Inspire HR doesn't track gym time

[Dawnidoo]

I've had my Inspire HR for a few years now and, for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. Recently though, I've joined a local gym to get back in shape after a car accident and major surgery. My Fitbit doesn't track anything I do at the gym! It does show an increase in heart rate but that's it. There's no way to log the machines I'm using and it's not acknowledging steps on a treadmill or elliptical or stair machine. It's been a total blow to my confidence and it's really making me think about a different device all together. I started my health journey again to get back to myself but it feels like no matter what I do, it doesn't count. The gym isn't  good enough, Fitbit? Help!

[JohnnyRow]

Use the on-wrist Exercise App and call the whole thing one "Workout".  Fitbit does not recognize steps when holding hand rails on treadmill or stair machine at gym or at home, as probably hundreds of posts will verify, because arms are not swinging which is how fitbit, or any tracker on wrist, detects steps.  Put in pocket if steps and mileage are more important to you but then lose heart rate data and therefore calorie burn and zone or active minutes.

[tom-lord]

> not acknowledging steps on a treadmill or elliptical or stair machine

Fitbit works with an accelerometer; it counts steps by swinging back-and-forth. If the fitbit is on your wrist and you're gripping onto stationary rails while walking, then it might not detect any movement (but then, neither would any other device that's attached to your wrist).

(But I don't see how it would fail to work on an elliptical machine, unless your arms are actually still grabbing something stationary?)

To count steps, it needs to be able to move. Put it in your pocket or on your ankle. Or, if you can, don't hold onto stationary rails.

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One other thing I found from gyms though, is that (annoyingly) the device doesn't count something as an "exercise" if it doesn't detect steps, unless you trigger it manually. So for example, if you're on a spinning machine, you need to select "Exercise --> Spinning" on the watch before starting, in order for it to be detected correctly.