Challenges not Based on Steps, eg. Sports, Stairs, Active Mins

[Lianne393]

It would be nice to have different types of challenges that aren't solely based on getting our steps in. 

For instance, the number of active minutes in a day, loss challenge, calories, water consumption. Some activities don't count steps such as cycling, skiing or skateboard.  I would like to be able to compete against my friends while doing other activities.  

Moderator edit: Word choice

[Robert_C]

Yes!!! Please add a calorie challenge in addition the step challenge that already exists. 

[SunsetRunner]

I can't believe there isn't a feature for this already.... counting steps is fine, but if some one runs a couple miles a week and I go to the gym 5 days a week, they would be on the top of the leaderboard..... not to mention even if we both ran the same amount every week, we may be tied for steps- but if I'm running the same amount at 250 pounds and my friend is 150 pounds, I have to exert much more energy for that same number of steps.... calorie leaderboards are a MUST

[Robert_C]

I completely agree. I don't run or walk very much during the week, but I do a lot of weight training and HIIT.

Sent from my iPhone

[Binjalkp]

I would like to set a challange in my fitbit flex 2 For workweek to willburn maximum calorie . there is only step challenge is there

[LeftyGrove]

Good thoughts. I had a similar post.  Losing Fitbit friends to their boredom.  We need more control for challenges based on time frame or specific metrics. 

[SunsetRunner]

To really take good care of ourselves, we need to get enough exercise AND sleep. How about a Balance Challenge where we have to meet both our step goal and our sleep goal? 

[PureEvil]

@Robert_C and @SunsetRunner,

While this sounds like a good idea, caloric burn challenges are ultimately unfair since people burn calories at different rates.  For instance:

Here are the caloric burn graphs for a woman and a man of different weights but similar age without any activity.  So without getting out of bed the man already has a 694 calorie advantage, and similarly any activity (half mile walk down the street) will burn more calories.  I get the rationale, you exert more energy...  but can you honestly say that the above woman should need to spend over an hour on the elliptical in order to tie the man who spends his entire day on the couch playing video games?

So similarly, let's say you and your friend work out together, do the very same things:  run, lift weights, etc.  Your friend is eight years younger and maybe 20 pounds heavier.  If you do the very same workout, they're going to burn more calories.  You need to go on an extra run in order to make up the difference.  This sounds fair?

[SunsetRunner]

No ofc not calories by themselves are not a level playing field for all of the valid reasons you describe, but weighting the challenge i.e moderating the challenge results by some or many of the factors you mentioned would create a more equal and fairer competition for all.

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

"So similarly, let's say you and your friend work out together, do the very same things:  run, lift weights, etc.  Your friend is eight years younger and maybe 20 pounds heavier.  If you do the very same workout, they're going to burn more calories.  You need to go on an extra run in order to make up the difference.  This sounds fair?"

YES.... it sounds completely fair.... if the friend is heavier, he's doing more work during that same workout.....

The charts you posted are just a couple of hundred calories throughout the span of a whole day- nearly irrelevant. Like I said before, the challenges now are weighted FAR too heavily for scrawny little runners. If someone jogs lightly twice a week, they would beat me in the current app set-up, even though I may go to the gym and bench press their entire body weight hundreds of times throughout the week..... counting steps is unreliable, and not a true measure of work completed.

[Robert_C]

A measure of caloric burn is a better indication of actual work completed and a better measure of progress in an individuals fitness. I can walk in place and amass thousands of steps, but that will not translate to a significant caloric burn. Increased heart rate and exercise over broad time a model domains will have a significant impact on fitness and health. (Burning more calories than one takes in). 

This format is a much better measure between individuals then simple steps. 

[PureEvil]

@SunsetRunner,

No that's over an entire day, and you say that's just a few hundred calories...  694 calories is OVER 50% of the caloric burn that she'd naturally do for the day.  So go figure out what your BMR would be for the day, add another 55%, and then this is your starting point to be tied to your friend Bob if he lies in bed all day.

If you think this sounds fair then by all means...  I think most folks would think this is not.  It is not fair to be competing vs. someone who just needs to sit on his chair to be ahead.  This is like starting the Indy 500 with a 125 mile lead.

[Walkster_101]

I definitely agree. Will be good to analyse both day and night for steps, distance etc, as well as sleep.

😃

[ashmac9]

As much as I love step challenges, a friend and I were talking about how it would be really awesome if there were challenges based more so on how hard you're working out. It came up because my friend works out a lot harder than many of us in the challenge, but because her workouts consist of activities that don't generate a lot of steps, she loses our Workweek Hustle challenges - even though I can assure you, she is working out much harder than we are!

