Adding Cross Country/Backcountry Skiing to exercises

This suggestion is to add Cross Country Skiing as an activity on Fitbit Charge3. Skiing is one of our main activity half of the year in Norway and it would be great to have a specific activity option for just that. 

 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

155 Comments
Ruusunen
First Steps

I just bought Versa 3 and went cross-country skiing yesterday. I was chocked and extremely disappointed to notice that there is no option for cross-country skiing in the exercise list!!! It is one the most efficient and fun exercise there is and Fitbit does not have it on the list? Please correct this stupidity immediately.

tanyafehr
Jogger

Yeah, I decided after trying the Charge for four months to sell it and move to a different brand. It doesn't seem like they have intention of adding cross-country skiing anytime soon...

Jirikxx
Recovery Runner
I have Ionic and it has only few sports, really few. And none of my sport which I do is there. So would like to suggest to add there some more exercises like badminton, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snow kiting, skating etc. this would be great.
YojanaFitbit
Moderator Alum
Moderator Alum

Hi @Jirikxx, thanks for explaining why you would like to have the option to add Cross Country Skiing to exercises. I've moved it into a similar suggestion which has been updated as "Under Consideration".

 

You can also vote for this other suggestions: Add Skiing/skating to ActivitiesSki/snowboard tracking app and Add Badminton.

 

I hope to see you around.

Marshbark
First Steps
I want to be able to track Cross Country skiing as my exercise
LizzyFitbit
Premium User
Fitbit Moderator
Fitbit Moderator

Hi @Marshbark, thanks for sharing this suggestion about adding Cross Country Skiing to the Exercise app with us. This idea was already requested in the Feature Suggestions board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to keep the forums organized and make sure the suggestions don't get confused, or split a popular vote. Click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

JardarK
First Steps

Ive been committed to my Fitbit watches since 2014. 

I would like to congratulate Fitbit on using multiple years on considering to include Nordic skiing as a sport. I've bought another brand and would like to say I'm sad that my next watch did not got to be a Sense or Versa 3.

CarolHux
Jogger

Please add cross country skiing to Versa 3 exercises

Runner3344
Recovery Runner

"Status: Under Consideration"

 

...for two years going...

 

...no feedback, no road map.

 

Just mind boggling. 

eindride
Stepping Up

I give up. Moving to another brand. 

CarolHux
Jogger
What do you use as a substitute for cross country skiing?
Grija
Jogger
I use cycling but I collect all my activities with runkeeper and there I can choose the right sport activity
Grija
Jogger
I use now runkeeper
fitbit is only interested to sell watches and not to fullfill the needs of the user
PontusBerg
Jogger
I use running. That's outdoor, supporting GPS in the process. So it gives
me exactly the same values as Cross country skiing would give, just that
the indicator of sports is borked.

And this is SUCH an easy fix. Make a total clone of the Running profile and
change names.

I can't tell if it's laziness, ignorance or lack of an ear to what the
community requests that stops them just doing it. As I said in an earlier
post, I would assume it's a ten minute job ...
Grija
Jogger
I did a slope of 9 km. With runnuing my watch calculsted 5 km. With cycling it was acurater

Regards

Holen Sie sich Outlook für iOS
howm
First Steps
Thanks!
will do
m
CarolHux
Jogger
Good to know. I have used runkeeper in the past.
LibbyHwood
Jogger

Yes, please add Cross Country Skiing to the list of activities on your trackers.  I have a Charge 3 and received a Sense for Christmas.  

I have been recording my cross Country skiing as a hike, then changing it in the app by logging as previous exercise.... So unless you delete hike, you end up with 2 activities recorded.  

CarolHux
Jogger
I have a Versa 3 and would like you to add cross country skiing as an
activity. Please do so before the snow melts.
Digitalis
First Steps

There are strange differences with my Charge 4 from assigning an exercise and running on auto or background Heart rate: generally heart rate XC skiing or biking is significantly under-counted. Neither of these activities are auto-detected for me.  My guess is that arm dynamics are part of the algorithm.  Fortunately "Biking" works for biking. But I can't yet find anything that seems to be accurate for cross country skiing. Though I could try "Biking".  In other words, I would like explicit advice on how to get accurate XC Ski monitoring as we wait for Google to consider whether XC skiing is an exercise or not. 

DrDaveWalsh
First Steps
I have been lobbying Fitbit for two years to add Cross Country Skiing to their exercise tracking options. I know that many others have asked for this as well. It is puzzling that Fitbit seems to be ignoring this popular request.
Dr. Dave Walsh
CarolHux
Jogger
IMO- XC skiing should automatically be an exercise we can choose. I tried
to track it as a hiking activity. I was on a golf course and it mist have
detected that because it recorded it as golf.(which IMO is not as strenuous
or as much cardio as XC skiing)

Come on FitBit and update the app to include XC skiing.
Digitalis
First Steps
My guess is that compared to almost any other exercise, the wrist dynamics of XC skiing are difficult to integrate with existing algorithms. Arm motion changes dramatically between practitioners (from stabilisers to power!) and individual arm motion changes dramatically with gait and terrain (classic/skating, uphill/flat and various double poling motions). That's why I am wondering what the most accurate HR alternative might be, I can do the analysis if the data are accurate. Intervals and tracking would be nice if possible. I suppose that admitting that they can't do it is not compatible with the corporate image. Unfortunately, from here it looks more like dishonesty than inscrutability.
CarolHux
Jogger
Thanks. I can’t believe they still haven’t added XC skiing. Do they monitor
this community to see how much demand there is for that option? I have
continued to reply to all comments on this topic hoping that will make a
difference but perhaps we need to somehow contact them more directly and
continue to ask.

Thoughts?
Digitalis
First Steps
The consistent failure to engage with if not resolve the request to integrate XC skiing into the Fitbit app, suggests that there is not much interest. From the perspective of a corporate HQ in the Bay area, (and their massive user data base), it may be hard to appreciate the potential duration, intensity and diversity of serious XC skiing as a form of exercise. (I am sitting here recovering from a relatively short XC outing where I apparently did not break peak; something I do for an hour or more when doing much less stressful bike outings.)

Perhaps we could start to actively research alternative, competing devices and to share the information here. They may notice that.....
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