Hike vs Walk

[Lindsey_G]

Hi everyone!

I have just got my first ever fitbit (Charge 2) and I love it! I am still discovering all of the things it can do, and I was wondering whether anyone could help me by explaining the difference between walk and hike? When should I choose each one?

Thanks a lot! 🙂

[USAF-Larry]

@Lindsey_G, a Walk is typically a dedicated exercise with fairly constant speed for a pre-determined distance for the purpose of elevating the heart rate and strengthening the fitness level, and is usually a few miles.  A Hike it typically a cross-country trek across uneven terrain at varying speeds and elevations, often stopping to view scenery, check the trail map, eat a snack, etc., which may or may not elevate the heart rate, and is usually a long distance.   For example, I might take a walk down the local bike trail for 3 to 5 miles to get some daily exercise.  Or, I might drive over to a Nature Preserve or a State Park to hike the trails and enjoy the scenery.  Last fall I hiked part of the Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon - that was not a typical walk!

[louhk]

Hi Lindsey

I use the hike option when I'm Nordic walking - a specific style of walking with poles.  It's a style of walking that I know burns more calories than "normal" walking, so it seems appropriate.  Others on here have said that the Hike option shows more calories expended than the Walk option on the same route.

[Lindsey_G]

Thank you both for your replies...I think I will follow your advice and use "walk" when I am on pavements walking around town, and "hike" when I tackle cross-country routes! 

Thanks!

[chagheilll]

I'm interested in this topic as well.

I read somewhere that the multiplier they use to calculate caloric burn is different between walk and hike. Not sure if someone here can confirm.

Also, would anyone know if the post activity summary differs between walking and hiking (ex: one provides elevation change, other doesn't)

[SunsetRunner]

Hike displays and incorporates elevation changes into your stats.  I'm not sure if Walk does this or not, but I don't think so.

[USAF-Larry]

@chagheilll, if you are using Connected GPS, then Walk, Hike, and Run all record elevation as well as distance. The Caloric burn is dependent upon your activity level, measured by your heart rate, regardless of whether it is a Walk or a Hike.  I use Walk when I am taking a short - 5 to 10 mile - stroll through the countryside, and I use Hike when I on a long hike through national park or hiking trail somewhere. Most people hike at a slower pace than on a walk due to the changes in terrain and short climbs, etc.

[chagheilll]

@USAF-Larry. thanks for responding! With respect to elevation data where can that be retrieved? On my C2 it shows the elevation in the post-workout summary, but when I go to the app I am unable to find the elevation data for both "hike" and "walk" workouts.

[USAF-Larry]

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@chagheilll wrote:

@USAF-Larry. thanks for responding! With respect to elevation data where can that be retrieved? On my C2 it shows the elevation in the post-workout summary, but when I go to the app I am unable to find the elevation data for both "hike" and "walk" workouts.

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@chagheilll, unfortunately the elevation chart does not appear on the app, it is only on the Fitbit.com Dashboard exercise screen.

[ValkyrieTrek]

This is the same for me. I'd like to see the elevation stats during my hike as well. Having it in the summary is great, but I need it to be logged for later reference. I'm wondering if this was an oversight and will be corrected in a future release. 

[Richpowell]

I just got back from my morning walk up a local hill. Same walk every morning. Today I decided to choose “Hike” instead of “Walk” and my Fitbit recorded 52 floors as opposed to the 42 it records during a Walk.

i’d love to know why this is!

[CDarbon]

Would you therefore recommend using the "Hike" option rather than the "Walk" option if you are walking a dog who starts and stops on a regular basis, even though its a pavement walk and keep the "Walk" option for a specific fitness walk without the dog?

[Ramireztra]

For those who have done the same route with gps on and choose walk one time and hike another time did it have the same calories burned? I have been using walk even though I am walking ungroomed trails in the woods. I am doing it to burn calories so I do not stop, but it does show changes in speed. 

[JammyD]

Someone should go find a tower block and see which one is more accurate.

[Brag]

Walk tracks your Pace. If you are stopping for any reason it will throw off your pace. I think pace is used to tell you how fast your walking per mile which I’m sure you don’t care about if your walking the dogs. 

[Brag]

I have a Charge 5 and it does not have an altimeter which measures changes in elevation. If I knew that I wouldn’t have purchased it. Some of the Fitbits do and some don’t. I wished they had consistency in their products.