Questions about Garmin Vivosmart HR

rlpomeroy

I just started using a Vivosmart HR and have a couple of questions for other users.

It seems to track my resting HR ok, but when I'm working out, it doesn't show my elevated HR. I was hoping that it would confirm the HR's that I am seeing on the elliptical. It isn't counting my "activity minutes" either. The step count and floors climbed seems to be working ok.

If I am wearing it while I am working out, should I just let the sync to MFP track my exercise calories and not enter them manually?

Thanks

rlpomeroy

I think I may have found a partial answer in that I need to "start" my run. Is that correct?

dalhectar

For that device, I think so.

rlpomeroy

Thanks dalhectar,

This morning, I started a session and it tracked my heartrate like I was hoping. It was actually pretty close to what the machine was showing. It still didn't change the "intensity minutes" count though.

zenjen13

I just got mine and did my first workout today. You do need to log your exercise by pressing the little button and timing it. It should track your HR, distance, and cals burned. For me, it did track my intensity mins but I think it took a bit before that showed up in Connect. Also, after you log a work

zenjen13

Oops hit enter! After you log a workout you can then edit the name and type on the computer. My username is zen.jen if you want to add on Connect.

zenjen13

You know what? Mine stopped tracking intensity minutes this week. I've done 3 workouts that didn't 'count' as intensity although it's tracking my heart rate just fine. Is yours working now?

whimic38

I was looking at reviews for this the other day, you can contact customer service at Garmin and they can help figure things out. I know you can calibrate your stride somehow to make distance more accurate, but can't remember what I read about intensity minutes.

mghuss

My heart rate on mine never shows above 72 unless I'm in running mode. Not helpful for my circuit training. Garmin customer support said its a software issue they're aware of. Seems like they would have figured that out before they sold a ton of these over the holiday, of course I'm past my able-to-return date to best buy

zenjen13

I've learned more since I joined the Garmin forums. The 72 beat HR issue was just fixed for the vivosmart in the latest donwload (for me yesterday). The intensity minutes not tracking is an issue still and Garmin Support told me it is NOT the tracker but a problem with the software that they are working on. I figure, if they fixed the resting HR issue then the intensity minutes issue will follow soon.

zenjen13

Forgot to add that there's now a nifty little HR graph if you tap the HR screen.

rlpomeroy

I did the update last night and hadn't seen the graph. COOL! We also now have Run, Cardio, and Other as choices for activity types.

zenjen13

@rlpomeroy : yes! It's working better than ever! I use Other for weight lifting, and Cardio for elliptical and yoga. Then I edit the activity names on Connect. The little heart rate graph is cool, I agree. Have you had an "insight" yet? That's a neat new feature on Connect too. Oh yeah and it registered some activity minutes for me today - finally!

rlpomeroy

It registered activity minutes for me too. I haven't had an "insight" yet. I look forward to it. :-)

zenjen13

@rlpomeroy : Your insights will show in Connect when you get one. Pretty neat stuff. I'm loving the vivosmart even more now.

TuesdayLucero

What exactly is an Insight? I just got my Vivosmart HR this past Friday so I've used it for 2.5 days but so far I really like it. I did an update as soon as I opened it so I haven't had any of the problems you all mentioned, since it fixed those with the update, I assume. I really enjoy the prompts to move.

TuesdayLucero

I am noticing that I get a LOT of calories for being "active" and it's subtracting from my MFP calories eaten, making my net calories eaten much lower. I'm not sure I 100% trust that yet and am not going to eat back all of those calories.

rlpomeroy

I haven't been eating back my calories either.

zenjen13

TuesdayLucero wrote: »

What exactly is an Insight? I just got my Vivosmart HR this past Friday so I've used it for 2.5 days but so far I really like it. I did an update as soon as I opened it so I haven't had any of the problems you all mentioned, since it fixed those with the update, I assume. I really enjoy the prompts to move.

Once you've got enough data logged it'll personalize an insight for you. I got one on Friday telling me that Fridays are my least active day of the week.

zenjen13

TuesdayLucero wrote: »

I am noticing that I get a LOT of calories for being "active" and it's subtracting from my MFP calories eaten, making my net calories eaten much lower. I'm not sure I 100% trust that yet and am not going to eat back all of those calories.

Really? I haven't had that problem. I've set myself as sedentary and just let the device log all my activity. Mine seems pretty accurate for the activity I do. I wasn't eating back the calories but am feeling unwell today so I've decided to eat them this week.

rlpomeroy

For some reason today, it is showing that I am climbing lots of flights of stairs that I am not. I also had to switch it from my left wrist to my right during my elliptical session because it wasn't reporting my HR right. Weird.