fitbit and fitness

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zumbajess
zumbajess Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
HI! I am considering a fitbit but i do a lot of zumba, aerobics and stationary bike.. just wondering if it tracks these types of activites well? Any thoughts?

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  • madyt7
    madyt7 Posts: 5 Member
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    It's a pedometer so it will only track movement. It will recognize that something is happening during zumba most likely, but it wont label it as anything more than steps. However the fitbit website, which can be linked to myfitnesspal, has those activities as something that can be entered, and it will automatically apply those calories burned over to myfitness. I use a fitbit and their scale just to give myself a much more accurate reading of what I can eat for the day.
  • zumbajess
    zumbajess Posts: 10 Member
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    thanks!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    Best bet for cardiovascular activities is a HRM. A Fitbit is better for estimating TDEE for normal activities on a daily basis.
  • Heyyleigh
    Heyyleigh Posts: 268 Member
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    Best for you to go read the past forums on it. It only tracks movement. Its like a pedometer on steroids, if u are standing up like in the kitchen just move ur legs up and down and it counts steps. I walk on the treadmill, and outside when the weather permits- It will pick up on the elipticle, and of course Zumba/aerobics - you are moving. I havent tried the bike b/c I dont use them. But I would say no.. it also counts fights of stairs, this is more difficult unless you plan to run up and down them all day. I love-- love mine and cant live without it. It is what transformed my body. It syncs with MFP so you dont log food twice, I use MFP b/c its easier. Also you dont log exercise in MFP.. meaning you wouldnt walk 5 miles and log it in MFP as an exercise, when ur fitbit and mfp sync it gives you a fitbit calorie adjustment. Like today I walked 10 miles, my current adjustment is -800 or so. It is based on your activity score. Its very easy to use and worth every penny if u are motivated and serious. On the fitbit side you build up a friends list to help u become more active, so basically you are competing against people, all in good fun and will get ur butt moving if u want to be first! I have had mine since June this year, lost 40 pds and am in the best shape of my life!
    Good Luck!
  • zumbajess
    zumbajess Posts: 10 Member
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    thanks so much! I appreciate it!
  • hebnix
    hebnix Posts: 3 Member
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    So when you do cardio do you need to set a timer on Fitbit to tell it that was your start and stop time for that day?

    Also, when you do strength training (home gym) do you log that time in as well?

    And do you record those in MFP or through Fitbit... I understand that food intake I log into MFP, but I am thinking excersize you log in FitBit.... right?
  • caroleannlight
    caroleannlight Posts: 173 Member
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    I log exercise (other than walking /running) and food in MFP but some have success in logging the exercise in fitbit site.
  • tasoconnor
    tasoconnor Posts: 425 Member
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    I log all my weight changes and exercises using the fitbit website. I log all food to mfp. It will cross sync. I love it. When you use your timer for activites, after fitbit syncs to website you can go into your activity log on fitbit and name that exercise. Where in general fitbit shows your steps / activity per five minutes, if you use the timer you can see what you have done per minute. I use the timer not just for strength and cardio training, but for tracking a specific walk or run.
  • zumbajess
    zumbajess Posts: 10 Member
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    so how does the fitbit track strength training? lets say i am on a bench.. doing chest presses.. how does the fitbit track those types of things?
    i understand its a pedometer.. so if i am doing aerobics.. or a stationery bike.. do it track it?
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    I t will only track stepping g exercises like walking and running.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    I log each activity
    Stretches/core/Strength - no real frame of reference until I get my HRM after Xmas but I log what it says cal wise at the moment as a good guesstimate
    Treadmill (walk, run, walk) - better cal reading than the machine but only by a few cals (maybe 5-10 or so)
    Stationary Bike - awful - better reading from machine (and probably will be way more accurate when I start using the HRM)
    rower - awful - take machine reading and will use HRM later
    Swimming - can't use it - taking MFP reading for now and will use HRM
    Any Wii games - use it for the calorie estimate, steps are a bonus and will switch to using HRM

    I just take whatever steps it gives me - I am not that fussed about those - more interested in its calorie burn as I obvs won't be wearing the HRM all day aft the gym so FB will be handy for post gym cal ESTIMATE (very key - it's a good broad indicator for me)
  • DocMarr
    DocMarr Posts: 132 Member
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    I have a fitbit ultra and I've worn it every day since July. I absolutely love it, and as previous posters have said, it's very motivational. It will record all your steps, floors and distance you do in a day. However, although it does measure activity like zumba, it isn't as accurate as a HRM for that type of exercise. The stationary bike - no, it wouldn't be so good. I wear my fitbit all day, but if I'm doing a workout (like zumba, yoga or weight training where my heart rate is raised but I'm more stationary) I wear the HRM. My HRM records my burn on endomondo and it links directly to fitbit. The HRM burn then overides what fitbit recorded at that time. So to answer your question - Fitbit is great and I would say it is worth the money (I'm getting a One for Christmas because it updates to my iphone, where I currenly have to update on the pc). However, it works best if used in conjunction with a HRM for a more accurate burn for activities when your heart rate is raised but you aren't moving so much.

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