Allow to customize Active Zone Minutes Goals

[Jocrab]

Allow users to revert back to active minutes or be able to customise zone minutes. Preset goals are too high and unreachable for some. For those with health conditions or on medication, pushing themselves enough to increase their pulse to the higher fat burn zone can be either impossible to do or extremely dangerous.

Moderator edit: Clarified

[SunsetRunner]

I am generally fit for my age - 54 and now my heart rate has to get to 120 to even register as fat burning! I am about to upgrade my watch as a Christmas gift and was going for the new Sense but I am now seriously considering the Apple Watch as the purpose of my Fitbit is to encourage me to hit certain goals - apparently my 6km walk today (and I walk quickly) on my exercise part burned 374 calories but according to my heart rate my total exercise today has only burnt 92!!! I got into the fat burning zone for a couple of minutes!!!! My resting HR can sometimes be 58bpm my average BP is 110/80 which is low for a person of my age so reaching a HR of 120 I would have to be working pretty hard!!!!

[Milo1134]

I hate active zone minutes.  I had my Fitbit set up for my usual routine and it’s buzzing off like crazy this morning but not telling me any of the stuff I need/want to know.  I want the old way back.  This is ridiculous.  Getting more active minutes than the entire run makes no sense.  Stop it.  Give us a way to shut this nonsense off.   I’m doing eight to ten miles almost every day and this nonsense is messing up my routine.   I like it better the way it was. This is horrible.  

[LairdGoolsby]

I love the idea of the active minutes as well but it is flawed!  I have put my exercise as a top priority over the past 25 weeks, work out at least 30 minutes per day of activity most on a Peloton bike, tread or from the various classes that are offered.  I have taken a test on Peloton twice called a Power Zone test.  For the past two months I have been achieving new personal best on each ride or walk/run that I have on the bike and tread.  Because I was getting PR's on a regular basis I went back and took a new PZ Test.  However, Fitbit with the Active Zones shows that sometimes even though I was on the bike for a 60 minute ride and it was strenuous Fitbit only gives me 15 minutes of active time. I get off the bike and I use a Scosche HR monitor as well and i ended up with over 1000 calories burned and average BPM of 147 for the ride.  This new feature is flawed to say the least.  

[GreySkyRain]

I want the active minutes back too. I used the active minutes as a goal. I have health issues. Let me have the option to make this work for me. Otherwise I am off to an Apple Watch as soon as it comes out. Not another Fitbit product. 

my “zones” should be determined by me and my Dr.  I walked 66 minutes today and registered 26 active zone minutes. I only received active minutes for the uphill portion. No active minutes for an all out fast walk on the flat areas. I used to get “active minutes” for my entire walk. I used it as one of my key daily goals. Now I have deleted it off the main screen of my app. They mean nothing for my exercise needs. I called customer service and it was no help.  Ridiculous!

[MarlaG]

Make zone minutes optional! Like so many others, I take meds that keep my HR low PLUS I've just recovered from achilles surgery & am allowed to exercise again.  I was using active minutes as a guide & motivator; zone minutes are difficult to achieve & it's demoralizing.  I've been a Fitbit user for quite some time--I'm on my 4th or 5th device--but if this isn't changed, my question will be for recommendations for what other fitness tracker to buy to replace my Fitbit.

[UselessIonic]

I hate the zone minutes that my Ionic updated to this week. I have a low heart rate, low blood pressure and don't get a single zone minute. I have a chronic foot condition so I have to be moderate on the treadmill so that I can continue to exercise without injury. I've lost over 70 pounds using my Fitbit with a major goal being exercise minutes of 40-70 minutes per day. Getting 0 zone minutes every day now is demoralizing. Give me back my minutes exercised as an option.

[GreySkyRain]

So, it looks like you can still see your “active minutes” in the web dashboard.  It is silly  that I would have to log into the web dashboard to see “active minutes” and that I do not have the option in the iOS app to use “active minutes” in lieu of “active zone minutes”  I used the active minutes as a real time measure for my walk goal. The web portal will not work for this.   At least You will be able to use it until they take that away too.  

As to the moderator comment about votes to make their message board automatically send this idea forward is also silly.  Folks did not ask for this change. I do think some may find “ active zone minutes” useful, clearly not all will and Fitbit messed with folks exercise goals by making this change without being able to continue with the “active” minutes.

[Nikkism]

It seems to me that the Fatburn zone when it was ‘active minutes‘ used to be basically 50-70% of max hr. now with the new ‘zone minutes’ it is basically 60-70%. 

