Exercise day count incorrect

[Podunk]

The number of exercise days for this week is incorrect. Yesterday it showed that I had six exercise days and today after completing an exercise session when the exercise showed up on the home screen, the number of exercise days did not increase 27. I reviewed the exercise day information and saw that Sunday’s Sessions had been removed. I thought this problem had been corrected but it appears it is still an issue. I first reported problems with exercise days in September 2023. I am using an iPhone SE third generation running iOS version 17.4.1 and Fitbit current version , 4.16. 

[Ddonna]

@Podunk Thank you so much for mentioning that Fitbit has a 20-exercise limit per week. This must be the problem!

I am also disabled and can only exercise in small amounts of time. I usually exercise 4-5 times daily, doing small amounts of different exercise types.

Yes, I agree that Fitbit MUST allow more than 20 exercises per week to "reasonably accommodate" the needs of "disabled" users: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

[Ddonna]

@Podunk I just posted under product feedback:

Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Users for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance

I am disabled and exercise in small durations & frequently daily, but Fitbit's limit is 20 exercises per week. When I exceed 20, my data is lost in the app. Fitbit MUST allow more than 20 exercises per week to "reasonably accommodate" the needs of "disabled" users: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Product-Feedback/Reasonable-Accommodation-for-Disabled-Users-for-Ame...

[Podunk]

For many years, I have advocated for people with disabilities. I have spoken with Fitbit, customer care, supervisors, Google disport, disability support, and through comments within the forum. I have had minimal success in my efforts. Fitbit customer care supervisors report to developers, but feedback is never received. Google disability support people report issues to Fitbit developers and do not receive responses and therefore are unable to respond to users who have brought up issues. I cannot say that anything I have brought up within the forum has resulted in improvement. I have advocated for a disability support team to assist people who are blind and reading disabled. I have also asked that when a disability support team  Should be created that they be trained to work with both the blind and those with physical challenges. 

[Ddonna]

@Podunk that is great that you have been so proactive in advocating for the disabled! This modern society seems to have no recognition that they should be designing things with some thought toward how those with disabilities might be able to use their products. I use a walker, so after some experimenting, I found that I can use most of the Fitbit features by wearing it on my ankle. Only the SPo2 feature sometimes does not record anything. I have been tracking my daily workouts on a calendar every day, so I still have a record of the minutes spent on individual exercises, even though Fitbit cannot show the information. Gee, maybe Fitbit is more disabled than I am! LOL!

[Podunk]

Thank you for your kind words, Donna. There was a time where I used my Fitbit by placing it in a sock near my ankle. I found this work very well and at night in order to get sleep information and overnight health metrics I replaced the Fitbit on my wrist. This way while awake I got my information by way of my ankle and at night my sleep information and sleep metrics.
Sent from my iPhone

[Ddonna]

@Podunk I first tried putting it on my sneaker but it was too floppy that way. Then I did put it in my sock, but it would miss some of the health metrics. It was doing pretty good until about a week and a half ago. Now I have not gotten a SpO2 reading for the week and a half.

I thought about putting it on my wrist when I sleep, but the problem is that I usually make 5 bathroom trips at night and would lose a lot of my steps. But maybe I'll try it anyway to see how it goes with the SpO2 reading. Thanks for the tip!

[Podunk]

Fitbit version 4.22 has not fixed this problem. Today when I woke up on the home screen, I had six exercise days when I tapped on the tile just to see what data was posted during this week. It said I had only three exercise days. Today my exercise day count has been three, four, six, and seven exercise days. Numbers appearing randomly and changing randomly also. Exercise sessions today have been 20 for the week 24 for the week 34 for the week. The true number of exercise days is not discernible , just by looking at the data posted for each exercise session because once you hit 20 exercise days are being removed and then sometimes reposted and again how this happens and what the rationale might be cannot be disc. I am a blind user and hope you will be able to understand my ramblings , I did not say at the beginning of this message that I did complete seven days of exercise this week, but there is no way I can tell you how many exercise sessions have been completed. 

