Steps Change Dramatically after logging exercise

[Christine1051]

Every day I use the treadmill.  My fitbit app jumps dramatically when I log my treadmill work. For example, today, after doing my 30 min workout, my Charge 2 showed 4784 steps. But, after logging the 30 minutes, the 1.844 miles and 186 calories, the fit bit app and my Charge 2 jumped to 8,233 steps. Then, when I walked on my treadmill this afternoon, I had started out at about 9200 steps, it brought me up to 16,184 steps after logging the walk.  I am SURE I haven't done 16,000 steps today!  I don't understand this, why does the fit bit app do this?  This happened on my Flex, too.  I'm figuring I have done anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 steps, though.  I hope someone will see this and have an answer.  Thank you!

[JohnnyRow]

When you speak of logging the workout, do you mean manually entering the data?

Manually logging exercise is meant only for when you were not wearing the tracker.  If you were wearing the tracker during the workout there is no need, or reason, to then log it.  Doing so usually leads to confusion.

[Christine1051]

Oh, so take it off during my treadmill workout and then log it?  Ah, I will try that today!  That doesn't make sense, though, since they want you to have it on all the time.  And I always walk with it on.  The only time it comes off is for my shower and when I have to charge it (which I do overnight). 

[JohnnyRow]

What I was trying to say is to leave it on, but then there should be no reason go back in log it afterward since it was already recorded.

If it is not getting logged as you do it, the approach is to find out why not, rather than going back and manually logging it.

Why were you logging it in the first place?  Was it not recorded? If you were counting on it getting recognized automatically and it was not recorded as exercise, then use the exercise app, starting and stopping it manually right from the tracker.

See How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?

[100bagger · Accepted solution]

I'm a new user, so by no means an expert. But I was also wondering if Charge 2 counts steps differently if you log your workout and treadmill activity using the Exercise Activity tracking feature. It does have individual activities for "Workout" and "Treadmill". But you need to tell Fitbit when you start and stop the workout by choosing the activity and then long-pressing the button. Can you confirm if you did that? Also, (separately) did you manually figure out and set your walk and run stride lengths? That's optional, but if you are super concerned you might try that too.

[Christine1051]

I ended up doing a chat with a fitbit tech. He told me it was best to leave the tracker off while on the treadmill then log it as a previous workout.  That worked.  However, we go on a lot of cruises, so I will leave it on as I cannot log it anyway (phone is on airplane) -- that worked fine last week, I logged an average of 14,000 steps a day and more due to the fact I used the treadmill in the am, used the stairs all the time, and walked 2 miles each afternoon around the ship. I never logged any of that activity at all, since I couldn't.  And it was useless to go back and log it, as it had already passed.  Thank you!

[Christine1051]

The tech told me to use the green plus sign when I logged my treadmill.  We tried it to make sure it would work.  From the plus sign I choose "Track Exercise" and then "Log Previous".  There is a start time to enter but no end time that I saw. But I was able to enter my time -- this morning it was 35 minutes, I'll do another 25 this afternoon.  (It's winter and we have snow in our No Calif foothills area, so I don't go outside, but when spring, summer and fall come, I'll walk in the afternoon about a mile and a half.) Anyway, this gave me a more realistic number, as it turns out.  Still pretty high, but after some research, it seems right on.