Faster walking lowers heart rate

[Audibert420]

 Is there a reason that my Fitbit ionic lowers my heart rate or shows a lower heart rate when I walk faster? I do most of my walking inside. Could that be an issue? It’s really strange, because I have to keep a certain (fairly slow, for me) pace, and if I go faster my fitbit heart rate drops significantly. I have taken my pulse and during those times my manual assessment is MUCH higher than what my fitbit is showing. It’s really affecting my workouts. Any suggestions?

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Audibert420, it's always great to have you here on the Fitbit Forums! Hope you're doing great! 

You have a great question here! Thanks for sharing all those details about your walk and how you're measuring your pulse to compare your HR readings.

I'd like to share some details with you, since Heart-rate zones can help you optimize your workout by targeting different training intensities. The default zones are calculated using your estimated maximum heart rate. Fitbit calculates your maximum heart rate with the common formula of 220 minus your age. The illustrations below provide examples for each zone. In my case I'm 38, so mine would be 182. 

Fitbit shows 3 default zones: 

Peak zone, which means your heart rate is greater than 85% of maximum, is the high-intensity exercise zone. The peak zone is for short intense sessions that improve performance and speed.

Cardio zone, which means your heart rate is 70 to 84% of maximum, is the medium-to-high intensity exercise zone. In this zone, you're pushing yourself but not straining. For most people, this is the exercise zone to target.

Fat burn zone, which means your heart rate is 50 to 69% of maximum, is the low-to-medium intensity exercise zone and may be a good place to start for those new to exercise. It’s called the fat burn zone because a higher percentage of calories are burned from fat, but the total calorie burn rate is lower.

When you’re out of zone, which means your heart rate is below 50% of maximum, your heart rate may still be elevated but not enough to be considered exercise.

It'd odd that you're getting a lower HR reading when walking faster, it'd be great if you can also check this information with an specialist to make sure that it is not due to any other situation.

Remember that Heart rate may be affected by any number of factors at a given moment. Movement, temperature, humidity, stress level, physical body position, caffeine intake, and medication use are just a few things that can affect your heart rate. Different medical conditions and medications can impact your heart rate. Consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine. You can also review the wearing tips in How do I improve the accuracy of the heart-rate reading on my Fitbit device?

In case that after checking all those details, you're still getting a low number, you can try to restart your Fitbit. 

Hope this helps! 

[Audibert420]

Thank you!! Quick question: in the custom heart Red zone area, where it says to put in a minimum, do I put in my resting heart rate, or my minimum heart rate for fat burning?

I honestly have no idea how changing it works, but it certainly seems to!

Aud
😜

[Fjohn1]

This is my 4th Ionic since 11/17. Each failed for a different reason. This one has lasted the longest but it’s current oddity is heart rate during exercise. It shows rates in the 80’s to 90’s when a quick finger pulse shows it actually 120+. And the correct rate is showing on the app at the same time. I am just happy it hasn’t gone belly up yet

[Audibert420]

That’s exactly what’s happening with me. I’m working with customizing the heart rate range, but it’s kinda confusing. It seems extremely counterintuitive.

😜

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Audibert420 thanks for getting back. Nice to see you around @Fjohn1.

Thanks for sharing your feedback. I'd like to mention that in some cases for example elite athletes, they might have a target that differs from the American Heart Association’s recommendations for most people. When your heart rate is in your custom zone you see a solid heart on your watch, otherwise you see an outline of a heart. When talking about the upper and lower limit, ti will depend on what targets you wish to reach when working out.

For more information, see the American Heart Association's All About Heart Rate and Target Heart Rates articles.

I'll be around. 

[Audibert420]

I measured my actual stride today and adjusted it in the app. This seems to have helped, but I haven’t yet tried increasing my speed.