Heart rate zones: more of them, all editable/customizable

[branning]

The heart rate zone feature is great, but the user-editable heart rate "zone" is not useful at all. The common heart-rate training protocols include up to 5 heart rate zones, and the beginning and end all need to be editable according to the individual's own maximum heart rate.

Ideally, these would also have editable names.

Zone	HR begin	HR end
Z1 light	100	130
Z2 easy	130	140
Z3 aero	140	150
Z4 anaerobic	150	160
Z5 VO2max	160	190

Moderator edit: added labels

[liloi]

Alleluia !!!!!!

He's ALIVE !!!!!!!! 😉

Can't wait.....

[AEPZ]

You can't get granular or too detailed other than adding a single custom HR zone.  Ideally it wold be possible to break down the HR zones other then the default spread of three by adding custom min/max % of max HR.  Also allowing you to modify both the name of what the zone represents and the color uses to identify said HR zone.

For example, taking a page from Orange Theory;

1. Grey Zone (50-60% Maximum Heart Rate) – This is the safest, most comfortable zone, consisting of very light activity.
2. Blue Zone (61-70% Maximum Heart Rate) – This zone is specifically geared for warm up and cool down exercises. You are merely preparing your body and mind for high intensity interval training, but you haven’t unleashed the burn just yet.
3. Green Zone (71-83% Maximum Heart Rate) – In this zone, you have reached a challenging but doable pace. This is what Orangetheory categorizes as “Base Pace,” a pace that you can maintain for 20-30 total minutes. Your body starts to burn fat and carbohydrates evenly.
4. Orange Zone (84-91% Maximum Heart Rate) – This is where the magic happens and where you achieve “EPOC” (Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) – what we call the “Orange Effect / Afterburn.” The goal is to accumulate 12 minutes or more in this zone within a 60-minute period to achieve the maximum caloric burn up to 36 hours AFTER your workout is completed.
5. Red Zone (92-100% Maximum Heart Rate) – This zone happens organically and may be achieved during ‘All Out’ efforts when you’re emptying the tank and using every ounce of energy left in your body. You don’t need to set an All Out pace for more than 1 minute at a time to experience maximum results.

[jaclin]

but, unless you run to the point of passing out on the treadmill, how can you really know what your max is?  I think most of us would have to guess.  There could be advanced settings options for those that have a better idea what those ranges should be.  Maybe there should be a red "no go" zone at the upper limits and have your watch buzz to tell you that your heart rate is too high and you need to slow down...you know, so people don't pass out.  I can jog for a hour in peak and I'm fine, so it can't really be peak...can it?

[liloi]

I think you're just right, all of us are just dumb, asking for a new useless feature. Progress is also useless, heart test and all that stuff is just stupid. Better run like headless chicken and waiting for death.... Just joking, Nothing personal but many runner, athletes knew their FC max and even astonishingly their differents working step. Fitbit is for exercise or is it just another "toy" for geek. Anyway, you did well, better running than stayed stuck like a mussel. Enjoy your day . I'm leaving fitbit, useless for my training 🙂 

[TDZHDTV]

What’s dumb is people who reply to posts without any real understanding of heart rate zones, yes the generic HR zones are good for most people however those who have had a max heart test performed under close supervision vision from a qualified fitness professional would like more options.

Sent from my iPad

[Remo253]

@jaclin - I'm not concerned about a few bpm but the standard formula is off, for me, by 20 bpm, so I don't have to guess it's wrong, I see it every time I measure my HR doing HIITs. Do I know EXACTLY what my MAX is? No, but when the treadmill monitor, my Fitbit, and a chest strap monitor all give a number within a few bpm I have a pretty good idea.

[Chris90]

I'm off by like 20 BPMs as well using the same type of measurements. I'll go for a moderate bike ride and fitbit will tell me I spent 15 minutes continuously at peak, when no way was that the case.  It's crazy-making that they won't fix this.

[liloi]

Wow, happy to notice that, if you need something that doesn't mean everybody needs it..

But fitbit should implement a new feature as well explained in previous years! !!!!!!!!! 

At least, thanks for your concern. 

[Lynnanine]

Sounds like this would allow users to get more accurate feedback on their exercise intensity. 🙂

[njsmith71]

When tracking my exercise when I'm out cycling I'd like to see my heart rate and which heart rate zone I'm in on the track exercise screen on my iOS app. I know I have the heart rate on my Charge 2 but while cycling its easier to look down at my phone on the handlebars than it is to look at my fitbit on my wrist.

