Active Minutes vs Active Zone Minutes

[Ready1]

I've been reading about active minutes and active zone minutes. For background, I just got a Versa 3 and had an Inspire (no HR) before. I understand that active minutes count when you have 10 minutes of activity. Makes perfect sense and made me purposefully think and plan for activity to get to 30 minutes.

Now with Active Zone Minutes, I understand it is based on my heart rate, but it does not look for 10 minutes of activity. So that means I am earning minutes even when I am not in really active time. So now I am earning 400%+ of my goal in active zone minutes. In short, the Versa 3 is now rewarding me for not being as active as my plain Jane  Inspire.  I switched because I wanted to know my HR, but this is not what I was expecting. Am I missing something here? Maybe I really do not want to know my HR after all.

(BTW, I had a desk job, so naturally can be very inactive. I need something to make me more accountable to be active.)

[JohnnyRow]

1)  "So now I am earning 400%+ of my goal in active zone minutes."  I don't understand at all what you are saying there.

2) Active Minutes have been changed to Zone Minutes to reflect changes in exercise guidance from CDC and American Heart Association, recognizing the added value of more intense exercise.  Zone Minutes earn double minutes for higher intensity exercise.  You seem to be making the assumption that the Zone Minutes intensity threshold is the same as for Active Minutes, just with the 10 minute limit removed.  That is not the case.  In general Zone Minutes have a higher intensity threshold than the threshold for Active Minutes.  So doing a 5 minute walk is no guarantee you will get 5 Zone Minutes, even though you might be walking fast enough to have previously earned Active Minutes if you had gone for 10 minutes.

Since you say just got the Versa 3, I suggest you wait several days and see if the Zone Minutes really are as easy to earn as you seem to think they will be.

And if you are still looking for a way see if you got the amount of exercise as before, without the added intensity required, you can judge that via daily step count.

See What are Active Zone Minutes or active minutes on my Fitbit device? 

[Oldann]

I usually struggle to get my 30 minutes a day. Now I’m rewarded for simply cleaning the house. Is it because they’re also taking my age into account?

[Guy_]

Hi @Oldann  - age is a factor but it is more likely that the heart rate is inaccurate when moving, have a look in the forums for this issue. Mine reads nearly double the real value at times.

Most accurate way to measure activity is steps.

But the good thing is it motivates you to clean the house and rewards you!