Active minutes not tracked while rowing

[61gray]

When I use the rowing machine my Charge 2 only tracks time. Why doesn’t it track active minutes? The heart rate shows that I’m in cardio the majority of the time. 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity 

[HeydyF]

Hey @61gray, let me give you a warm welcome to the Community! If your Charge 2 doesn't seem to be tracking your active minutes, could be because your exercise wasn't intense enough. Let me tell you that the duration isn't enough for your tracker to recognize active minutes, and I'll explain you why. 

Fitbit devices 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 devices 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.  To stay in line with the Center for Disease Control's (CDC’s) “10 minutes at a time is fine” concept, minutes are only awarded after 10 minutes of continuous moderate-to-intense activity. In other words, the intensity of exercise is key. So please take that into consideration and let me know how it goes! 

I'll be around! 

[61gray]

Thanks but doesn’t answer my question. I get active minutes while working in the garden yet not when rowing and my heart is in cardio. Still confusing to me.

Elizabeth

[HeydyF]

Thanks for your reply @61gray! Ok, let me ask you this, when rowing, are you seeing your heart rate on the machine or on the Charge 2 itself? I'm asking because maybe you are not correctly wearing your Fitbit and that is why your heart rate isn't very accurate while on the machine. So I'd like you to tell me, 'cause heart rate on these type of trackers directly interfere with active minutes. This is a possibility that I need to confirm so keep me posted! 

Have a nice day! 

[61gray]

The heart rate is on the tracker. I get, per the FB device, 20 min in cardio but zero active minutes. I was gardening yesterday and had 10 min. In cardio and 50 active minutes. I can easily just tell myself I know I got active minutes while rowing but the reason to where a tracker is to track. I have tried using the workout and elliptical settings to track since there is no rowing option. Then I manually change to rowing. Just confused why it doesn’t give me active minutes.

Sent from my iPhone

[HGale]

I have this exact same problem, and I check my heart rate on the FitBit frequently. It doesn’t record my heart rate correctly at all. And it’s not that I’m wearing it incorrectly, because I’ve tried every possible option: high up or low down on the arm; tight, middling or loose... it’s just not accurate at all, I’m afraid. Fine for gardening. Rubbish for sport.