Question about arm movement and my fitbit
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mrsgoss
Posts: 57 Member
Hi All! I am an off/on again user of my fitbit BUT committing today to wearing it at least through the work week. With that being said, the reason I have stopped using it in the past is because I have always doubted the accuracy of them. It seems like arm movements are counted and that seemed inaccurate to me so I would stop using it. For example today, I did not sync it until I got into the car...I had 0 steps. I moved my arm around a few times and then hit sync and it said I had taken 19 steps???? This seriously made me want to take it off and NOT use it!! What is the point if it is going to count all arm movements and not steps? It seem like it would always be WAY over as I move my arms a ton for my job and throughout the day. I need an accurate count of my steps and what I burn calorie wise. I can't imagine you burn calories moving your arms around a few times and I create 19 steps? Come on...Suggestions? I guess what I need is some advice about how others have used their fitbit or what you have found to make it the most accurate for you?
Thanks,
OCD about the fitbit
Thanks,
OCD about the fitbit
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Replies
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When I first got a Fitbit, I obsessed over every single step. I didn't worry about it adding extra because I started with a One, so arm movements weren't an issue, but got really frustrated when it missed steps. I gradually got more comfortable with trusting it and not worrying about the occasional missed step here and the occasional extra step there (after I got a Charge HR and had arm movements to account for). In the long run it generally works out. It misses some and it adds some extras. However, the calorie burn it calculates (which is what really matters) is based not just on the number of steps but the intensity of the steps and the extra ones are likely seen as very low impact steps so you won't get a lot of extra calories for them.
Also, keep in mind that your Fitbit is not actually looking for arm swinging to detect steps. It actually has to filter out the arm swings in order to detect the step impact travelling up your body and out to your wrist. So you can carry things and not have it miss steps, but if you're pushing a shopping cart or stroller, that step impact is harder for it to detect and it will miss steps. (I tend to try to push shopping carts one handed when I can.)
I would say just try to relax and trust it for a week or two and see what you get in terms of both calorie count and step count. Then, try to increase your step count from there by actually taking more steps. If you're successful, you'll have so many real steps that the phantom ones will be lost in the noise and you'll stop worrying about them.0 -
When I first got a Fitbit, I obsessed over every single step. I didn't worry about it adding extra because I started with a One, so arm movements weren't an issue, but got really frustrated when it missed steps. I gradually got more comfortable with trusting it and not worrying about the occasional missed step here and the occasional extra step there (after I got a Charge HR and had arm movements to account for). In the long run it generally works out. It misses some and it adds some extras. However, the calorie burn it calculates (which is what really matters) is based not just on the number of steps but the intensity of the steps and the extra ones are likely seen as very low impact steps so you won't get a lot of extra calories for them.
Also, keep in mind that your Fitbit is not actually looking for arm swinging to detect steps. It actually has to filter out the arm swings in order to detect the step impact travelling up your body and out to your wrist. So you can carry things and not have it miss steps, but if you're pushing a shopping cart or stroller, that step impact is harder for it to detect and it will miss steps. (I tend to try to push shopping carts one handed when I can.)
I would say just try to relax and trust it for a week or two and see what you get in terms of both calorie count and step count. Then, try to increase your step count from there by actually taking more steps. If you're successful, you'll have so many real steps that the phantom ones will be lost in the noise and you'll stop worrying about them.
Ok, I have a Charge HR, I really want to give this a go but I know I have not taken 2500 steps right now at 2:15 in the afternoon
At least not today. I will take your suggestion and give it a few weeks. Thanks 0 -
If your step count is that low, then don't waste energy worrying about whether it is giving you extra steps. Instead, take that energy and use it to find ways to incorporate more steps into your day.3
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If you're getting so many false steps that you're doubting its accuracy maybe you should switch it to your non-dominant wrist, if it's not there already, or tighten the strap. I've been using the Charge HR for almost a year now and I move around all day. I never had an exorbitant amount of erroneous steps from arm movements. I wouldn't imagine there would be that many unless the person is flailing about, as the Charge HR does not base its step count on simple arm movements. My arms move when I type at the computer and I don't even get one step. I stood up right now and flailed my arms every which way and only got 17 steps and it took over 15 seconds of wildly swinging them around nonstop.3
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I do currently have it on my non dominant arm but I do wear it pretty lose as I feel like I read somewhere you were supposed to. I defiantly will tighten it up today and see how it goes! Thanks!1
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If your step count is that low, then don't waste energy worrying about whether it is giving you extra steps. Instead, take that energy and use it to find ways to incorporate more steps into your day.
