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Logging Cardio

ellybeann43
ellybeann43 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 2024 in Social Groups
Should I log my cardio, or go by the Fit Bit Adjustment?

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    No need to log any step-based activity—Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit (that's what I do) or in MFP—never both.

    Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    What device you have bears on it too.

    Some devices are step-based, so above advice is true.
    Some devices are HR-based calorie burn, so any cardio is good with Fitbit, well, obviously not swimming.

    Lifting is not cardio, and should be manually logged with either device.
  • ellybeann43
    ellybeann43 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks,I have the FitBit HR Charger (love it)!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have a Fitbit Charge HR. I log yoga, and I track walks/runs/hikes when I want to see a snapshot of my stats &/or a map.

    It'll take trial & error to find what works for you.
  • supersocks117
    supersocks117 Posts: 169 Member
    edited July 2015
    heybales wrote: »
    What device you have bears on it too.

    Some devices are step-based, so above advice is true.
    Some devices are HR-based calorie burn, so any cardio is good with Fitbit, well, obviously not swimming.

    Lifting is not cardio, and should be manually logged with either device.

    Not any cardio. I clicked the workout thing on my fitbit Charge HR til it buzzed and started timing. Did stationary bike while play video game - clicked it off after 30 minutes. Synced my fitbit ...I could see the period of elevated heart rate but it logged it as sleep (presumably because I didn't move/step?)...Even though my HR was 90-100 vs my resting 65-70.

    (Unless I'm using it totally wrong, feel free to tell me, I just got it last week)

    Edit: OP, I log anything that isn't walk/run in MFP and let it sync to Fitbit. Even with the HR. I just make sure I "start" the workout in MFP when I log at the same time Fitbit saw me start it.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Well - bike would indeed be cardio.

    But you found the fact that even if you start the activity timer, if steps isn't high enough to warrant the increased HR, or it's not increased enough - it doesn't use it as exercise.

    Does MFP or Fitbit have different intensity levels for biking in the database?

    Fitbit has a tad more exercises that do, didn't know if biking was one of them.
    Otherwise, I'm pretty sure a single database entry for stationary bike is going to be based on being more intense.
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