Slightly uncommon fitbit question...

emmacken

I've been wearing my fitbit flex for a little under a month and I love it. However, I recently started back at my job as a high school band director and it claims I'm making goal way earlier than I did during summer vacation. It's definitely true that I am moving more, but I'm more concerned that when I am conducting my ensembles or teaching percussion lessons that it is measuring my arm movements and counting them as steps. I don't really want to take off my flex at work, because the entire reason I went with the flex instead of another variety was so I could constantly see it and be reminded to increase my walking.

There hasn't been an easy way to check into it as my phone is too old to support the fitbit app, so it only syncs up when I return home to my desk top where the dongle is plugged in.

TLDR: Does the fitbit flex count ensemble conducting as steps taken?

Weezoh

I believe it would absolutely count that. maybe use it on your left hand instead of right (assuming you don't do a lot of mirroring).

When you're at home, check your numbers and then conduct for 5 minutes in a 2 pattern at a brisk tempo and see how many steps it's counted.

maybe when you step on the podium; put it in your pocket? if you forget to put it on your wrist again you'll still likely get steps (but it's not optimized for that position so maybe fewer)

Kimsied

You can check to see how much it tracks. Sync your Flex, stand still and see your step count. Do your conducting movements for 100 motions (not sure how to define it). See how many steps it counts.

My One most likely would not count much for this activity. But I am not sure it is a bad thing for the Flex to. According to a MET chart (https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/music-playing), conducting an orchestra, standing is valued at 2.3 or 2.5 METs (metabolic equivalent for a task). In theory, it should burn 2.3 or 2.5 (depending on source) times the calories you would burn resting. It is similar in intensity to walking at a speed somewhere between 2mph and 2.5 mph. So whether it is a problem, probably depends how many steps it credits you.

shireeniebeanie

You may want to log those times you're conducting as another activity. They should count for something, since that is plenty of movement, but not as much as actual steps.