[Ddonna]

I have seen the same problem! The number of days even changes before my eyes in a matter of a second or two. It may show all of the days, but then it suddenly takes some out, pops one back in, and then takes it away again! You are right: it is impossible to know how much and when you have exercised in any week where the data is inconsistent. I always keep a paper backup so that I know the truth about my workouts. Maybe some software could help you to record your workouts separately from depending on Fitbit. Or perhaps you can make an audio recording backup of your days and workouts for your own reference of your real workouts.

[Podunk]

Thank you for the suggestions, but I think I will continue to use my memory until dementia sets in. I use the Fitbit more out of habit than motivation. I no longer rely on Fitbit information for more than a day or two based on past experience and having had my history of steps lost times and knowing that my step streak is incorrect, my active zone minutes information is incorrect and my exercise days totals are unreliable. When I could see and was working, I probably would’ve had a spreadsheet with all my information and done all my own calculations to confirm that , the information on Fitbit reflected my own calculations. I no longer wish to take the time and the effort to maintain a spreadsheet/workbook in order to track my history. Thank you again for the suggestions and I appreciate your concern. Mark Elias Podunk. 

[Ddonna]

Yes, I am finding more and more that the Fitbit information is unreliable. But for me, it has been a motivational tool. I was completely sedentary until I started using it at the end of December. I use it as a base level of motivation to try to move more. It keeps me focused on making sure that I am moving regularly. I remember the first time they sent me my Weekly summary. It was based on Monday to Sunday even though my settings are Sunday to Saturday. So I started logging my data myself so that I could list my totals of steps, zone minutes, and highest steps of the week for myself. Lately, it is doing the most annoying thing: it stops counting my steps when I am close to a step goal! I have been only a few steps away from the 250 per hour, walked into two different rooms, sat down to check it, and the step number never changed! So I have resolved to accept that Fitbit is good for at least motivating me to move and giving me a rough idea of what I have accomplished. But I don't take the data seriously. It makes a good watch though!

[Podunk]

Note to Fitbit developers: just an update Fitbit version 4.23 has not fixed the issue with correct exercise day count. I have completed seven exercise days this week and my total accord Ording to the app is three exercise days and 20 exercise sessions. Also, in the active minute section or zone minute section of the app, I have noted that, they used to be a section before the section titled other activity. If the section has been removed and the information is no longer available to us why do you bother to call the section other and not just activity. I may be wrong in the name of the section, but I am not incorrect  on the deletion of the first section and only other exists as a section. Also, why does it on occasion double post information for the same time but with different length of active zone minutes. And why does a simple sink now not update the information? I am still waiting to hear from the Fitbit development team , regarding my concerns voiced to Fitbit Customer Service and Google disability support team members. You have my information and can phone me at any time and I will be happy to talk with you because my main goal is to make the Fitbit app accessible to blind and reading disabled users along with , improving the experience for the site user. I am a blind user dictating this on my iPhone SE third generation running iOS version 17.6.1 I am running Fitbit version 423 and have dictated this on my iPhone and hope that you will be able to understand my ramblings. not too many issues with active zone and exercise days will have reached the one year mark. 

[Ddonna]

@Podunk I had a reply from Fitbit on my post for Product Feedback: “Prevent exercise days from disappearing on Fitbit app”

Here was my reply:

Hi @LizzyFitbit  Another user and I have made many comments on another post about this problem. We believe we have found out what the problem is. Both of us exercise multiple times a day equaling more than 20 exercise times per week. This is because we are disabled. It seems that the Fitbit runs into this problem when there are more than 20 exercise times in the week. This explains why I would not notice the problem until the end of the week. In order to make Fitbit function properly for the disabled community, Fitbit should consider allowing more than 20 exercises per week. I tried exercising less so that the bug would not recur. However, this caused my body to lose function. Being disabled, I must do various exercises throughout the day to maintain and improve my functioning. 

Please bring this need for the disabled community to the attention of your teams. Obviously, since most of the community that uses Fitbit is not disabled, the chance for votes to be enough to draw attention to this deficit will not occur.

