Versa not counting steps on treadmill correctly

[DianeMcKinSC]

How frustrating! I just did 40 minutes on the treadmill and the Versa shows a step count of 445 and a total of 1/4 mile covered!  Do I need to wear my old Fitbit HR when exercising? That 10,000 steps just got further away and I'm all sweaty for nothing! I've had my Versa for 3 days and am not a happy camper right now!

[AlvaroFitbit]

@DianeMcKinSC Welcome! Thanks for being part of our Community! Sorry to hear that your steps weren't tracked by your Versa while using the treadmill. First of all you didn't do this for nothing. As you said you were sweating a lot so your body will benefit from the activity and this effort will show in no time so keep it up! Something that can affect your tracker is if you hold the bars on the treadmill. Since you are wearing your tracker on your wrist it needs to feel the movement to count steps, if you are holding the bars you aren't moving your hand and you would while walking. Try not grabbing the bars while using the treadmill to see if the situation improves. Also you can manually log a walking or treadmill activity to have a better caloric burn calculation.

Let me know how it goes!

[snotyak]

Would putting it in our pocket accurately track this? I know of some competing fitness trackers that have a harness that can be clipped onto pants/shorts. 

[Jude56]

I had the same problem as I hold the treadmills arms, I solved it by putting it on my ankle 🙂

[AlvaroFitbit]

@snotyak @Jude56 It's great to see that you've visited the Fitbit Community! 

@snotyak you can wear your Versa on your pants pocket and it will track your steps but if you do this please turn of the heart rate sensor.

@Jude56 while the Versa or any other Fitbit product weren't designed to be worn on the ankle if you do then please just try to keep it secure. Other members have mentioned what using a sport wristband over the tracker helps keep it secure (you could not notice it falling from your ankle o dropping and hitting it while on the treadmill.

Keep me posted!

[mrsezloan1]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!  I told my wife who needs to hold on to her treadmill about putting on her ankle, we tried it and she couldn't be happier.

[AlvaroFitbit]

@mrsezloan1 Welcome! It's great to see you around! Happy to hear that the suggestions in this thread helped your wife and thank you for taking the time for sharing this with the Community itself.

I'll be around!

[jeinhellig]

I am having this problem intermittently. I had given up on expecting accuracy on the treadmill and walking indoors is so frustrating but the only option I have when it’s dark and cold. Earlier this week I tried it and it was spot on for 4-5 days and now I’m back to 75% credit at best. How can it just quit working like that? I’ve beem on a walking program this year and Fitbit tracks my progress. But I can’t spend 125% to get the credit. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!! I don’t hold on to the bars. Do I need to be sure WiFi is in, off, twirl around, skip every other step? There just seems to be no rhyme or reason! 

[Karenlisa]

Been experiencing this problem also on the treadmill. I’ve heard of people attaching the Fitbit to your ankle and it calculating properly. I would imagine these people have very skinny, toothpick ankles, because there is no way mine will fit on my ankle. So on a whim I took a knee high nylon and put my Fitbit inside and tied it around my ankle and Lordy, my treadmill steps recorded. 🙃

[AlvaroFitbit]

@Karenlisa Welcome to the Fitbit Community! It's great to have you here! Thank you for sharing what you did to record your steps on your treadmill. You could also try to simply wear it inside your pants pocket and see if it also detects your steps (usually it does and you can avoid having it on your ankle.

I'll be around!

[NAW]

I don't hold the bar and it didn't count the steps accurately, not even close.  I did 60 minutes at a 2mph pace and it tracked just under 700 steps.  Very frustrating.  

[srspreeti]

By putting it in ur ankle was you able to count the zone minutes And cardiac activity