Running watch and activity tracker question

britters12
britters12 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
i have the garmin forerunner 220 and I'm still trying to figure out all the different ways you can use it. I have discovered it does not count your steps throughout the day. Is it really that important to track your steps? Should I invest in an activity tracker and wear it along side my garmin? Or is there a decent app that will track my activity and upload to MFP?
Thanks in advance! :)

Replies

  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    Important? No. Generations of mankind have existed without using a tracker.

    Only thing I use is the runkeeper app on my phone for walks and runs. How many steps I walk in the normal business of life is meaningless to me.
  • britters12
    britters12 Posts: 12 Member
    Very true.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    An activity monitor would do the same thing your garmin is doing, most pretty much only m count steps.
    Garmin connect syncs with MFP and accounts for your activity level based on steps.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    I noticed that my steps only "count" in MFP if I don't have any other exercise logged for the day. Like I might get an adjustment of 100 calories from walking around, and then after work I go for a run or a swim or something and immediately the calories from the "walking" get erased and replaced with the calories from the workout.

    In any case, I don't care personally, just something I noticed.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    glevinso wrote: »
    I noticed that my steps only "count" in MFP if I don't have any other exercise logged for the day. Like I might get an adjustment of 100 calories from walking around, and then after work I go for a run or a swim or something and immediately the calories from the "walking" get erased and replaced with the calories from the workout.

    In any case, I don't care personally, just something I noticed.

    That's weird. I get both. Unless I rename my workout in connect then I get the workout plus activity calories that include the workout as well. So if I have 100 extra step calories and burn 300, I'll get 300 for the exercise and an adjustment of 400 (only if I edit on connect)
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Oh the steps stay in MFP - it will even say "5238 steps" or whatever, but the calories go to 0.

    Either way I don't care because I don't actually use MFP to track anything anymore. It is just idle curiosity.
  • britters12
    britters12 Posts: 12 Member
    I am using my phone's accelerometer to count my steps. Took a walk for 30 minutes, walked over 4,000 steps and in MFP it calculated that I burned 56 calories with that walk. Then I added the exercise into MFP saying I walked 3.5 mph for 30 minutes and it calculated I burned over 100 calories. Considering I know the pace I walked I'd say the latter is more accurate. Just interesting to know how many steps I've taken throughout the day. Although it can't accurately calculate calories burned because it doesn't know intensity.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    britters12 wrote: »
    I am using my phone's accelerometer to count my steps. Took a walk for 30 minutes, walked over 4,000 steps and in MFP it calculated that I burned 56 calories with that walk. Then I added the exercise into MFP saying I walked 3.5 mph for 30 minutes and it calculated I burned over 100 calories. Considering I know the pace I walked I'd say the latter is more accurate. Just interesting to know how many steps I've taken throughout the day. Although it can't accurately calculate calories burned because it doesn't know intensity.

    That's because it counted the steps as part of your daily activity, not an exercise.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I use a tracker - and for me its been a good tool to gauge my activity level. But upon getting it I was also forced to be honest with myself about how inactive I had been previously. Now using it is a way to keep me honest with myself, and keep me active. Do I need it? No - but I appreciate having it. That doesn't mean it will have the same relevance to everyone.
  • britters12
    britters12 Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you all for your feedback!
  • jc93230
    jc93230 Posts: 33 Member
    I use the FR220 and a Vivofit. If you find a good price on an original Vivofit, they play together nicely. Garmin Connect gives precedence to the watch, so if you track a run on your watch and are also wearing the band, it will use the calories from the watch for that time period, and your step calories for the rest of the day.
  • kdhith
    kdhith Posts: 43 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    I use a tracker - and for me its been a good tool to gauge my activity level. But upon getting it I was also forced to be honest with myself about how inactive I had been previously. Now using it is a way to keep me honest with myself, and keep me active. Do I need it? No - but I appreciate having it. That doesn't mean it will have the same relevance to everyone.

    This is also my experience. It's just one tool to be sure to get up and move around. Regardless of other exercise I do during the day, I try to make sure to also take at least 10,000 steps--because it is an easily obtainable, measurable goal, regardless of whatever else is going on in my day.

  • britters12
    britters12 Posts: 12 Member
    jc93230 wrote: »
    I use the FR220 and a Vivofit. If you find a good price on an original Vivofit, they play together nicely. Garmin Connect gives precedence to the watch, so if you track a run on your watch and are also wearing the band, it will use the calories from the watch for that time period, and your step calories for the rest of the day.

    Nice! Thank you
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    Not that I have a hard time being active - but my desk job is otherwise pretty sedentary. My Garmin 920xt yells at me once an hour if I haven't gotten up. That is certainly a useful feature.
  • britters12
    britters12 Posts: 12 Member
    I am a server so I thought it would be interesting to see how many steps I take and calories burned during my shifts at work. I guess I'll just carry my phone with ne
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