Biological age adjusted heart rate

[Cherly76]

I am a healthy, active 75 year old with a low resting heart rate of 64.  I go to the gym often, practise yoga, etc. I find that it is very easy for Fitbit to reach the heart rate for low to moderate exercise and consequently I am racking up hundreds of active zone minutes every day (and some cardio, of course).  I think Fitbit is making it easy for me as it is basing my goals on my actual as opposed to my biological age which I think should be about ten years less. My question is do you think I should cheat and adjust my age?  And will this give me more accurate scores? Thank you.

[LZeeW]

Hello @Cherly76 and welcome to the Community.  I don't think you should cheat and adjust your age.  Fitbit uses your age in other algorithms.  Changing your age will cause a trickle down effect in other measurements and calculations.  But there is a setting that you can change and it will change your heart rate zones and leave everything else alone.  You set a custom maximum heart rate.

• Tap on your profile image in the upper left
• Scroll down to Activity & Wellness
• Tap on Heart Settings
• Tap on Heart rate zones
• Toggle Custom Max Heart Rate to On
• It will say 145, the calculated value for a 75 year old
• You say you feel ten years younger, so change it to 155, the max heart rate for a 65 year old
• Sync your Charge 4

This will change your heart rate zones.  There is one thing to keep in mind.  Fitbit recommends wearing your tracker further away from the bony part of your wrist during exercise (three finger widths instead of one).  All zone minute measurements are based on accurate heart rate measurement.  Make sure you have an accurate measurement first.

EDIT:  I looked at your profile and I see that you are a new Fitbit user.  Please try the position change before you start changing the max heart rate.

[Cherly76]

Thank you so much! This is a really helpful reply and I will try what you have suggested.