No wonder so many of us are struggling. I am just starting out and have injuries. And have basically reinjured due to pushing myself too much too soon.... just to reach my ‘zone minutes’.

I would like Fitbit to explain the rationale for this change in the range of the fatburn zone

And to provide appropriate zones for EVERYONE not just those who are already fit and healthy. 

[Mikeydee]

If it isn't broken don't fix it.

I do not like the AZM feature. Bring back the active minutes or make it an option we can choose. Right now I am considering ditching fitbit for something different.

[crnalah]

I agree that this should be an option for young heart healthy people. For the rest of us, Active minutes work well and should be an option.

I, too, am on beta blockers, have had a knee replacement and cannot and should not raise my heart rate to either the rate you recommend or change my setting to where they would make sense. 

I wrote this in my fitness group. 

Warning.....I am going to rant.
I got up this morning and got to the pool for an 8:45 water aerobics class. I ran some errands and came home to breakfast and a cup of coffee.
I got a message that there was an update for my Fitbit Versa2.
I always figure that they work better if the firmware and software is up to date so I went ahead and updated.
Whoa Nellie! I want a do-over!!
They took away my active Fitness minutes and replaced them with Zone minutes, Good news for all the really active people, you can get 30 Zone minutes for 20 minutes of actual exercise, go figure.
Those of us who are older and on heart and/or blood pressure medicine who should not depend on HR to measure exertion per most sources including SP are out of luck.

I contacted them via chat, via the message boards, via twitter and instagram. I have wasted a day. This makes my fitbit essentially useless for my insurance rewards, Walgreens and CVS rewards and even here on SparkPeople. I cannot get my HR up to where my minutes would count. If I manually adjust the minutes, I might get minutes when I am not active. Like now, when I get angry. One lady on the Fitbit message boards said she was in CA, it got hot outside where she was sitting by the pool and her Fitbit gave her Zone minutes for it, Another lady said her HR got to a dangerous 181 and her fitbit for some reason did not register any Zone minutes.

I have wasted a day fretting about this. I told them in no uncertain terms that they have disenfranchised a whole group of seniors and medicated folks who only want to know how many simple active minutes they achieve in a day, set a goal and meet it.

I understand a time when I would have loved this. But not now, so they should give us an option and I told them so. Also that Amazon was getting so many bad reviews that they shut them off for the Versa2 unless you can verify that you bought it from Amazon. That can't be good.

Big RED box with a big RED exclamation point and this message in RED. "Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews."

[KHeg]

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with everyone about the new Zone Minutes!! This update is total trash and doesn’t actually capture true effort and activity. Now, my 57 bpm resting heart rate is categorized the same as a brisk walk in the neighborhood at 112 bpm. Literally, me sleeping and walking a 16 minute mile are counted as the same. No way. And then, we do not even have the option to choose whether we want to use active minute anymore! With such a terrible update, this should have been well advertised by Fitbit instead if sneaking it in “firmware” update.  I have tried to customize my max hear rate to bring my zone minute ranges back to reality, but even though that option exists, there’s a “glitch” and your own customized entry will not save. It reverts back to what FitBit has chosen.  I have cancelled my FitBit Sense pre-order and will be finding another watch that supports actual humans on their own customized workout and life plan. We are not robots with all the same needs, wants, and routines merely based on our age. Thanks for nothing, FitBit. 

[GJane13]

I agree with this! The zone minutes have affected my daily records - esp when I'm at the 110 range and that is counted as "below zone" ...what bs! The American heart association states that these are considered active minutes based: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates not 117bpm but 90+.

[Woozle]

I'm not overly fussed about Zone minutes even though they seem to make very little sense (I went out for 33 mins today on my bike and had an average BPM of 135, but I got 53 zone minutes! What is that about?! Surely I can only have maximum numbe rof minutes I was actually in zones?).

The other issue is that the HR zones are also ridiculous - I use my Fitbit to track specific activity types each day (12,500 steps, 30+mins at 70% HR, 60+ mins 60% HR) which syncs with my life insurance (Vitality) to get points. They calculate 70% HR based on age, not Fitbit's new calculation, so for me to check this I had to manually change it back so tracking wasn't skewed (Browser Dash, Settings, Custom Max HR). If not everyone is using this new calculation for HR then it should be optional - like choosing your metric/imperial choices.

[SunsetRunner736]

@Woozleit multiplies your minutes by 2 for all active minutes in CARDIO and PEAK zones -- that is why you get more minutes than you actually exercised.... Yes it makes no sense but here we are.

[SunsetRunner]

 Im really disappointed that Fitbit didn't take into account us with Heart issues trying to keep fit, my heart rate is very slow. At least give us an option to change back to activity minutes. So unfair! 

