Active minutes and floors are not accurate

[lizlife]

I have been using my Charge 2 HR for about a month now. Overall I am happy with it but two things have happened that bug me. 

1) I complete a training program that involves 40-50 minute high intensity metabolic and strength workouts 4-5 times a week. I also bike outdoors 

(around 20k) approximately twice a week. The active minutes a generally correct for my metabolic workouts and biking - but only pick up my strength workouts occasionally. I know that active minutes are recorded by 10 minutes periods - but my workouts are usually 40-50 minutes and I know that my heart rate is up and I am sweating when I complete one. The calories burned are always over 200. I get active minutes when I complete a 20 minute walk with my dog - so why wouldn't my strength workout count? 

2) I have no stairs in my house and I usually don't climb any but my tracker usually gives me 2-3 floors climbed a day. Last night it showed 9 floors climbed while I was in bed. 

Looking for some some explanation here! Thanks 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Hey there @lizlife, it's great to see you in the community! Sounds pretty awesome that you just got the Charge 2 and you've been having such a great time with it.

Now, let me explain this a bit more thoroughly as you already know how you can earn active minutes. Your Fitbit tracker recognizes and awards active minutes when the activity you're doing is more strenuous than regular walking, which includes everything from a brisk walk to a cardio workout or run. All Fitbit trackers calculate active minutes using metabolic equivalents (METs). METs help measure the energy expenditure of various activities. Because they do so in a comparable way among persons of different weights, METs are widely used as indicators for exercise intensity. For example, a MET of 1 indicates a body at rest. Fitbit trackers estimate your MET value in any given minute by calculating the intensity of your activity. You earn active minutes for activities at or above about 3 METs. However, if an activity gives you active minutes one day and fewer active minutes the next day, remember that the intensity of exercise is key. Often what seems like the exact same amount of effort over the same distance in fact differs slightly enough to change your active minutes total.

Remember also that, by default, the recommended amount of active minutes is from 20 to 30 minutes of daily moderate to intense activity. Something else that I would like to agree with you, trackers with heart-rate sensing do a better job of recognizing active minutes for non-step-based activities, such as weight lifting, strenuous yoga, and rowing. 

If you're working out yourself in order for the active minutes to be earned, but you're not getting them, as you know, the intensity is necessary to get those minutes. Therefore, I suggest you to restart your Charge 2 at least 3 times in a row. Then use it for a few days and let me know the results. 

Okay, now moving forward with your floors... your Charge 2 uses both the accelerometer and the altimeter to track floors.  Algorithms interpret the raw data into a floor.  It registers a floor when it detects continuous motion combined with an elevation gain of about 10 feet.

Said that, here are some of the possible causes for this inaccuracy:

• The tracker may track floors while driving, on an elevator or in an escalator
• Due to the Charge 2 is a wristband tracker, it may track floors while opening doors, from a weather change, or from a gust of wind (i.e.  pressure changes)

Occasionally your tracker may detect pressure changes unrelated to elevation gains, such as a gust of wind, weather change, or opening a door. Exposure to excess moisture can also result in extra floors being counted. This happens if the pathway to the altimeter on the back of your tracker becomes temporarily blocked with sweat or water. I recommend that your tracker be worn loosely during exercise. 

I haven't experienced this before, I'd recommend checking what I posted above to see if something listed there is causing the discrepancy.

Hope to hear good news about your active minutes and floors! 

[lizlife]

Thanks. I will keep this in mind! 

[MarreFitbit]

For sure @lizlife!  Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to assist you with, I'm always happy to help!

[Mariangelica-25]

Im sorry but that is not convincing , every minute should  count for your personal goal.  You move and your active period and should be conunted Today , I did 10000 steps and I only have 10 minutes? Something is wrong for sure, and your explanation is not logic. I climbed stairs throughout the day every day and nothing is counted? 

Thanks