Also note, I made a post recommending that Fitbit should see that they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

FITBIT PROPOSES TO BE A HEALTH TOOL. It should then be a health tool for the disabled community as well, and not discriminate by not reasonably accommodating their needs.

Here is the name of the other post: “Exercise day count incorrect”.

Here is the name of the ADA post:  “Reasonable Accommodation for Disabled Users for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance”.

[Podunk]

This week I upgraded to Fitbit version 4.24. The issue with the exercise day count has not been fixed. Today upon opening the Fitbit app it showed three exercise days. After completing my first exercise session it showed four exercise days and then went back to three exercise days. So far today, I have seen three exercise days, for exercise days, five exercise days and six exercise days. I have seen exercise sessions from 20 through 229. At this point in the day I think the 29 exercise sessions is correct but cannot be 100% sure , based on prior experience. Again, I have updated to Fitbit most current version 4.24 and the issue with exercise days continues to be a problem. 

[Ddonna]

@LizzyFitbit this post has additional information that you can use for reference regarding the problem that I posted in my post for Product Feedback: “Prevent exercise days from disappearing on Fitbit app”. @Podunk has been dealing with this same problem for quite some time and is disabled as well. Again this is a reminder that this problem has a definite negative impact on disabled users of the Fitbit product. This fact should be used concerning Fitbit's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Please note that the prior post from @Podunk says "exercise sessions from 20 through 229". Since @Podunk uses a tool to type by voice, the device must have interpreted the statement "20 through to 29" as the numeral "229".

[Podunk]

Note to Fitbit developers: Fitbits version 4.25 has not corrected this problem. This morning when I looked at exercise days it showed me for. After my first exercise session it displayed five exercise days. Since then, I have watched the number of exercise days decrease from five, 24, 23, and finally, two. As I added exercise sessions, the exercise sessions for Sunday were deleted, followed by the exercise sessions from Monday, and the exercise sessions for Tuesday. Leaving only exercise days for Wednesday and Thursday. I have dictated this on my iPhone and hope you will be able to understand my ramblings. I am a blind user using , an iPhone SE third generation 17 Fitbit’s most current version 4.25. I use voice accessibility screen reading software to get my information. Also, Fitbit version 4.25 did not collect correct any of the previous Fitbit history. 

[Ddonna]

Yes,  @LizzyFitbit, as @Podunk stated above, the problem is not corrected. Last night, my data was correct. But by this morning, the data from 3 of my 4 exercises yesterday were gone. And it also removed my walk on the day before. The app says I exercised 3 times on 3 days instead of 7 times on 4 days. Please note that 7 exercises are way lower than 20+ exercises. So, now the number of exercises of 7 is too many for Fitbit to count? Why won't the Fitbit app be fixed?

As the prophet Habakkuk asked, "How long... must I cry for help, but you do not hear? How long must I ask for help... but you do not intervene?" - Habakkuk 1:2

[gtjeddah]

I have noticed the same with disappearing exercises...tried entering manually but it doesn't stay after app refresh!

[Ddonna]

@LizzyFitbit it seems that Fitbit is no longer maintaining the recorded activities manually entered. I recorded my walk last night with the device. That walk is still showing as an exercise recorded. However, all manually entered activities this week are not appearing.

Also note in the last picture time stamped 12:06 that the day letters for Thursday and Friday are missing. This has been happening for a few weeks now. I don’t know if it is related somehow, but in case it is, I am pointing it out here.

[Podunk]

Update to developers: version 4.26 has not resolved the problem. Last week I completed seven days of exercise and exercise days was recorded as four. I am using iOS version 18.zero running Fitbit version 4.26. I am a blind user using Apple Voice as a screen reader.

[Ddonna]

@Podunk@LizzyFitbit I checked the monthly data yesterday and saw that now it does not show MANY exercise days of the month. Sometimes it is missing WEEKS of workouts. At least the month used to show the proper days (mostly).