frustrated with fitbit flex

[suz2cool61]

I'm beginning to think fitbit isn't quite what it's supposed to be...why is it that I can stand perfectly still and swing my arms and my fitbit records it as steps! !! Also last weekend I did very minimal walking...mostly sat in my office cleaning out files and fitbit logged over 12, 000 steps...what's the deal!?!?!?

[wtksk8r]

The Flex and any of the armband trackers in the market are just high end pedometers.  There is no artificial intelligence there to tell it that the motion it is recording are not steps. Prpbably the best thing to do if you know you will be doing filing or other non-walking activity for a while that whill involve a lot of arm motion is to put your fitbit in your pocket so it will only record your steps.  Another option is to manually log the time so that the steps go away.

[PamelaHazelton]

I've been able to record steps by moving my arm quickly while also moving my body (which *tricks* it into thinking I'm taking steps), but not what you're explaining. Have you contacted support about it?

[Heybales]

Known potential.

Several suggestions in the FAQ's for that device to help minimize the effect.

It is more than a pedometer though, it can read the amount of impact and duration and make the assement if this is walking or running, and based on your stat of stride length and mass, decide what current stride length must be. Current stride length and mass and time = calorie burn.

So while it may have been fooled with lots of steps, I'll bet the distance and calorie burn wasn't that much.

Still inflated, but not as bad as steps running say.

Now, ride in a car on a pot-holed gravel road with tractor ruts that show an impact frequently. Looks like you are sprinting if arm is resting on door and getting max impact.

[Rich_Laue]

All the Fitbits count your steps correctly while on a run/walk because your Arm and body are moving in a very predictable pattern.

Now you see the disadvantage of an arm based tracker that tries to count your leg movements. 

FYI If you had a One attached to your waist, you would pick up steps by tapping your foot or rocking in a rocking chair, and my drummer friend gets a ton of false steps if he leaves the One on. Just saying that both types of trackers have their problems,

If your arm moves in the way it would while walking you will get steps on the Flex, but your Flex is also designed to put in your pocket, so if your arm moves in the way your pocket moves ... you get the idea.

And with the one, if your body is moving in the way it moves while walking.....

[Nick17]

Any type of step tracker or pedometer is going to record motion that is not steps.  That is just one of the faults of pedometers in general that they can't differentiate between steps and some other motions.  The important thing overall is just to be physically active, and to integrate some formal exercise programs into your weekly activities.

[Dominique]

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@Nick17 wrote:

The important thing overall is just to be physically active, and to integrate some formal exercise programs into your weekly activities.

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Amen to this!

[TandemWalker]

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@Nick17 wrote:

Any type of step tracker or pedometer is going to record motion that is not steps.  That is just one of the faults of pedometers in general that they can't differentiate between steps and some other motions.  The important thing overall is just to be physically active, and to integrate some formal exercise programs into your weekly activities.

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Yes, except that clip-on types are much less susceptible to this. But I agree with you, as some folks pay far too much attention to the accuracy of the step count; instead of placing the emphasis the motivational benefit of wearing a pedometer. When I first started wearing mine, a brisk walk for me was averaging 3.2-3.3 MPH. Fast forward 18 months or so, and now I can comfortably walk a 15-min mile. Have a nice day.

TW