FITBIT - What to do about Step Aerobics?

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islandlifenc
islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, so I have just done a short session of step aerobics.

I wore my Fitbit and started the activity timer at the start, and stopped it at the end.

I synced my Fitbit and it recorded the activity (it assigned it 98 calories just based on the steps), but then if I log 19 minutes of step aerobics (using Fitbit's database) as an activity, it assigns THAT activity 188 minutes.

I see that I can delete the timed activity, but does that mean I should? Should I only go by the Fitbit step aerobics calorie calculation and remove the calories it assigned just based on the steps?

I've sought answers over at the Fitbit community on this topic, but can't find the answer.

Thanks in advance!

ETA - I don't know if it matters that about half-way through that period I felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest, so I was REALLY pushing myself through about the last 9 minutes before I finally had to stop. (I am SO out of shape!) It FEELS like I burned 188 + 98 calories, but I realize that doesn't necessarily make it so. :laugh: Just trying to be accurate here.

Replies

  • islandlifenc
    islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
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    Is it too soon to give this a bump?
  • islandlifenc
    islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
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    Anybody?
  • fritter1976
    fritter1976 Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm not sure but wanted you to know there are people out there who are reading your post. I pre-ordered the new fitbit flex and am just waiting (not so patiently) for the dang release of it. I am hoping you'll hear a response because I am sure I will have this same question once I receive mine.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    You just leave it on I think... the activity timer tells the machine you're sleeping, no? I think you just leave it attached to you as if you were doing any other activity. It will detect when you're doing aerobics by the movement.

    EDIT: The only time I ever used the activity timer was to tell it I was going to sleep. Everything else just kind of logged automatically and it seemed fairly accurate. When I would run I'd double up with the fitbit and my garmin and the fitbit was always low compared with my garmin.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    I never log an exercise the Fitbit records. If they are syncing properly, you should get all your exercise credit. If you are seeing a fitbit adjustment, and you have your fitbit and MFP set to the same calorie goals, you don't really need to do anything.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
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    You just leave it on I think... the activity timer tells the machine you're sleeping, no? I think you just leave it attached to you as if you were doing any other activity. It will detect when you're doing aerobics by the movement.

    the timer only logs sleep if you are still. if you move around, it knows you are recoding an activity. I only record activities until I get an idea of how many calories I burn in a class. This helps me plan a head for eating back my exercise calories...which you should be doing.
  • jmp1031
    jmp1031 Posts: 95 Member
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    As long as you recorded a start time on the general "step aerobics" entry, i would leave the one fitbit entered too. it should adjust (sometimes it even goes to 0) your calories burned on the "fitbit calorie adjustment" entry. i use a HRM during my actual workouts to get a more accurate calorie burn and my fitbit calorie adjustment entry always adjusts on it's own to accommodate both entries based on the time the calories were burned.

    - edited to add that i've had my fitbit over a year now. i have a hrm for workouts because, depending on the workout, it's more accurate than the fitbit. i wore both for many workouts to make sure and the fitbit was consistently lower since it's based on movement and workouts like yoga and circuit training don't have much movement, though your heartrate is elevated.
  • dnish53
    dnish53 Posts: 162 Member
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    If you are using MFP you shouldn't log your activity on both sites. I just log it on the MFP site because they sync together. Look for step aerobics on the MFP site and log how many minutes you did. It will make the adjustment. I have a Fitbit Ultra which doesn't have an activity timer. I just wear it all day and it calculates the calories just based on how much I move but not how hard I am working out.
  • jmp1031
    jmp1031 Posts: 95 Member
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    If you are using MFP you shouldn't log your activity on both sites. I just log it on the MFP site because they sync together. Look for step aerobics on the MFP site and log how many minutes you did. It will make the adjustment. I have a Fitbit Ultra which doesn't have an activity timer. I just wear it all day and it calculates the calories just based on how much I move but not how hard I am working out.

    The ultra does have an activity timer. i have that model. you just have to hold the button down to activate it and again to stop :smile:
  • islandlifenc
    islandlifenc Posts: 107 Member
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    As long as you recorded a start time on the general "step aerobics" entry, i would leave the one fitbit entered too. it should adjust (sometimes it even goes to 0) your calories burned on the "fitbit calorie adjustment" entry. i use a HRM during my actual workouts to get a more accurate calorie burn and my fitbit calorie adjustment entry always adjusts on it's own to accommodate both entries based on the time the calories were burned.

    Ok, thank you jmp1031! That is exactly the kind of answer I was looking for!

    Everything I've read about doing non-walking/running/jogging/stairs activities with the Fitbit says you should either just take the device off while doing the activity, or else start the activity timer.

    I did record the start time for the 'Step Aerobics' activity I logged, and so I'll trust that Fitbit will figure out that I can't possibly have been simultaneously just walking AND doing Step for the exact same amount of time at the exact same start time. :laugh:

    For the other responders - thanks for taking time to check and answer... I already knew not to log activities in both places, and I only log food on MFP, and I trust FB to modify my calories burned from activities, but this is the first time I have done a very high-energy exercise that wouldn't be neatly tracked with the Fitbit's pedometer. I just wanted to make sure I'm getting calories logged correctly right off the bat. I don't want to make a mistake in one direction or another to the tune of 100-200 calories each time.

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