Can this be implemented?

[Ronald1]

If the point of HR Zones is move between zones the the timed summary is insufficien. If the point of resistance training is to work different muscle groups then you are making changes during your routine. This I want want to know what happened to my HR during these change. How about a 5 minute horizontal timeline on the post workout graph? Not just on the Versa. Thanks 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Ronald1! Great suggestion, thanks for sharing.  I've moved it into a similar suggestion. Hopefully we will have support from other users since more votes and comments an idea has the more visibility and momentum it gains.

[Legsylexi]

PLEASE do this. I have a slightly higher heart rate than normal, and so this means that I can be sitting in the bus doing nothing sometimes and FitBit will say that I’m in the fat burning zone! This also affects the number of calories it thinks I’ve burned - it regularly thinks I’ve done a ridiculous number of I’m even slightly active. I don’t really care about having extra zones added, I just wish I could customise the current zones and have that taken into account when I work out. 

[Ronald1]

Hi Legsylexi Kindly note the date of my post 23 March 2018

do not hold your breath lol

[SDRusty]

Right. Don’t hold your breath. It will only make your heart rate rise 😜

It’s really remarkable that with Fitbit’s variety of products and the comprehensive feature set of their app and web dashboard, they still have not addressed this simple but highly useful element. When my current Alta HR eventually dies, I’ll be looking elsewhere.

[Ronald1]

Hi SDRusty I now firmly believe that the point of ignoring “feature requests” is actually R&D for the next device.

Well this discussion will be closed soon by one of the moderates for some reason. 

All the the best in your next upgrade. I will swing to Garmin if I have to. Unless the new Apple Watch 5 has continuous glucose monitoring. 

Any device will reflect your own input so let’s Keep at it.

[Nottipiglet]

People who are serious about their sports use Garmin. Fitbit is for people who are just toying around... tracking their steps for fun. That’s why they can get away with not addressing their heart rate zone issue for years. Just switch to Garmin and all your problems are solved.

[liloi]

I'm fed up with fitbit, time to switch to another brand with CUSTOMIZABLE HR zone.

Bye. :mobile_phone_off:☠️

[Ronald1]

Hi Nottipiglet and Lilloi @ Nottipiglet I suggested a Garmin to my brother in law who was recovering from Heart Bypass surgery as the Garmin offers recovery periods. So ABSOLUTELY YES you are right on the money. At Lilloi sorry to make fun but everything that you don’t like about your current Fitbit will show up in their next device so maybe just wait it out lol.

Anyone reading this consider this: How many Blaze feature requests show up as “standard” on the Ionic and Versa Family? 

Fitbit does listen, it’s just for their next iteration NOT to resolve issues. Another point what happened to the SPO2? The point of saying it’s for the future is just R&D. 

I am happy with the accuracy of HR on the Versa (Test Control device is medical pulse Oximeter) but if you want to go beyond that, well then...

[SDRusty]

@Ronald1 this feature request has been out there for a number of years during which several new products have been brought out by fitbit. Here’s the thing: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PRODUCT. All the necessary data is already there in any of their products that monitor heart rate. It’s about the SOFTWARE, and frankly it really wouldn’t be that difficult to implement. In a market that is ravenous for workout data, they’re really falling behind.

[maidenchina]

Ditto!!!!

[Ronald1]

SDRusty I understand and agree. Thanks 

[SunsetRunner]

How is this not a standard feature on a fitness device? Anyone who is relatively serious about their fitness should have the ability to adjust and personalize their heart rate zones according to their individuality. I’m sure I’m not the only person that has had my heart rate zones professionally determined and would love the ability to enter them so I can have ACCURATE metrics of my workout.

[miller46]

I have a naturally high resting heart rate due to a heart condition and because of this, my Versa 2 thinks I am in the "Fat Burn" zone for at least 12 hours a day.  Sitting on the couch = Fat Burn zone.  Since the device already tracks your resting heart rate, it should take resting heart rate into account when calculating thresholds for the cardio zones.  I know it uses 220 - age, but the minimum should incorporate your resting heart rate too.

[EdsonFitbit]

Hi @miller46, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback about being able to customize heart rate zones. This feature suggestion already exists so I’ve moved your post here to keep this board organized.