Elliptical stats are wrong

[Mannyrunner]

I just got my Fitbit last week and I am new to it but it seems to be tracking my running activities very well. I used it for the first while using an Elliptical and was very disappointed with the results. The Elliptical itself measures distance and calculates a calorie burn and although the Fitbit should calculate calorie burn better the distance is so far off. On the Elliptical I went 4.4 miles in 40 minutes but the Fitbit only measured 1.65 miles. Nowhere close. Could I be doing something wrong? There doesn't seem to be anyway to edit it either.

[Rich_Laue]

When it comes to the elypticsl, the miles reported are in theory since you are not physically movong.. So your tracker really has no chance of getting the distance correct. 

Now when you tracked the elyptical, did you let the tracker auto detect, or did you manually start the tracking mode. 

Now when it comes to calories, did you tell the elliptical your age, gender and weight? 

[Mannyrunner]

Thank you for your response. The first time I used the elliptical I used the auto detect mode and it detected treadmill and only a portion of the distance. The second time I manually selected elliptical and it detected only 1.65 miles while the elliptical measured 4.4 miles. For a good 40 minute workout I am sure the elliptical measurement is correct. I am not worried about the calories because if the Fitbit had the right mileage I am sure the calorie burn would be correct.

[CindaLou]

I have the same issues with mine.  So are you saying that the Fitbit charge 2 isn't reliable for the elliptical?  Wouldn't they have tested it before giving that option?  It totally messes up my tracker feedback on the dashboard. 😕

[USAF-Larry]

I use the Elliptical exercise mode on my Charge 2 when I am on the elliptical machine and the tracker comes very close with the mileage reported.  I also use a Polar chest strap with the elliptical, and the heart rate reported on the elliptical is very close to what the Charge 2 records. Whether or not the Charge 2 is accurately calculating mileage depends on both the arm movement while on the elliptical and the stride length set in the profile.

[Dave1596]

we're just saying that you can't expect things to work magically, if the machine is carrying your feet, there's very very low impact transferred to the tracker, meaning that there will be less steps, resulting and less mileage.

[Mannyrunner]

Thanks, that is what I am experiencing. If they know the data is wrong, you shouldn't be allowed to select that exercise to track. I am wondering why others claim it works perfectly. Without selecting anything, the Fitbit will automatically detect elliptical and measure time, heart rate and calorie burn. Ellipticals do the same thing but you can get distance. Calorie burn and heart rates are not the same but I believe the Fitbit is accurate in that case.

Sent from my iPhone

[Rich_Laue]

@Mannyrunner which data are you refferring to that is wrong? On an eliptical a person is not walking or running, should steps be counted?  Also the imaginary distance travelled has no relationship to a persons stride, the distance the  machine reports would be the machines stride, plus any coasting done.

Fitbit uses calories as tye comman factor, not steps are disrance.

[VeraBlue]

Of course the steps should be counted....your legs are pumping up and down, often with resistance.

[VeraBlue]

I've noticed the same thing.  I use an elliptical usually 3 times a week and a bike for 2 days.  The charge 2 doesn't accurately measure the distance with either application.  Distance is always much shorter than actual.  I'm a chef and can spend 6 hours straight, walking about my station, going from counter to stove, back to counter again.  Often I'm holding something in my non dominant hand when I'm doing that.  When I wore a fit bit on my ankle it would register over 8k steps.  Now, with it on my arm, it counts barely more than 3k.

[USAF-Larry]

---

@VeraBlue wrote:

Of course the steps should be counted....your legs are pumping up and down, often with resistance.

---

Remember, the Charge 2 does not count leg movement, it counts arm (wrist) movement. If your arms are not swinging, the tracker isn't moving. That said, when I use the elliptical, and I keep my hands on the top of the arm bars, my Charge 2 does accurately count my steps and calculates my mileage.

[healthychoices1]

I agree about the inaccurate reading of distance on my charge 2 dealing with my elliptical. I walk outside for 60min. I travel 2.8 miles. My tracker agrees with this. On my elliptical the machine reads 2.2 miles in 30min, my charge 2 states that I only went about 2000 steps for the 30min that I'm on the machine? doesn't compute well. What do I believe? Tracker or elliptical? I had a flex prior to the charge 2. It did the same thing. I try to get in 10,000 steps a day. Yechy days I use the elliptical. I feel cheated?

[Rich_Laue]

With some ellypticals because of the way the arms move, not all steps will be cpunted. 

As for distance we know this will be off, if you want the distance correct you will need to monitor the wheel, not the arm

[healthychoices1]

Thank you for the info. Do you mean the RPM's? I don't know if I can change anything? So come the ice & snow when I can't get out for my walk I will not get my 10,000 steps? At least I know in my heart that I still did a worthwhile exercise! I still love my new Charge 2. Big change from my old well used flex!  

[Emilee_05]

It happend to me too, i have the charge 2 and i ran on my elliptical today and i did an hour and ran 10 miles, is what my elliptical tells me, but my fitbit said i only ran 2.15 miles and yesterday i did 1 hour and ran 10 miles but my fitbit said i only did 5 miles. 

[SunsetRunner]

---

@Rich_Laue wrote:

@Mannyrunner which data are you refferring to that is wrong? On an eliptical a person is not walking or running, should steps be counted?  Also the imaginary distance travelled has no relationship to a persons stride, the distance the  machine reports would be the machines stride, plus any coasting done.

Fitbit uses calories as tye comman factor, not steps are disrance.

---

@Rich_Laue are you aware that tracking specific types of workouts (elliptical is one) is a major selling point of the Charge 2?

Here is my example: My NordicTrac said I exercised for 9.49 minutes and went exactly 1 mile and burned 85 calories. It is set to my height, weight, and age. My Charge 2 said 9.44 minutes, .17 miles (over 80 percent less!!) and burned only 57 calories. I was vigorously moving the arms of the elliptical and had pressed the side button on the Charge 2 to select elliptical and to start and stop the workout. It is false advertising to say that a benefit of the Charge 2 is that is will track an elliptical workout because it won't.

[CindaLou]

I agree Rich.

Sent from my iPhone

[healthychoices1]

I will try to keep my arms on top of the hand bars. It's -4 degrees the other morning! The elliptical is my winter savior. Either way, if it's not accurate (charge 2) in my heart I know I did the exercise!! That makes me feel great. The rest is just number crunching.

[Rich_Laue]

I'm aware that your Fitbit is looking at atm movements. Then applying your stride setting to get distance The elyptical is looking at the rotation of the wheel to calculate distance. This is not the distance you ran, but the distance you made the wheel virtually go. Also durring your slight pauses the wheel still spins. 

So to get an accurate distance on the elliptical the user will need to figure out the virtual stride.. This actually is not hard to do.

@SunsetRunner are you aware that Fitbit doesn't try to get the distance correct, this is virtually impossible without knowing the exact elliptical model. Or its multiplecation factor (stride), instead Fitbit uses the heart rate to determine calories. 

[SunsetRunner]

Then why does Fitbit Charge2 have an *elliptical setting if it cannot calculate when we are on elliptical machines? I could have bought a less expensive model.

Fitbit should just say “we only count steps” or give an option to switch to “heartbeat only” mode. This way we don’t have false results added that we can’t edit.

I am struggling to see the point of owning the Fitbit charge2 when my exercise is not correctly recorded. It’s fine for runners or walkers I guess but if we do anything else, not good.