Treadmill accuracy issues

[MassDAD]

I have been using my Fitbit Charge HR for a couple of weeks now, and while I am finding so many aspects beneficial I have been encountering issues with accuracy regarding treadmill workouts.

Both step count and mileage in grossly under reported by my Fitbit, for instance today I did 3.83 miles of inclined walking and my Fitbit only recorded 5,608 steps and 2.4 miles.  I do not hold on to the rails at any point in my workouts and my arms swing naturally.  Every workout I've had on the treadmill I have had to delete the entry and manually enter the correct distance values, which then updates the step count.  It is winter in new England and not many brave souls are out logging miles in freezing conditions, I use my treadmill daily for workouts.

However, now I do not get credit for my manually enetered steps for daily challenges or badges.  

How can this Fitbit be so innacurate on both distance and step count on one of the most common methods of excercise?

[Rich_Laue]

The Charge 2 is still attached to the arm, and even in treadmill mode, this is run mode with no gps, the tracker still needs to see arm movement for it to think the legs are moving.

Yes when the speed of the run is changed, the users stride also changed. Figure an average stride.

[viking17]

Lpawlik-How did the customer service correct the device issue when you called them?

I could never get correct steps nor miles for treadmill after trying all the things people suggested here. I have simply given up! 

[neuroman]

Basically I gave up BUT puttnig the device in a pocket gives a result as close as you can get

[IleanaM]

I haven't a clue how to manually add my treadmill as exercise so you are a step ahead of me. Good post.

[Rich_Laue]

@IleanaM let's go to fitbit's searchable interactive help guides, link is found below as Help.

We will find two articles

How to track an exercise with Fitbit

How do I  use exercise apps and modes on my Fitbit device?

In this article is a link to 

How do I customize the exercises on my Fitbit device?

[Bbgun007]

Don't worry about manually adding in your workout.  You have bigger problems than that.
My FitBit recorded me climbing 172 floors of stairs yesterday and 82 floors today.  Actually I climbed about 10 flights of stairs yesterday and the same today.  So, why does FitBit record so many more floors?  Because clouds come across our city and that changes the barometric pressure so FitBit thinks I have just climbed the stairs of a 20 story building.  This unrealistic flight of stair count influences the calorie burn recorded by FitBit so it too is unrealistic.  About the only thing my FitBit counts is my steps unless I get on a treadmill.  Then, the count is very low.  The treadmill will say I have walked 3 miles but FitBit will record only 2,100 steps.  If this was true my stride must be over 7 1/2 feet per step!  I'm not even 6 feet tall so I'm not taking a 90 inch step each stride.
I had the opportunity to buy a personal fitness device for a friend this Christmas.  I purchased a Garmin because I've heard much better results than my experience with my FitBit Charge HR.  

[PaulGDuncan]

Folks,

First of all, your stride distance on the treadmill is different than walking on a trail, sidewalk, whatever. Not surprisingly, stride distance is a function of treadmill speed, so there will always be inaccuracies of the Fitbit to a treadmill distance.

Conclusion: it is a fool's errand to assume that the Fitbit will ever measure distance on a treadmill accurately. Set your expectations accordingly.

Second: under "Account -> Advanced Settings -> Stride Length" you will see various settings. If "Set Automatically" is enabled, when you do a GPS-enabled activity, depending on the activity, these numbers will update. The result is simple: different GPS activities will mess with these numbers, and what you measure on the treadmill vs out in the world will be all over the map.

Recommendation: turn OFF "Set Automatically" and set your stride distance, if you are walking on a treadmill, according to the formula:

Stride (inches) = 12 / (steps taken according to treadmill) * 5280 * ( miles walked).

Walk a couple of miles at the same pace for the entire test, with the same body motion (arm swing, etc.).

As a check, make sure the FItbit has registered close to the same step count during your test. If it has not, you do not have it properly located relative to measuring your steps and THAT is a bigger issue if you want accuracy.