[BecZiggy]

I think that active minutes should be brought back. With active zone minutes the goal is unachievable and leave me feeling demoralised. I have 7 stone in weight to lose which I gained following a back injury. I have only just been prescribed medication that brings my pain to a manageable level to allow me to walk at a brisk pace, yet according to active zone levels I am burning less fat than I was previously at a slow pace. If this is not changed I will move to a different smart watch.

[jreid1949]

AZM works for me.

[Milo1134]

Yep

L.

[Mikeydee]

Fitbit doesn't care, we are spitting in the wind. I am starting my search for something better than Fitbit. I definitely will not recommend Fitbit to anyone.

[LairdGoolsby]

This active minute thing is a total joke! I hate Apple but after today I
have to give serious thought to leaving Fitbit once and for all. Today I
had over 60 minutes of strenuous activity in addition to 30 minutes of
swimming and Fitbit gave me a total of 37 active minutes. WTF, I am old and
overweight not some world class athlete. Even Fitbit likes to state on
some stupid screen on the app that says my cardio health is VERY POOR for
men my age. This is after working on a regular basis and lost 100 pounds
and Fitbit still says my health is poor. What a bunch of rocket scientists
they must employ in Boston and San Francisco. I have a Peloton bike and
usually come in around 2000 on the leaderboard out of 35,000 people that
have taken the class. No wonder Google doesn't want to buy the company.

[sfitzg5555]

I'm with everyone on this. I just bought this Versa, so I'm going to ask for a refund, too. I guess those of us a little older or a little more beat up with disposable income aren't in their target audience. I have two other Fitbit devices in the house, too, which we will replace.

-- Shane

[sfitzg5555]

Here's the exchange I had with Fitbit support. You all won't like the answers. The agent was nice enough, but the thread is indicative of the tone deafness Fitbit has about Active Minutes. I'll be researching other options for myself and the other devices in my house.

Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:03:35 AM): Thanks for the summary. I'm reviewing your issue now and will be right back.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:04:40 AM): Thank you for patiently waiting. Let’s work together in fixing your Versa 2's active minutes tracking issue.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:04:56 AM): Upon checking our system, I can see here that the last time your Versa 2 was able to sync was on September 8th using an iOS device.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:05:24 AM): To further investigate on this, may I know if your device is not tracking your active minutes?
Me (9/9/2020, 9:05:40 AM): It syncs fine. The fireware update changing the metric to Zone minutes, which is useless for my regimen.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:06:04 AM): That's my issue and dozens of others, too, according to the forum online
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:20 AM): I appreciate you letting me know.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:22 AM): With regard to the active minutes issue, I’d like to share that our algorithms detect subtle differences in exertion that may explain why two seemingly identical activities result in different active minute totals.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:25 AM): For example if you took a brisk walk along the same route two days in a row, differences in your speed and exertion levels (e.g. out of breath vs not out of breath, etc) will cause different active minute totals for the two activities. Also keep in mind that active minutes are only recorded for activities that last 10 minutes or longer.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:30 AM): Because our devices primarily track movement through the use of an accelerometer, they more accurately detect active minutes for step-based activities (brisk walking, running) than non-step based activities or activities that require more than steps (yoga, tennis).
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:30 AM): Devices with a heart rate monitor detect active minutes most accurately, since heart rate data allows us to better estimate caloric burn and, in turn, exercise intensity. If you're unhappy with your active minutes total, we recommend logging the activity manually as described in: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1379
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:06:35 AM): Manually logged activities override your device's data. Sometimes customers report a decrease in active minutes after logging an activity, which can occur if what your device recorded was more intense than what you logged.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:07:08 AM): What's the point of having the device if I have to log it manually? I can do that on a spreadsheet and not pay $200.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:08:34 AM): I would like a refund if there's no intention of restoring the Active Minutes feature that was central to my motivation for dropping 20 pounds and giving me a realistic goal each day. Zone Minute metrics are not realistic for me.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:09:05 AM): With regard to the refund policy, I’d like to share that if you bought your device from fitbit.com, we accept returns for 45 days from the date of purchase. We can also exchange a device for the same model in a different size or color within 45 days.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:09:05 AM): We're unable to exchange devices for a different model.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:09:14 AM): I can return the device and take my refund. There are other products out there that can track exercise and sleep.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:09:21 AM): If you wish to know more about our warranty, you may visit https://www.fitbit.com/returns .
Me (9/9/2020, 9:09:56 AM): Fitbit changed the product I bought. I no longer get what I paid for. I would like my refund, even though it's been more than 45 days.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:11:11 AM): With regard to the refund, we truly wish we could revert this situation to accommodate you in a way you may find suitable. However, it is also necessary that we enforce our policy.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:11:11 AM): So we can further investigate the issue, may I know the exact activity, date and time of the activities in question so we can check?
Me (9/9/2020, 9:12:34 AM): When I go for my daily walk, a brisk one in my neighborhood, the Active Minutes accurately recorded my time walking. Since Zone Minutes, it's not recording that time.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:14:08 AM): I went 157 consecutive days making my Active Minutes goals at one point this year. I've continued my normal regimen and made Zone minutes goals twice, both times when I was working in the yard and exerting energy I don't have time to do daily.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:14:30 AM): I appreciate the details. Allow me a minute to check on this.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:16:23 AM): Still checking here.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:16:35 AM): ok
Me (9/9/2020, 9:17:20 AM): The forum has dozens of tales of people with heart conditions who can't meet the Zone Minutes requirements.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:18:02 AM): People who are obese (I'm not) who can't and shouldn't move fast enough to reach the Zone minutes requirements but have been motivated to walk with Active Minutes.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:18:13 AM): I appreciate the details.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:19:15 AM): While I check, may I ask the exact time and date of your activities when the active minutes is not recorded?
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:21:59 AM): Still there?
Me (9/9/2020, 9:22:05 AM): Sept. 3, 6 p.m.; Sept. 4, 5:30 p.m.; Sept. 6, 3:23-4:22 p.m. (only 32 minutes); Sept. 7, 5:45 p.m.; Sept. 8, 5:45p .m.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:23:00 AM): All of those sessions should have shown between 35-50 minutes besides the one hour on Sept. 6. Firmware update happened Sept. 2.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:24:29 AM): I appreciate the details.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:25:12 AM): I've received more than 50 emails in response to an online forum post that notes similar frustrations with the firmware update.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:26:19 AM): I apologize for the experience that you had.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:26:36 AM): Thanks for waiting. With this matter, I'd like to share that the active minutes can no longer be restored to the Versa 2 as it becomes the Active Zone minutes and we cannot change it back from the app.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:26:50 AM): Earn Active Zone Minutes for time spent in the fat burn, cardio, or peak heart-rate zones. To help you maximize your time, you earn two Active Zone Minutes for each minute you’re in the cardio or peak zones. Heart-rate zones are personalized based on your age and fitness level.
Me (9/9/2020, 9:27:42 AM): OK. I will be leaving Fitbit for another product. That's not an acceptable answer. I bought this product and renewed and upgraded it because it was functional and helpful. This is not.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:29:17 AM): I'm sorry if you feel that way towards this matter.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:29:26 AM): We respect your feedback and we do take not of all the feedback we receive. We're constantly striving to improve Fitbit products and services, and we very much appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:29:36 AM): By the way, after our chat you will receive a brief survey. Any feedback you'd like to provide would be most appreciated, and will help us refine our support processes.
Dolly (9/9/2020, 9:29:36 AM): Aside from this matter, would there be anything else that I may help you with today?
Me (9/9/2020, 9:30:01 AM): That all rings hollow. I don't think there's much else to say. Thanks.

[crnalah]

@

sfitzg5555

I had almost the same conversation with almost exactly the same probably scripted responses...with three different reps, totally worthless. 

I also interacted with customer support on Twitter with the same results. Asking for a refund because they have changed the product features I bought it for falls on deaf ears. 

If you go to Amazon, they have turned off reviews for the Versa 2 to everyone except verified purchasers because apparently they were flooded with negative reviews.

We can only hope their gurus are willing and able to make a correction in the algorithm and give us a choice.

I have also asked that the active hours not be set in stone. If I input 9-7 today, I am stuck with that forever, if tomorrow I change it to 8-6, it removes my successful day today on the weekly stats. Dumb dumb dumb.

Good luck!

[katstevens13]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has an issue with these zone minutes. Now I'm having trouble tracking my runs as I am use to feeling the watch buss passed on my distance. Now i think I'm at  a certain marker but it's just my heart changing. I can turn it off on my watch but it's still sitting there in the app. Useless. It seems like something we should be able to have or not. I don't like it at all. I hope the platform can be updated to allow more individual needs. 

[katstevens13]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has an issue with these zone minutes. Now I'm having trouble tracking my runs as I am use to feeling the watch buzz based on my distance. Now, I think I'm at a certain marker but it's just my heart changing. I can turn it off on my watch but it's still sitting there in the app. Useless. It seems like something we should be able to have or not. I don't like it at all. I hope the platform can be updated to allow more individual needs.