Stair function on Fitbit One is fabulous!

[Ali]

I never climbed stairs for fitness until getting my Fitbit Nov 29/13. It has motivated me in more ways than I can say. I have climbed the equivalent of Mt. Everest 4.86 times, Mt. Kilimanjaro 7.89 times, and Mt. Baker 13 times. Received my 14,000 flight badge yesterday. Climbing stairs has done more for firming up my behind than 1-1/2 years of serious walking. Still pound the pavement too!!

[WendyB]

Thats awesome!

[Rhonda2012]

Congrats to you! I really like the stair function too.  At about 9k flights so have a way to go for next badge.  (why we have to wait from 8k to 14k seems strange to me but I degress).  My single best day is 200 flights, boy did that take effort and felt it for several days after. Most times it is really accurate but occassionaly it missed a flight.  Believe me, I know my flight of stairs usually counts that is where I got to 200.  On the flip side I have found atomspheric preassure can give me false counts upward.  Those are most noticable when doing multiple flights in the highrise I work in.  Don't go for badge days then because I want to know I've earned it.

[Ali]

I so hear you @Rhonda2012!! The stairs to my attic only register about 1/2 the time so I now avoid them 😄 Most of mine have been indoors from staircase in basement. I can only wish for those phantom flights!! My dog thinks I am nuts as I go back and forth, hides his head under a pillow!! My best day was 207 flights chasing the last badge!! Usually do 100 a day.

[Rhonda2012]

My usual is only 15.  I've gone so far as taking one piece of clothing at a time with flights of stairs for each one on laundry/stair goal days.  I also walk from one end of my condo to the other durring commercials.  Don't have a dog but my son thought I was nuts.  He has since moved out.  Don't think the two are related but I do the excerise that way more since he moved out.  Every bit counts.

[Ali]

Laughing really hard here @Rhonda2012. I do the same thing with my laundry. Happy stepping and climbing!!

[Baltoscott]

I agree, Ali.  It's my favorite feature on the One.  I get mine mostly on my bicycle, hiking, or at work in my seven story building.  I find myself searching out hills on my bike instead of avoiding them, and at work I pretend like the only bathroom is in the basement instead of on the 7th floor where I work.

[Baltoscott]

@Rhonda2012 - You can get false counts down too.  In my seven story building I sometimes get credit for 6 floors and once I got credit for 9.  I think the airconditioning return in one of the stairwells may affect it.  The time I got 9 I could hear the AC venting opening which probably changed the pressure in the stairwell.

[Ali]

Oh @Baltoscott you have me laughing too!! I say phooey to the stair function naysayers and there are a lot of them in these forums. We know it motivates us!!

[TandemWalker]

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@Baltoscott wrote:

I agree, Ali.  It's my favorite feature on the One.  I get mine mostly on my bicycle, hiking, or at work in my seven story building.  I find myself searching out hills on my bike instead of avoiding them, and at work I pretend like the only bathroom is in the basement instead of on the 7th floor where I work.

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How do you wear your one for bicycle? Does it not skew your true step stats?

[Baltoscott]

I wear it in or on my front pants/shorts pocket, and get about 1/4 the steps/mile as I do when I walk.  (i.e., about 500 "steps"/mile on a bike verses 2000 steps/mile when I walk).  The VAM and calories are pretty close to what garmin HRM says it should be when it I put it in my pocket, so I'm ok with that.

I'm not sure what you mean by skewing steps. I realize, of course, that I'm not really walking when I'm on my bike, but the FB is a 24/7 activity moniter, not just a pedometer, and I want "credit" for the activity when I sync over at fitbitleague (which only counts steps and activity actually recorded on your FB).

[Ali]

Ack!, next badge isn't until 20,000 flights!! I think I can, I think I can....and I will.

[TandemWalker]

Hi @Baltoscott - "I'm not sure what you mean by skewing steps. I realize, of course, that I'm not really walking when I'm on my bike, but the FB is a 24/7 activity moniter, not just a pedometer, and I want "credit" for the activity when I sync over at fitbitleague (which only counts steps and activity actually recorded on your FB)."

I understand, and for many like yourself, that is the way to go. For me, it is not, as a fair chunk of my daily exercise regimen consists of daily routine steps as well as walk/jog interval workouts. So for me, the integrity of my step stats is important. I don't want to pollute my step stats with activities are not step-based, such as cycling. Moreover, if I was to wear my One when cycling, my caloric burn credit upon logging the activity manually at fitbit.com would get split between what I've already been credited with for the steps recorded by the one; and the bicycle run per se. I don't like that, because I want to be able to track my performance improvement (over time) for cycling workouts. Notwithstanding, I also realize that my approach to this is not for everyone. 

[Baltoscott]

That makes sense to me, TandemWalker, and I appreciate that our concerns and goals are a little different.  I've worn a fitbit for three years and to me it is a great motivational tool, just like my garmin, my heart rate monitor and my 17 year spreadsheet of bike mileage.  It all helps me realize that I can meet and keep exercise and workout goals because I've done it before.

Happy Fitbitting! 🙂

[alex45674]

Awesome work Ali!

Rhonda I find my One misses the odd flight too, and it seems to be down to speed - if I plod up very slowly (or limp up!) it doesn't count but if I go up at normal walking or rushing speed it does.  After my accident most flights didn't count as I could only do one step at a time.

I do find that on windy days I get more flights than I deserve due to AP, but I guess that offsets the flights I lose 🙂

[alex45674]

Go for it Ali!!!!  You can do it!  I am working towards the same one, 14924 so far. 

[Theresab]

I get tons of steps when I use the treadmill at the gym. I have the helicopter award but it means nothing to me because I have so many false steps from that.