout, the original data stays in the record. Not double counted, merely viewing stats that you have replaced in daily total.

Now, I haven't tested manually logging first, and then creating an activity, to compare values, but that seems silly since you know what stats are there since you just logged them, but I'm betting the record done second would be your manually entered calorie burn, along with steps seen.

[TandemWalker]

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@CrazySusan wrote:

I did log my rowing activity manually and it is a very disappointing experience.  As it was pointed out, the calories burned calculation has nothing to do with rowing.  E.g., I did 30 minutes of rowing, covering 5856 meters.  This activity "earned" me 82 burned calories by the calculation in this system.  Really?!!!

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Hi @CrazySusan - You can override the caloric burn with your own. In most cases, the burn rate offered at fitbit.com does make sense. But for any new activity, I always doublecheck with other web sites.

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[ErinScott]

I manually input my calorie burn for the rowing machine as it will tell me I burned a fraction of the calories that any other calorie calculator will. It will be off by hundreds. I figure that if things don't look right, check elsewhere then just manually put it in. 

[Pat_M]

I also add the activity details of my use of the rowing machine manually from the details of my workout recorded on the rowing machine

[Rowmoseley]

Where can I find rowing in the exercise database - and what is it based on - actually row myself and fin the calaries burned quite erratic whether I'm in a boat or on a roiwng machine (I have a Concept 2A at home)

[Corney]

I row every third day and was having the same problem.  Make sure the fitbit is snug around you wrist, you should get an accurate resultt on calories burned and heart rate but not steps.  Putting it on you shoe would be a waste because your shoe doesn't move.

[MRCRower]

I was also disappointed that there is no app on my new Fitbit Blaze to log rowing, but what I have done, is started the tracker as "bike" and took my phone so it could use the GPS function. It logged all the meters I rowed, but I have no idea how accurate the calorie count was. Now for ergo training - I'm going to set it for "Eliptical" and see how that works!

[Corney]

MCRRower: I have yet to receive an accurate calorie count when I row on my
old Concept 2 rower. The heart rate graph is all over the map when It
should show a smooth graph since I maintain a steady rowing pace for 45
minutes.

[MRCRower]

Hi Corney, I tried setting to Elliptical last night on my erg session. Rowed 25 minutes at R24 (5K), and the calories burned were 169. Also, like you, the heart rate was a bit erratic, so it didn't work as well as I would have liked. I'll try it again on the water this weekend on "bike" and see what happens.

[Heybales]

That's merely a text label, has nothing to do with how it calculates
calories, which is based on HR. So call it whatever, then after saved, edit
and change the name to whatever, perhaps with meaningful details - rowed 175
W avg. Now you have something to compare to other workouts and their calorie
burn.

[Heybales]

That's more a problem with the HR reading ability then - which for some
people just won't ever be accurate. For some it drops out when the HR goes
to high, so it'll show a steady 120 - sadly the HR was actually a steady
150. Obviously bad calorie burn calculation in that case. Some, like you it
sounds like, just go in and out. The motion may make it worse, the location
of your veins may make it worse. You'll never have a chance at decent
calorie burn estimate in those cases. Though, it was never going to be
"accurate" anyway - but at least could be better.