Clapping is exercise? (fitbit)

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lorib642
lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have my fitbit set to vibrate after a certain number of steps. I went to a musical last night. When we were applauding at the end I felt it vibrate. It counted my claps as steps.

It's not an issue or anything, I just thought it was funny/interesting

Replies

  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    It helps if you think of "steps" as units of energy burn, rather than the physical act of moving one foot and then the other.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
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    Fit bits are pretty inaccurate because it's based of wrist movement...
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    Doesn't wrist movement burn calories, too? All movement burns calories. My fitbit seems to be doing a pretty reasonable job with accuracy.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
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    Wrist movement calorie burn is very, very minimal. A step takes more energy than moving your wrist
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
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    Did it do your goal vibration or just the one that puts it in activity mode?

    Not sure which one you have, but my Flex will go in activity mode if my arm vibrates too much - clapping, chopping stuff, pushing a cart, etc.

    If it was the goal vibration...well, oops? :)

    ~Lyssa
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    it was the goal one. I don't think it added many steps, but some. It just surprised me.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    autumnblade75 wrote: »
    Doesn't wrist movement burn calories, too? All movement burns calories. My fitbit seems to be doing a pretty reasonable job with accuracy.

    So a step moves your bodyweight the distance of 50-60 cm.

    Moving the weight of your hand a few centimetres and impacting the other hand an equivalent isn't going to consume remotely the same amount of energy.

    To the originator, you've discovered false positives. The accelerometers in your fitbit only measure movement, they can't differentiate steps from claps.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    I can only offer anecdotal evidence that waving one's arms around provides a smaller calorie allowance in my fitbit's data from a similar number of traditional steps. There may be some small discrepancies, but I still think the device is smarter than some people want to give it credit for.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I get really annoyed when my FitBit vibrates for my 10,000 steps when I'm not walking. It happens when I'm driving occasionally, and I feel a bit ripped off.
  • datsundriver87
    datsundriver87 Posts: 186 Member
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    The Fitbit is a great tool to keep yourself moving and to get a general consensus of how your daily activity is, but take it from someone who used one for a year, they CAN be extremely inaccurate. Mine would log up to 40,000 steps on days I never left the house because of arm movements, not that I blame the Fitbit for that it is just recording what it's told to record, but I knew it was inaccurate and worked around it. It will register occasional driving, it will measure elevators as steps, it will measure mixing food in a mixer as steps. I'm not saying don't use one, they are great tools when used properly and I've planned on getting another one for a while (last one broke), but understand it does have allot of faults
  • FitKat123
    FitKat123 Posts: 71 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I wear my Fitbit flex as a necklace, for me it's much more accurate. The only thing I know to do, if I got a lot of extraneous steps is to create the activity of driving during the period of extraneous steps. I get a lot of steps rocking in a rocking chair and swiping my iPad. I usually remove the fitbit when I'm watching tv, for that reason. I'm still happy with it because it does motivate me.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    I am happy with it. It does motivate me.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    I call them the jack off steps! ;)
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    queenliz99 wrote: »
    I call them the jack off steps! ;)

    Lol
  • kaystep33
    kaystep33 Posts: 20 Member
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    I wear mine on my ankle. I find it's much more accurate that way.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    kaystep33 wrote: »
    I wear mine on my ankle. I find it's much more accurate that way.

    I'd find that highly unlikely, they accelerometers are designed to estimate steps based on arm movement.

    That would only be legitimate if you're in a role where you have lots of wrist movement, but few steps; checkout operator for example.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    autumnblade75 wrote: »
    I can only offer anecdotal evidence...

    So you haven't looked at how these devices are designed, and how they compare to the design of their peer devices...
    but I still think the device is smarter than some people want to give it credit for.

    ok...
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    I do, in fact, have a job with lots of arm movement but minimal actual steps. And yet, the estimated burns are not out of line with expectations.

    I'm also not experiencing the weird heart rate fluctuations that some people are reporting. Perhaps I'm just lucky.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    kaystep33 wrote: »
    I wear mine on my ankle. I find it's much more accurate that way.

    Have you worn it around a 1/4mile track on your ankle and checked that?
  • Gwennie60
    Gwennie60 Posts: 19 Member
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    I love, love, love my FitBit HR. But, it is not 100% accurate. It doesn't record all my steps if I am on an elliptical and does not record miles on a bicycle, so if I get a few extra steps from moving my arms around, I feel like it all evens itself out. But, then again, the heart rate is really what is calculating calories and we know that the most accurate way to calculate heart rate is with a chest strap, so there is gong to be a discrepancy. As long as we keep it in perspective I think it works itself out. I am super happy with mine, but I do wish I could wear it for swimming!

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