treadmill logging vs very active minutes

[josephz2va]

Just started using the flex for my activtrax membership with xsport fitness. I like it a lot. 

I ran on the treadmill for 56 minutes. However if I log that as treadmill for 56 minutes, all those minutes vanish. Should I record treadmill and let those minutes vanish or don't record it and call that a win?

[Dominique · Accepted solution]

Aren't the step and calorie counts reported by your Fitbit accurate enough according to you? As I understand it, logging is for those activities Fitbit has difficulties tracking. These are typically non-step-based activities like weight-lifting, swimming etc. Running on a treadmill should belong to the kind of activities Fitbit is able to track, so there shouldn't be a need to log it separately.

[slysam · Accepted solution]

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@josephz2va wrote:

Just started using the flex for my activtrax membership with xsport fitness. I like it a lot. 

I ran on the treadmill for 56 minutes. However if I log that as treadmill for 56 minutes, all those minutes vanish. Should I record treadmill and let those minutes vanish or don't record it and call that a win?

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When you log an activity you overwrite whatever fitbit had tracked. For most activities, only the calorie burn is overwritten and the steps kept intact. But there are execeptions...

If you log walking or running with a distance, the steps and distance are also overwritten. So you may have also noticed your step count changed?

With the active minutes, fitbit does class activity as light, moderate and very active minutes. This is based on the calorie burn per minute. When you log an activity, it is really the "average calorie burn per minute" meaning the calorie burn you log is evenly divided among the duration of the logged workout. When it is fitbit tracked it was based on the movement data each minute. When I log activity from my heart rate monitor, it usually ends up being all moderately active minutes because that is where the calorie burn per minute ends up. I really only see otherwise for short, intense hiit workouts and longer fairly intense  cardio like a spin class (but not always). If I log walking, I always lose any very active minutes fitbit would have credited. Technically, walking is considered moderately active in most circumstances though.

I've come to decide that if I am wearing my Fitbit during a workout, it is only worth logging if my Heart rate monitor calorie burn is about 60 calories more than the fitbit burn for an hour, 30 calories different for a half hour. I've lost VAM logging the same or even slightly higher calorie burns. For me, I really only see that big a difference on non-step activities (like cycling, rowing), resistance oriented activities or activities involving a lot of steep stairs/hills. 

[Ali · Accepted solution]

I need to hit 3.9 to 4.0 mph on a treadmill to get VAM and make sure my arms are swinging. A lot of the Fitbit trackers won't record steps if you are holding onto bars.

[josephz2va]

Thanks all. I'll give ya a vote up. I'll keep it off my Fitbit logging instead of noting it as treadmill. I noted it separately instead on my Activtrax with the Polar recorded workout.

[slowjoe]

when i put my hands on the heart rate monitor of the treadmill to get a heart rate my hands are motionless and the fitbit does not record the steps...fyi...on my treadmill a walking speed of 3.0 mph is not highly active and 3.1 is highly active but i have to move my arms as i walk....fyi

[josephz2va]

I changed to the elliptical machine instead a while back. It's a better resistance development for me compared to treading. And it counts steps.

[heatherm72]

When walking on the treadmill I had the fitbit on my wrist, was wondering maybe I should put it on my shoe since I don't think I was moving my arms enough to get an accurate count of my steps. Any suggestions?

[Heybales]

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@heatherm72 wrote:

When walking on the treadmill I had the fitbit on my wrist, was wondering maybe I should put it on my shoe since I don't think I was moving my arms enough to get an accurate count of my steps. Any suggestions?

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Only if you want 1 step to be counted when you actually took 2 steps.

And then mis-calculated distance and pace and calorie burn as the result.

It doesn't count steps from arm movements - it tries to detect step impacts despite the arm movement.

But if you grip the machine - may not see any impacts.

Put it in a pocket would be better if you do gripe machine, at least great odds of seeing impact of each step as it needs to do for other good calculations.

If you don't gripe, have you actually done a step count to decide if it's off actually in steps?

And does the distance given match the treadmill distance if steps was close?

[heatherm72]

I don't usually have a pocket when I walk on the treadmill. Just a shirt and yoga pants. Seemed to work out ok on my shoe, but need to rethink this some more.

[Heybales]

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@heatherm72 wrote:

I don't usually have a pocket when I walk on the treadmill. Just a shirt and yoga pants. Seemed to work out ok on my shoe, but need to rethink this some more.

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If it matched the distance correctly the treadmill showed, and you perhaps have counted some steps during say 2 minutes to confirm, it might be alright.

Running can be alright, because one leg is in the air when you impact on the other.

But walking always has one leg on the ground when the other impacts, so even worse than holding the handrails with wrist device usually.

But if not using the handrails, let it do it's thing.

[Mima76]

So, if I hold onto the bars, does my Fitbit track my steps?  I would hate to think I did all that for nothing.

[Heybales]

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@Mima76 wrote:

So, if I hold onto the bars, does my Fitbit track my steps?  I would hate to think I did all that for nothing.

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Totally depends on you.

Calm stepping motion and death grip on the bars?

Perhaps missed impact or less impact, so less steps or shorter stride seen. Shorter stride means less calories calculated.

Why don't you test?

Look at step count on unit.

Walk and count 50 right foot landings.

Look at step count on unit - should be 100 higher.

[Mima76]

I haven't meant to ignore your response, but I have been unable to get on the treadmill since I posted.  I do hope I can get back on it and try your suggestion out.  It makes good sense.  Thanks for responding.