Two People Doing Exactly Same Exercise get Different Number of Steps?

[bin90a]

My wife and I walk the "Tan" in Melbourne which is a popular walking/running route for many on a beautiful autumn morning such as today. I have a Charge 2 (which recently replaced a dead Charge HR), she has a Charge HR. We walk exactly the same distance, we have observed our strides and mine are generally longer than hers, which I believe wold result in my step count being approx 10% LESS than hers. However, on checking this morning at the completion of our walk, I had about 1000 steps more than her in about 9000, so about 10% MORE! I know that Fitbit wearables are not medical devices (same as all others) and step sensing may have some variation and may not be exactly accurate, but this result surprised us both. Charge HR is set to "Dominant Hand" and worn that way and the Charge 2 is set to "Right" handedness and worn that way.

Any comments?

Next walk, I might swap or I might wear both Fitbits.

Next time, we 

[WendyB]

You said it yourself. You have different strides. Is your wife's set correctly?

They will never match. Do you except the calorie burn to match as well? As men burn a lot more calories than women.

[bin90a]

Well, perhaps I didn't express my point properly. I didn't expect to get the same steps, I expected to get less because my stride is greater, What happened is that I got more steps which clearly was wrong.

I didn't comment on calories, but since you did, I expect to burn more than she does, I am 104kg, she is 58kg. I wasn't concerned about calories

[bin90a]

Interstingly I did a simple test with both fitbits. I wore my Charge 2 first and stepped out 200 steps. It recorded 201. Then I wore my wife's Charge HR and walked the same number of steps, it recorded 200. So, both devices seem to record properly when they are sensing reasonably regular steps. Still doesnt explain why my Charge 2 recorded 10% more steps than my wife's Charge HR while walking last weekend, when it should have been roughly the other way around.

[JeanMR]

Somewhere, I forget where, it asks you to measure and record your stride length. Maybe either you or your wife's stride length is off. Or both!

[bin90a]

Thanks, but I'm not sure how that is relevant. I just want to count steps, not distance

[JeanMR]

Yes, but the stride affects the number of steps.

I have a bad back, and when I feel good, I hold my head erect and take
long steps. coming down on my heel.

When I am hurting, I hunch over and take tiny steps.

So the firbit gives me more steps when I am hurting. maybe by a factor
of three.

Jean

--
website: www.ra-info.org
blog: ritualabuse.wordpress.com

[bin90a]

I still think you are missing the point. I know my wife's stride length is less than mine, by at least 10%. I expect her step count to be approx 10% greater than mine for the same distance. So far, the Fitbit results are the reverse of this.

[JeanMR]

Yes, I understand. This is so in"real life"

But "fitbit life?"

Do you know what you have both entered for stride lengths?

Jean

--
website: www.ra-info.org
blog: ritualabuse.wordpress.com

[bin90a]

As far as I am aware, the only purpose for "stride length" is for the Fitbit to calculate the distance travelled based on steps x stride length. I'm not interested in that as I synch with the App on my iPhone to get distance and mapping.

Stride length doesn't affect the number of steps sensed. 

[pkj]

My husband and I have observed this as well. We have also been trying to determine why this happens. He records many more steps than I do for the same hike, although my stride is shorter and I take many more steps than he does. I agree, this is not an issue of distance, but is an issue of the number of steps recorded.

[JeanMR]

what happens if you switch Fitbits?

[pkj]

We haven't tried switching Fitbits.

[Damo85]

I can sit on my arse most of the day while my gf runs around like a mad woman and I still end up with way more steps. I get what you're saying, something is definitely up with this

[Felecia]

This is happening to me too and it's very frustrating because I know my stride is shorter. I've watched our feet and for every 2 steps my friend takes, I take 3 yet, somehow she'll end up with a couple of thousand steps more than me. She is visiting from out of state and we've literally gone everywhere together. Also, if anything,  when we are at the house,  she is the one who will be sitting while I'm doing dishes,  running around getting laundry, etc. And, I am up a couple of hours before her. It's not fair. We checked her Fitbit and her stride is set to almost 4" greater than mine. 🥺

[JeanMR]

Isn't it bizarre?

What happens if you trade Fitbits for a day?

Jean

[Seguinn]

I understand you completely understand struggling doesn’t matter. Today I walked with a friend who is shorter and walks slow. I have to walk so slow that my hips actually hurt! Somehow it showed that she walked 2000 steps and I walked close to 3500!  I would think that I met her steps step for  step since we walked side-by-side.