And thank you, I think I was so focused on the steps, I forgot about paying attention to the calories overall I am burning!0 -
Hi All! I am an off/on again user of my fitbit BUT committing today to wearing it at least through the work week. With that being said, the reason I have stopped using it in the past is because I have always doubted the accuracy of them. It seems like arm movements are counted and that seemed inaccurate to me so I would stop using it. For example today, I did not sync it until I got into the car...I had 0 steps. I moved my arm around a few times and then hit sync and it said I had taken 19 steps???? This seriously made me want to take it off and NOT use it!! What is the point if it is going to count all arm movements and not steps? It seem like it would always be WAY over as I move my arms a ton for my job and throughout the day. I need an accurate count of my steps and what I burn calorie wise. I can't imagine you burn calories moving your arms around a few times and I create 19 steps? Come on...Suggestions? I guess what I need is some advice about how others have used their fitbit or what you have found to make it the most accurate for you?
Thanks,
OCD about the fitbit
Suggest you do the above test again - but look at the change in calorie count for such wimpy steps, which they would be.
Which true steps could be someone's primary focus (usually those don't mind extra steps though false), but usually focus is daily burn, from that eating level, from that fat loss.
And I'll bet above test shows very little difference in calorie burn.
But true, a predominate arm motion workday could lead to enough inaccuracy that above suggestions for dominate settings needs to be applied, or different device.
Like if someone did calmer type workouts 3 x weekly - then the HRM isn't really that needed to help accuracy, especially if getting inaccuracy for the 23-24 hrs of most days.
But if workouts are intense and frequent and/or long - then HRM could be mighty useful.1 -
I have the Fitbit alta but on the app I can specify which hand it is one Left or right and specify which hand is my dominant hand. I wear mine on my non-dominate hand but I tell Fitbit that it is my dominant hand. I heard that the algorithm will count less arm movements if it thinks its on your dominate hand.2
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Why don't people get this? Fitbit is NOT a pedometer. It is an activity tracker. Arm movements are activity. If you are moving your body you are active. Any part of your body in motion is using additional energy compared to being sedentary. Not just your feet. That's what Fitbit is counting. Yes it gives steps because we need some sort of definition for what it is measuring so we can see and understand. But it isn't just an expensive pedometer.
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Except - it's the steps and stride length that give pace along with weight gives calorie burn.
So while it's true arm movement is spending energy - it's not correct to use formula that is accurate for walking / running.
Now - it could totally luck out that the light steps seen from arm movement happens to equal the calorie burn done - but pretty chancy and no way to know.
Actually, if someone wanted to do an arm ergometer - there is formula for that to figure out, or if the machine has watts it can be figured out.
Then compare what Fitbit estimated using walking formula for the same activity.
It's the same way for biking - walking formula doesn't apply to "steps" that happen to be seen biking.
You could luck out and be close, or way off.
Mine happens to be way off, by about 300 cal per hr.0 -
I have the Fitbit alta but on the app I can specify which hand it is one Left or right and specify which hand is my dominant hand. I wear mine on my non-dominate hand but I tell Fitbit that it is my dominant hand. I heard that the algorithm will count less arm movements if it thinks its on your dominate hand.
Yep, that's how I did it too.0 -
I have a Charge HR & the only time I have seriously seen a large increase in steps when I know I didn't take that many is when I mow the lawn, from all the shaking the mower does. During mowing I now wear it on my ankle (use a hair tie to make the band larger). See images for instructions. I don't remember where I got the idea or I would have linked the spot I found it!
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Have you actually counted the steps to confirm it sees both feet hitting the ground?
Normally with walking, one foot will be firmly on the ground while the other leg impacts, likely causing little to none impact to the Fitbit.
Hip would be better.0 -
I don't know about that one, but with my Flex I just put it in my pocket. It's fine.0
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Keep in mind that the HR devices like your Charge HR and my Surge are also using HR data to make calorie adjustments. Once, I was working on manually de-constructing an old garage / shed that didn't look like much, but was very well built apparently (it was not easy to get it apart). Even though I wear my Surge on my non-dominant hand, there was a lot of arm movement. This movement added a ton of steps, but my HR was going up as I was repeatedly pushing, pulling, prying with as much force as I was physically able. It counted a lot of steps that day and added a lot of exercise calories, but I don't believe it was actually wrong.0
