Egregiously overestimating steps, zone activity and distance

[KikiDelivery]

I recently got a fitbit inspire 3. I wear the fitbit around my ankle as I don't use my arms much when I walk. Today, I was sitting at my desk for work between 11am-1pm and I someone hit 10,000 steps. I have walked minimally today (mailbox, upstairs) but none of the walking occurred between 11am-1pm. I have been planted at my desk. I also somehow walked over 4 miles and hit a ridiculous amount of zone activity minutes while seated at my desk. How on earth is this possible?! I am very frustrated. It's impossible for someone to walk 4+ miles while seated in a stationary chair. Please help, I feel like I wasted my money :(((

[JuanFitbit]

@KikiDelivery , A warm welcome to the Community! Thank you for your message. 

The Inspire 3 was designed to be used on the wrist. Using it otherwise might cause that the tracker does not work as expected. 

That being said. 

Fitbit devices have a finely-tuned algorithm for step counting. The algorithm is designed to look for intensity and motion patterns that are most indicative of people walking and running.
When working at a desk, cooking, or performing other activities with arm movements, a device on your wrist may add some steps. When you’re doing activities that involve arm movement—such as working or cooking—you often walk a few steps in-between stationary periods as well, so the device tries to give you credit for those steps.
For most customers, the number of extra steps added by arm-based movement isn’t significant when compared to your overall stats.
In your case your leg might be moving while sitting, which might have cause the Inspire 3 to recognize the movements as steps. 

[MayanGold]

That’s a ridiculous answer to a question similar to the one I asked yesterday.

if a tracker is responding that sensitivity to arm or leg movement I.e. to add 10,000 steps sitting at a desk, or in my case standing for 5 minutes and adding 600 steps then it’s clearly not fit for purpose.

im so disappointed that I’ve spent nearly £100 on something that’s fit for the bin.

[Janesdf]

What about when a FitBit is left on a table, motionless?  I received mine a few days ago.  After using it the first day, and no option to shut it down, I left it on a table overnight.  The next morn, it showed 465 calories burned, again, while left on a table overnight.  I left it on the table again last night, did not use it at all today, and of this writing, it has recorded 1,063 calories burned, which will be higher tomorrow.  If it's so finely tuned, why and what is it recording when there is absolutely no activity?

[Bill_209]

@Janesdf , if you click on the Devices icon in the top left-hand corner of the App Today screen, is your Inspire 3 the 'only' thing listed as a Device connected to the App?

[MayanGold]

No other devices connected to my app, it’s just a really really rubbish tracker.

[Bill_209]

Well, if the Inspire 3 is the only device included on the App Device list and the Inspire 3 is still logging steps when the device is just sitting on a table, then it is hard to argue that the Inspire 3 step count algorithm isn't causing that problem.

Google AI suggests that it is also possible for a Fitbit device to have spurious heart rate responses when the device is just sitting on a table as well.  Has anyone seen evidence of that happening on the heart rate curve?

[Janesdf]

Yes, my Fitbit 3 is the only connected device.  It's not logging steps, it's logging calories burned and a resting heart rate while on a table, and the calories burned continue to increase.

[Bfm129]

It does estimate basic calories burned just from being alive....

[Bill_209]

Interesting.  What is your table's Resting Heart Rate, @Janesdf ?

[Janesdf]

Funny, however, my coffee table has a resting heart rate of 60.

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Calories burned from lying on a table overnight?  Having a shutdown option would solve that and rest the battery.

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moderator edit - merged messages

[Bill_209]

A resting heart rate of 60 bpm sounds pretty normal, so that is probably an actual value. 

Fitbit measures resting heart rate by analyzing heart rate data over a 24 hour period so, unless your Inspire 3 was sitting on the table for an entire day, the resting heart rate was calculated based upon the heart rate data collected during the time that it was worn.

Like @Bfm129 mentioned, you're actually burning calories, even when your device isn't being worn.

Google AI overview:

"Fitbit does estimate and display calories burned even if the device isn't worn for extended periods, particularly during sleep or when you're not actively tracking an exercise. This is because Fitbit uses your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) to estimate calories burned for basic bodily functions even when you're at rest."

Moderator edit: merged reply