I would never want to eliminate the step challenge, but how awesome would it be to have a challenge that encourages hard work during your workouts? Perhaps it could be based on your heart rate level? I know that this would mean lots of people can't participate since not all Fitbits monitor HR, but there's still many people that might find this challenge more rewarding. I'm extremely competitive so I can't imagine how hard I would work to win such a challenge, therefore, improving my fitness level at a much quicker rate than a step challenge.

Alternatively, challenges based on calories burned? All Fitbits monitor calories burned and the harder you work, the more calories you burn.

This type of challenge won’t be for everyone. Many will still prefer step challenges, but I think there’s plenty of people out there that would appreciate this type of challenge as a method to motivate them to work harder! A little variety never hurt anyone 😊.

[Miss.lyss]

I don't primarily use my fitbit to measure steps. Instead I use it to measure my heart rate, calorie intake, calories burned, and sleep quality. 

I get invited to many challenges, and I work out often. However, the challenges are currently irrelevant to me because they are all only step competitions. If I workout doing yoga, Pilates, or weight lifting, I will burn many calories depending on how hard I push myself, but I will not take many steps. As a result, I do not feel total steps are an adequate representation of my physical exertion during the day. I would like to see different challenge goals such as most calories burned in a day, most time spent exercising in a week, or other similar goals. It would make me much more interested in competing in the challenges and would be more likely to motivate me to be more active, because taking a lot of steps in a day does not necessarily mean that someone has physically exerted themselves. Moreover, such new challenge goals would be in line with Fitbit's promotion of healthy living, as doctors recommend, and studies have shown, that exercising for thirty minutes a day improves overall health and longevity (and those thirty minutes may not necessarily involve walking or running). The way the challenges are designed now, only users who walk excessively or run on a regular basis are able to win. 

[Miss.lyss]

I would like to add that such new challenges would make the challenge feature more inclusive of those who are unable to walk or run each day but still use a Fitbit to track their daily exercise. Consequently, the challenge feature would be more disability and age friendly. 

[Vtm105]

I would love to see a few more challenge types. Especially, one for floors! 

[MsBengal]

I agree - this would be great! Many activities I do (example: rowing) counts zero steps - so I could row an hour and it basically shows as nothing in the challenges. Having a challenge based on active minutes would be so great, and would encourage many more activities! PLEASE, Fitbit, add this!!! 

[Marip92]

I greatly agree that being able to challenge each other based on more of our Fitbit goals is highly necessary. Yes, walking/calories are a great way for weight loss; but that is not everyone's goal. There are some people that I'd like to challenge to get a full night of sleep, maybe drink the recommended amount of water, or complete their stand goals for the day. We set all those goals with Fitbit and we should be able to use them as motivation. 

[Susje]

Agreeing with this. 

Only steps is kinda... boring. Especially if you have done all the, VERY few, challenges that are there now. 

Also the Solo challenges, ok, so I am done with Yellostone and NY and such, more please? Gladly also from all around the world! Cant be that hard to make...
As to make a twist in the challenges that are there now, for example the Goal Day ... I like to see an full week Goal Day so you can challenge friends to get their goal done every day. People started to stop accepting the Goal Day challenge for me for I like to do it often. I do understand its getting annoying, so please, develop a bit more in features and challenges and ... faster?
( btw .. sucks also that I more or less only can add complete strangers to my "friends"list and not people I know.. Due to there is no way to search for someone ..)

[123djl321]

Please add an Active Minutes challenge for the work week and day.

[tlizard]

I would like a feature to help counteract the fact that my sister has shorter legs and can get more steps than me for the same distance. By adding a feature to change the main goal of challenges talk people aren't at a disadvantage.

[Carlos35]

I would like challenges that measure different things such as active minutes or time spent in different HR zones. Time I spend on my bike counts for nothing in challenges and I am being left behind...

[imadinosaurlawl]

Yes!!!! Please do this! As a college student, I know that none of my friends are getting enough sleep. It would be nice to see them do this alongside the step challenge.

[Radtechjenn]

I would love to see exercise challenges. You could do all different kinds.... calories burned, distances ran/walked/biked. Mostly I'm tired of always losing challenges bc my workouts consist of weights and HIIT not steps walked. I would love a calories burned challenge added

[KayEres]

Hey fitbit I have an idea for a new challenge that is more encompassing for overall fitness and activity. It is only for people who have a HR tracker and would work off a points system. My idea is you get 1 point for being in the fat burning zone, 3 for cardio and 5 for peak. That way if you go for a bike ride you'll get credit, or strength training or any other activity that isn't necessarily high in physical steps. Also by working harder you get more points. I also think that by having something like that you could negate some of the negative perception of fitbit not giving credit for overall fitness.

Anyway that's my 2 cents but I would really love a competition like that!