Logging a custom activity - eg Juggling.

[IanButty]

I've done a search here and know how to create a custom activity after the event but only if I know start time, duration and calories.

In my case I want to record when I am Juggling.  (It's good exercise by the way if anyone is interested).

I know how to start/stop activities on the Charge 2 - but Juggling isn't one of the ones it offers (I wouldn't expect it to be).  I know how to log a custom event if I know the start time, duration AND calories used via the website. 

But how do I say "I'm starting an activity now... it's juggling"  then when I have finished how do I tell fitbit "right I'm done - how long have I been juggling for?  How many calories have I used"  

I'm guessing this is something I will have to do via the iOS app rather than on the fitbit (Charge 2) itself but I can't work out how to do it.  Obviously, I can make a note of start time and end time and subtract one from the other to get the duration, but how do I calculate how many calories I have used?  I can't log a custom activity (via the web) without knowing the calories used. 

The aim is to have 4 or 5 juggling sessions of 3 or 4 mins a day - as screen breaks as it helps improve concentration for when you return back to the computer screen.

[MakMak]

Hi, @IanButty! My suggestion would be to just log it on your tracker as a "workout" and then you can edit the name of it within the app to "juggling." That way, you'll have as accurate of a calorie burn as possible from your heart rate data.

[Kuuseebu]

Hi! I have a similar problem - I'm using Alta HR and I would like to live track my exercise (orienteering), but for live tracking the app only offers six activities: bike, golf, hike, interval workout, run and walk. Orienteering for me is sort of a mix of the last three, but for stats and anything else I'd like to use the correct activity name. I can't categorize it correctly later either.

However if I retrospectively add a workout (by logging) I can search for a ton of different categories. The SmartTrack is smart enough to track my workout and I can later change it to orienteering, but I only get a track map when I track it, logging or SmartTrack won't add it.

Is there anything I can do about it or would someone explain why it is as it is?

If it helps, I'm using an iOS app, but I can't change it in a browser either.

[IanButty]

@MakMak I think the idea of logging juggling as a workout will work for me.

I am interesred to hear what advice is offered to @Kuuseebu for orientiering as I go Geocaching and have a similar dilema.  At the moment I am tracking as either a walk or a run depending on whether I am walking or running between the caches.

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @Kuuseebu, thanks for joining the Fitbit Community, it's great to have you on board. It's nice to see you around too @IanButty, I hope you're doing well. Thanks for all your help @MakMak! 

@Kuuseebu, please note that the Alta HR does not have integrated or connected GPS, which means that the activities tracked by the Alta HR will not include a GPS map. The only way to track a GPS map in your case is through the Fitbit app using MobileRun. Now, when it comes to workouts, if you're not able to see the specific option "Workout" when circling through the options, I would like to suggest you the following:

1. Go to the Device Settings on the online Dashboard.
2. Under Alta HR, go to Exercise Shortcuts, click on it. 
3. Click on Edit
4. Enable the boxes of the exercises you want to add to your tracker (you can only choose up to 7)
5. Click on Save and sync your tracker. 

Then, as @MakMak mentioned, you can track a "Workout" from your tracker and categorize it later after the exercise has been synced. 

@IanButty, depending on your tracker/watch, you can track a GPS map for certain exercises like Walk or Run, the Versa, Charge 2 and Blaze have connected GPS which uses the phone GPS to track a map. The Ionic and Surge have integrated GPS in where you won't need a phone to record a map. 

I hope this can be helpful, if there's anything else I can do for you, please feel free to reply. 

[MakMak]

I agree with @MarcoGFitbit, with the Charge 2, it's a little bit limited. You can either have an accurate image of your calories, by way of your tracker through heart rate, or you can have an accurate image of your distance traveled, by way of the phone GPS, but probably not both. So, I guess it really depends on which one you find more important to you. When I go on a hike, using the hike feature on my tracker without using GPS, I imagine that I get  pretty accurate image of my calorie burn, but the distance is usually too high by 30% or more.

[Kuuseebu]

Thanks, @MarcoGFitbit! I did mean MobileRun - I use both Alta HR and mobile app when I go orienteering. With MobileRun it just gives me 6 options for exercise types, when I log an exercise later I can choose from all the types.

I didn't see Exercise shortcuts under Alta HR, though. I can just edit exercise goals and exercise tracking settings give me a chance to enable/disable voice cues. On both app and web dashboard. The last app update was 2 days ago. Can I do something to see it or what do you think causes the difference?

[MakMak]

@Kuuseebu, that option is only available in the Charge 2 and higher trackers. With the Alta HR, you're stuck with just SmartTrack.