Now, to the issue of steps, stairs, etc., the Fitbit uses change barometric pressure to register the number of flights. Weather changes pressure, so forget this ever being accurate in a $100 device. If you want to measure outdoor ascent or descent, get yourself a good GPS that integrates external, high resolution topo maps - it's the only way to be accurate. Be aware though - I climb mountains and there are issues even with this approach, as loss of GPS signals due to surrounding terrain will introduce significant error.

If you climb stairs indoors forget ever being accurate with a simple barometric device - they will get you in the ballpark, but not with great accuracy. The best you can hope for is step count.

Finally, to the issue of caloric burn, Fitbit GREATLY exaggerates activity burn. I've complained to them, written notes, and they are deaf. A more conditioned person will burn less than a less conditioned person, and this will reflect heavily in total daily expenditure. The ONLY way you are going measure caloric burn accurately is way beyond a $100 device, but you will be in the ballpark with 25% error or so.

I have set my expectations accordingly and am pleased with the device. Your actual mileage (pun intended) may vary.

Regards, and keep steppin'

Paul




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[IleanaM]

I didn't hold on to the rail yesterday and fit bit recorded my walking. I'm good!

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[Bbgun007]

So, pay a lot of money to be disappointed. That is your advice?  Why not purchase a Garmin and get what you pay for.

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[andil_seattle]

I use both a Garmin and a Fitbit and the Garmin is truly terrible at
capturing any steps at all when pushing anything - a lawn mower, a shopping
cart, or a baby jogger. And by truly terrible - I mean you will be lucky
if it catches 15% of your steps, if that. It's also bad at accurately
capturing flights - on a typical day I can rack up 22 flights on my
fitbit vs. 10 on my Garmin - and I know the hills I walked for those, the
Garmin is just bad at registering flights.

Bottom line - each brand of tracker has its strengths and its weaknesses.
Figure out what is most important to you; you will never have one that
works well for every activity. 😕

[Bbgun007]

Garmin cannot be worse than my FitBit.  I usually climb 10 to 15 flights of stairs per day.  My FitBit has recorded as many as 187 flights of stairs!  Don't lecture me on the accuracy of a Fitbit Charge HR.  It is a toy at best; not a health fitness tool.  Their customer service cannot help in any way other than suggest an exchange of the product for another one that doesn't work any better.

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[Rich_Laue]

@Bbgun007 Fitbit has never factored in Stacie count when calculating calories. 

[andil_seattle]

I had that same problem with excessive flights on a charge hr and it was a device problem.  Call Fitbit customer service.   If your registered device is still under manufacturer warranty they should send you a new one.  If you bought an extended warranty that should replace it.

i had three device failures with a charge hr but have had no device failures in the 7 months i have used a charge 2.  I think the charge hr’s design of the mechanism being spread over the face AND the band caused a lot of device failures.  The charge 2’s mechanicals are solely contained within the device not the swapable band and at least for me has been much more reliable.

[Bbgun007]

I spent six months working with customer service. I exchanged my unit three separate times. Each time the unit performed the same. We never got to a unit that performed better. My warranty since expired. I meet many people at the gym and I tell them of my experience with Fitbit. It is nothing more than a toy. It is not a fitness tracking device.

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[malvargo]

FYI:  I thought I would share something I figured out.  I was having the same issues with the treadmill and it not tracking the steps.  I've figured out that you can track the steps on the treadmill and the elliptical.  On the tracker push the side button until you come to walk, tap the tracker until you get whatever you want to do up and then hold the side button until it starts.  Make sure your ready to go because it starts immediately.  When you're done hold the side button on the tracker until it says finished.  You have now logged your workout whatever it might be.  Charge 2 is really good once you figure out all it has to offer.

[Bbgun007]

Charge HR is 

Moderator Edit: Word Choice

[fretnutt]

Me as well. Very frustrating.

I have the Surge-$250!

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Bbgun007]

Unfortunately it is the hardware that I purchased.

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[Rich_Laue]

@malvargo if you click on the word "help" found at the bottom of this, or any, page., then tap your tracker. You will find a link to your manual.. Your also in fitbit's interactive searchable online help docs. 

[Bbgun007]

There is no help at the bottom of this page.

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