Fitbit flex

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squindles
squindles Posts: 350 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi. Just a couple of questions about my fitbit flex if somebody could answer them please? I know it says it's waterproof but how much so is it? Could I wear it whilst swimming? And what about cycling? Does it record accurately or should I take the FB flex off when I go cycling and then add manually? Thanks in advance

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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    As far as I know, its no good for swimming or cycling, as it measures steps and that's it. It's one of the reasons I haven't got one yet, and think I'll go with a HRM instead.
  • yellowsnowdrop
    yellowsnowdrop Posts: 154 Member
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    Squindles. check the fitbit website, I'm PRETTY sure that it says you can wear your flex in the shower so don't see why you couldn't wear it swimming but check as for cycling I have a FitBit friend who wears his cycling and it seems to measure his exercise.If it only measured steps then there's really very little point in paying so much for a souped up pe dometer, PLEASE check Jackie, but I think I'm right.
  • yellowsnowdrop
    yellowsnowdrop Posts: 154 Member
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    Just checked and the FitBit website says under the description of the Flex 'wear all day and all night even in the shower'
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    MFP fas a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Flex is water resistant to 10 meters, so you can wear it swimming. But all non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) should be logged in the Fitbit exercise panel:
    https://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/1301478

    I only ever take my Flex off to charge it.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Yes, you can swim in it and it will count something for swimming and cycling but it'll assume you're on dry land, not under resistance or on a vehicle. Most would manually log swimming and cycling.

    The Fitbits are good for estimating the 23 hours outside your workout, or all 24 if your workout is walking, running, dancing, aerobics or anything else steps-based.
  • squindles
    squindles Posts: 350 Member
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    Thankyou everybody for replying. Much appreciated x
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
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    I know the website says it's waterproof, but I don't wear mine swimming or in the shower. I wear it running, and get plenty of sweat in and around it, and I've had troubles with mine charging appropriately. I don't want to take any additional chances by submerging it. Also, I manually record my activity when cycling.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Can someone tell me, I sit at a computer all day, if I have a Flex on my wrist, will it be counting the movement of me tying etc. as steps?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I get steps from wearing my Flex in the shower, but I don't overthink the accuracy. I eat back my Fitbit calorie adjustments, and I lost weight.

    Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE—way more accurate than any online calculator.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    I just have this silly whole "if it counts steps when I shower/type/use the photocopier etc etc, then how accurate can it be, and knowing my cynical mind I'd end up talking myself into not trusting it anyway and basically wasting the money LOL.

    I LOVE the idea of it, but I just want to be sure I can trust to to a decent extent.

    I also do Taekwondo and figure I'm not going to get an accurate count on that, and that count is primarily why I want some sort of contraption to calculate burn. Maybe I'd be better with a HRM?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    The way to test the accuracy is to eat back your adjustments for several weeks, then reevaluate.
  • wkay99
    wkay99 Posts: 29 Member
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    I've used the flex and the One. Both allow you to adjust the "sensitivity" which, in my experience, was more essential on the flex than on the One. Either way, they are designed to measure "steps" - although they will also tell you the level of intensity of your workout so you will be able to see an increase in activity for your run, taekando workout, gardening, etc. In my experience, the benefit is in looking at the trend over time. Because they don't currently measure pulse or heart rate, it doesn't make sense to assume that you will get a good calorie number for the exercise itself. In my experience, if you worked hard, sweated a lot you probably will use more calories than would show up on the fitbit (or in MFP's averages) but from one day to the next an upward movement in calories, intensity etc will be visible and motivating.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    The way to test the accuracy is to eat back your adjustments for several weeks, then reevaluate.

    agreed.

    I wear mine in the shower. Scared to swim with it!

    I manually add the cals for extra activities like cycling, weight lifting.

    I still believe it underestimates my TDEE slightly according to cals in vs out and progress over the last 2-3 months. As long as it is consistently under though I don't mind. (as I'm aware of it)
  • farrahalex76
    farrahalex76 Posts: 3
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    I swam with mine this weekend and now it doesn't work. I never wore it in the shower because I wasn't sure if it was water resistance or not. I forgot to take it off while we were camping. I wasn't really swimming I was splashing around a creek with my kids.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    They should replace it for you. They claim you can swim with it.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    I've had my flex for eight months with no problems. Run in the rain ... swim ... shower ... take a bath ... sweat ... just take it out of the band, wipe off the connectors (moisture and any deposits are not a good combination with a passed electrical current), and charge.


    If I make big moves with my arm, it sometimes counts steps.The number counted from typing or normal office type activities is small .... single digits over the course of a day.

    It will count "steps" from cycling and swimming .... but its not accurate. The motion is close enough to register a sizable number which is overridden by logging the actual activity performed.

    Calorie burns for walking and running are more dependent on weight and distance covered than heart rate. Most devices report gross calories burned ... not net from exercise alone.
  • VTRutz
    VTRutz Posts: 52 Member
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    I just have this silly whole "if it counts steps when I shower/type/use the photocopier etc etc, then how accurate can it be, and knowing my cynical mind I'd end up talking myself into not trusting it anyway and basically wasting the money LOL.

    I LOVE the idea of it, but I just want to be sure I can trust to to a decent extent.

    I also do Taekwondo and figure I'm not going to get an accurate count on that, and that count is primarily why I want some sort of contraption to calculate burn. Maybe I'd be better with a HRM?

    I work in an office and wear mine at my desk with the app pulled up on my phone - it never registers anything other than walking as steps for me (even if I swing my arm back and forth TRYING to make it count it.... smart little bugger) so I wouldnt worry too much about that. However- when I do workouts like kettlebells or anything like that it also is not an accurate representation of what I burn. sooooo 6 of 1, half dozen of another. My favorite feature is the sleep tracker, because sleep is another critical part of weight loss.
  • frankieags
    frankieags Posts: 21 Member
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    I have the fitbit zip (not quite the same) but, when I cycle I put it in my shoe (or attach it to the laces) to at least give me a better count than leaving it in my shorts or, at home. Whatever helps.

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