Active Minutes/Fat Burning

[Amy.Insley81]

Just finished up a 40 minute bike ride with nearly all of it being in the "fat burning zone" but none of it shows up in my "active minutes". What am I missing? I thought I earned "active minutes" by getting my heart beat into the "fat burning zone".

Help??!!

[JohnnyRow]

Your understanding of "active minutes" is not correct.

It's a bit esoteric, but basically requires a certain level of intensity maintained for at least 10 minutes continuously, which might or might not coincide with heart rate zones.

Active minutes

How do I earn active minutes?

Earn active minutes through 10 minutes or more of continuous moderate-to-intense activity.

How does my Fitbit device calculate active minutes?

Fitbit devices calculate active minutes through metabolic equivalents (METs). This metric, which factors in your body mass, is used to estimate exercise intensity. METs are calculated through a ratio (source):

Rate of energy expended during an activity : rate of energy expended during rest

1 MET is the rate of energy you expend during rest or sitting quietly, while you typically expend 3 METs or more during a moderately-intense activity such as walking. You earn active minutes for activities at or above about 3 METs.

If your Fitbit device tracks heart rate, your heart-rate data is used to calculate active minutes for non-step-based activities, such as weight lifting, yoga, and rowing. If your device doesn’t track heart rate, your active minutes for these activities will be lower.