I don't like Active Zone Minutes

[Jenn2018]

So disappointed in Fitbit’s decision to change activity minutes to zone minutes, especially when the user has no choice.  Not a good move.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[RicardoFitbit]

Hi @Jenn2018, welcome to the Community Forums. 

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and personal experience with your Fitbit device, I understand your situation and how frustrating this matter can be for you. I'd like to let you know that we are always striving to improve the Fitbit experience with our products and services, therefore, the feedback that's shared here in the Community Forums is always appreciated and really helpful for us to evaluate our procedures and make sure that we are delivering what our users want and need.

I'll be around if you need anything else.

[N3vermore]

I hate it too.  I went from getting 80-130 active minutes a day....to 30....if I am lucky.  It seems like we are being penalized for being in shape.  A walk thru the pastures with my dogs for 45 minutes gives me ZERO active minutes.  I am walking 3.2-3.5 mph.  The only way I get active is on the eliptical, and even then it's barley 30 and it's always in the "Fat burn" zone.  I am doing 150 strides per minute, 12 incline resistance is 6.....my heart rate simply doesn't go much above 126....so to me that is a good thing.  I would like active minutes to reflect the old way, because I am going to count a 45 minute dog walk as active.  Seeing it NOT count is really discouraging.  

[N3vermore]

see below, I have the same complaint, but it probably wasn't seen. 

Moderator Edit: Content

[Jenn2018]

Fitbit actually responded to me. I’m hoping for change, or I’ll switch fitness tracker. I agree with you that the forums are a joke, though.

Jenn Seasly

[N3vermore]

I never use the forums, but the two times I did, I was trying to get my question answered and I broke the golden rule of cross posting! 🙄. So an admin emails me about “having to delete my post” I replied and said oh you must have nothing helpful to do if this is a concern. Ridiculous. So for now I took the zone minutes off my app display and only go by what is on my device. Today I had 53 active and THREE zone. We get penalized for being in shape with strong hearts I guess.

Sent from my iPhone

[hill_runner]

Another hater of active zone minutes here! I used to earn lots of my weekly active minutes on the nursery run etc, walking briskly, but don't get any AZMs for that since I got my Charge 4 a few weeks ago. I would also get active minutes credited for my weekly runs, which I log on my Garmin as Fitbit GPS is a joke (under measures by up to 1km per 6km!) and then sync via Strava. No AZMs here either. I've gone from on average 280-350 active minutes per week to less than 30 active zone minutes. I have now doctored my maximum heart rate in the app to bring my zones down a bit so at least I do get AZMs for brisk walks.

By the way, I also don't understand why we get double minutes for higher zones - I want an accurate reflection of how active I was on any given day or week to monitor my health, not some bonus-points style gamification!

[N3vermore]

How do you doctor your heart rate? I tried to adjust to custom heart rate and it would not save any value that I put in. It kept putting it back to 0 and not allowing me to save.

Sent from my iPhone

[hill_runner]

I use a custom lower maximum heart rate. I played around with the numbers a bit until I found a maximum heart rate that gives me zones that are closer to what the target zones under the old active minutes used to be. I also tried using custom zones but Fitbit ignores those for the purpose of active zone minutes.