Walking outdoors on Treadmill Setting - MPH

[2BFitt]

I've been setting my Fitbit on "Treadmill" when I go out for power walks, so I can see my MPH. Will this give me accurate information?

I walk very briskly. However, I can't seem to get over a 2.7 on most days. How can I increase my pace? My heart rate sometimes doesn't even break 100, yet I'm power-walking.

[emili · Accepted solution]

I am not sure why you would use treadmill as your activity, but generally the activity "name" has nothing to do with output. Folks choose the activity name so they can keep track of what they did on a specific day, track progress over time, stuff like that. Your fitbit will auto recognize your activity such as walking without you selecting once you begin the activity and continue doing it for over 15 minutes.. If you choose walk, it will give you pace, miles, steps- all the data you need. As far as "power walking" I am not sure what that means. I walk a 3.8 on the treadmill which is 17 or so minute mile. When I walk outside, I do a mile in about 19 minutes because nothing is pushing me along to stay on pace and of course it varies up hill or stepping off curbs. My HR varies from day to day when I walk. Sometimes it is 99, sometimes it is 124- it depends on many factors and I look at the average and the time spent in the activity. I know that 1.5 hours of walking at that pace will burn about 600 calories for me. I am not sure if I answered your question or not, but maybe I gave you things to consider.

[2BFitt]

I changed it to "Walking", so now I see pace. When the Charge 2 recognizes that I'm walking, it was only giving me calories burned. Thank you for explaining that my pace outdoors may be a little less versus on the treadmill.I move very briskly when I walk outdoors. However, my pace was only 24'41". I'm wondering if my Fitbit is not accurate? Do you know how it tracks? I tend to move my arms in a power-walking stance, versus swinging. 

[Heybales]

That method of walking could throw off it's ability to detect impact, which is used to determine what that step distance was.

Got a track of some sort with known distance to go test walk?

That's all you need.

You may want to pick some routes that give you the time or distance desired - map it out with accurate distance - and then manually create a Workout Record where you supply the same start/duration time as the Activity Record Fitbit created, but input the more accurate distance, then let Fitbit do the calorie burn since that is more accurate.

Don't worry about having 2 entries - Fitbit is a replace-only system, so only the stat's in the last entry count. But you can keep your HR info which will be good for review.

If you have 3-5 routes you like doing, really wouldn't take much to map each out for distance, then always do those.

[charleskn]

If you try using a measured distance, such a track, count the steps to complete a lap, and use that to set/verify your stride length, which can help with the accuracy of your workout results. Increasing speed/pace will always increase your heart rate.

The Google Fit app has a way to help you set and maintain a desired pace.

https://9to5google.com/2021/06/09/google-fit-paced-walking/