stationary stepper machine

[Claire22]

i was using my stationary step machine & forgot to take off my fitbit, &  when i realised i stopped & my fitbit recorded the double number of steps than my step machine did???  is that cos my fitbit counts the once up and down movement of the step machine as 2 steps? 

[Baltoscott]

Your fitbit is most accurate when you are actually walking/running (bringing your feet off the ground and putting them back down).  But, because it uses a three axis accelerometor to detect steps it can be "fooled" and record steps when you ride a bike or are on fitness equipment like elipticals -- an perhaps your step machine.  It just isn't as accurate as those machines because it isn't designed to measure whatever those machines count as a step.  It does pretty good calculating calorie burn, though, so I would just leave it on and not worry if it doens't match your step machine.

If it isn't counting right in other circumstances, like when you walk or run outside, you can try restarting it a few times.

[Claire22]

thanks for your reply , do u think i should track the exercise by pressing the button on the one like when i sleep? or leave the fitbit off and manually log the exercise on the step machine? 

[Baltoscott]

You could do both if you want.  Pushing the button at the start and stop of the exercise acts like the trip odometer on your car -- it doesn't affect the calories or steps recorded, but it's a way of keeping track of how long your workouts are, when you do them, and the relative calorie burn from day to day.  I would go with that, and probably wouldn't bother with also manually logging, but ...

If you want to overwrite the calorie burn with whatever Fitbit has in its database for a step machine just use the same start time and exercise length as the record generated from starting and stopping the button on your one. For that time period, Fitbit will use the calories from the manually entered activity for your daily totals instead of what your Fitbit recorded (so long as both activity records are for the same time period Fitbit won't double count)

[Claire22]

does anyone else use a stepper or step machine , it's like a lateral thigh trainer step machine, & if u do how do u log it as exercise? 

[Claire22]

today i started using my stationary stepper machine again & i left my fitbit off and manually entered the exercise afterwards , i had to log it under a walk cos i couldn't find stepper machine in the list of activities 

does anyone else use a stationary step machine & if so how do u log it?  do u leave your fitbit on or off? 

[MariamV]

@Claire22 that's a very good question! Please note that Fitbit trackers register floors using an altimeter. For every change in air pressure and a gain in elevation of 10 feet or more, a floor should register if it's combined with movement.

So, when using a Stair machine and similar stationary step machine, floors will not register because there is no change in barometric pressure. The good news is that you can log your workout manually by using the keyword "Stairclimber" in the activities field. It won't give you credit for floors but it will give you a reasonable caloric burn for your effort. Hope this helps!

Have a nice day! 

[Claire22]

if i log it as stairclimber i cannot see where to enter how many steps i have done? 

[Baltoscott]

Whatever your tracker records as steps (if you wear it) will still be there when you log the stairclimber activity.    

[GD12]

I use my fitbit when on my stepper machine and it records the floors all right.

[AndrewIbbotson]

This happens to me but that's because my stepper only seems to count my left step. It is a cheap one but still!

Anyone one else have this problem?