Stairmaster?

[SarahNW]

Does the fitbit record steps on the Stairmaster?  If not, what's the best way to record this activity? Floors, steps, mileage, time?  Thanks!!

[SteveH]

It doesn't track floors I'm afraid:

https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/183827-will-my-tracker-count-stairs-for-treadmills-...

The best thing to do is to manually log your exercise:

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

[SarahNW]

Thanks!  Do you suggest entering the distance too, or just the time?

[SteveH · Accepted solution]

If you use the pre-defined activity "stair-treadmill" you only need to enter the start time and duration. If your stair master displays calories you can enter those too.

You use the predefined activities by typing in the search box near the bottom of the log activity screen.

If you wear your fitbit when on the machine your steps will still be recorded and so therefore will be distance.

[SarahNW]

Thanks!!

[DolakNC]

Hello,

I see that it doesn't track floors from a stairmaster, but will it still track the steps?  Also, how well does it track steps on a treadmill?  While on machines, will it know the difference between steps on a treadmill to steps on a stairmaster since neither have an elevation change?

thank you!

[SteveH]

Providing that your steps are not too light (which can happen on a stair master) then steps should be recorded just fine.

[josephz2va]

Steps track fine if you aren't holding onto the rails. Floors climbed won't track as it's altitude based. Regular steps will track just fine. If you're at work, get on the stairs and climb it.

[I-train-hard]

Did they improve anything with the Stairmaster count?

I am doing 130 floors on Stairmaster and my fitbitt shows 25 or 30…. If I am lucky.

Anyone knows?

[SteveH]

They haven't changed anything so I'm amazed you are getting any floors counted on the stairmaster at all.

Fitbits calculate stairs by detecting the change in air pressure you get when you ascend. As you don't actually go up in height when on the stairmaster you don't get any change in air pressure and so (you shouldn't) get any floors detected.

As this is a hardware restriction I would not expect it change with their current fitbit models.

[I-train-hard]

It actually happened only twice. I have no idea how.

Is there an option that I could enter it manually? I couldn’t find it.  

[SteveH]

No, I'm afraid we can't manually enter floors.

[I-train-hard]

thanks man.

[hpi]

Thank you for providing this information. Would it be better then to just take off the fitbit during stairmaster activity and then enter the information afterward, or is there an advantage to leaving the fitbit on?

Wouldn't leaving the fitbit on then result in double counting of steps from the work out as well as steps manually entered?

[AllyMackey]

I found out the hard way that holding onto the railings is not good for counting ANYTHING. Which is unfortunate since I lose balance while watching TV at the gym. Lol. I feel there should be a way to count my elevation on a stairmaster but I typically use "workout " setting on my Blaze

[AB17]

I ran 20 minutes (no incline) on the treadmill this morning & somehow got 3 floors credit!?

[mmlouie]

i put the unit in my pocket or wear it around my ankle get the step count and calories burned

[LondonP]

Hi,

If you use the pre-defined activity "stair-treadmill" you only need to enter the start time and duration. If your stair master displays calories you can enter those too.

where do I find  predefined activities by typing in the search box near the bottom of the log activity screen.

I have an iphone 10 and I am in the FItbit app and I don't see anywhere to do tihs.  Thank you.

[LZeeW]

Hello @LondonP and welcome to the Help forums.  This thread is very old -- from before there were heart rate trackers and exercise apps.  If you have a tracker with an Exercise app, you want to use the Stairclimber exercise shortcut.  See this Help article: How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device? 

If you don't have a tracker with an exercise app, what model Fitbit do you use?  Then we can give you the best current advice.

[Heybales]

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@hpi wrote:

Thank you for providing this information. Would it be better then to just take off the fitbit during stairmaster activity and then enter the information afterward, or is there an advantage to leaving the fitbit on?

Wouldn't leaving the fitbit on then result in double counting of steps from the work out as well as steps manually entered?

---

This is old, but a common question so thought good to answer it.

No double counting.

Fitbit is a replace-only system. Whatever is entered last replaces whatever was already there.

So if you had an Activity Record because you selected Stairmaster and started the timer, it got your steps and calorie burn and a non-sensical distance (calculation of distance from step impacts is for walking or running not stairs).

But when finished you noticed the Stairmaster with correct weight entered said you burned decent amount less calories, you could then create a manual Workout Record with the same start/duration time and enter that new calorie burn.

Both records can be there, but the calorie burn of the 1st would be replaced with the 2nd, and all the other stats would remain part of the daily totals.

And you could still look at the 1st record for HR info - because it would be good to see if there are improvements on a later workout.

Only time steps is replaced is if you manually enter Walking or Running workouts - then the steps is calculated from the distance used.

And those steps become ineligible for challenges since you could cheat otherwise. And people used to before that was changed.