Fitbit changes to active minutes

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brightsideofpink
brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I got the email update from fitbit telling me that they now only count 10 consecutive minutes as "active minutes" because of CDC guidelines.

I sort of get where they are going because I don't think a 2 minute walk to get your coffee should count. But is the cutoff so strict?

What about interval training? If you spend an hour doing 5 minutes cardio, 5 strength, off and on does none of the cardio time count as active?

What if I'm on a hike and stop after 9 minutes for a drink of water? Do I lose those 9 minutes?
What if I'm running a 5k and it takes 29 minutes? I have only burned 20 minutes of calories?

Thoughts from other fitbit users?
I've been a loyal fitbit user and defender and in 9 months of use I've figured out appropriate calorie burns using it. I fear this is going to damage accuracy.

Replies

  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
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    It does count strength, but only if you log it over here, obviously.

    I did 40 minutes of cardio and 30 of strength yesterday and it gave me 64 (?) active minutes.

    I don't really have an issue with the cut off time. You still get "credit" for your burns, and your number is likely to go up (as they are now active minutes, not very active minutes, and count your "moderate" activity level as well).
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    The email states that it will only count activities that are "10 minutes or more" not in 10 minute blocks as I think you are assuming. Therefore, yes your 9 minute hike may not get counted, but you will get 29 minutes of active time for your 5K example since it is over 10 minutes.

    It never said anything about altering how it counts your steps and therefore calories burned. It also stated that your active minutes will include a lump of moderate and very active instead of just active, so this may have an affect as well. So, yes your numbers will change, but how about the change altering how you exercise if you are that active numbers focused? If you think you haven't had a brisk walk for 10 minute to get it to count towards your active minutes, how about adding an extra couple of minutes just to be sure? I don't really use my FitBit as the end-all-be-all, it's a general assessment of my daily activity.
  • SkinnyGirlCarrie
    SkinnyGirlCarrie Posts: 259 Member
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    I use an HRM that I sync to my Fitbit account for my workouts, and it pulls my active minutes from that, though I do notice that I have to be over a certain heart rate % for it to count as "active"...I will have to see if this affects that at all, although I don't think it will.
  • nborsh22
    nborsh22 Posts: 72 Member
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    I just noticed today that my active minutes on the fitbit app went way up. I account for my activity on MFP and it was showing the same on fitbit. But this morning I noticed I have way more active minutes then I actually logged on MFP. Is this due to the new guidelines?? There was a fitbit app update a couple days ago for android, maybe this happened with the update.
  • eseeton
    eseeton Posts: 80 Member
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    I have the Surge and it calculates my active minutes pretty accurately because of the HR monitor. I did a power yoga session that integrates cardio in with yoga, which is 45 minutes long. My heart rate is continually up for the whole session, so it continues to count the yoga portions as active minutes. I believe I received 39 minutes of activity for that session.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    jasonp_ritzert wrote: »
    The email states that it will only count activities that are "10 minutes or more" not in 10 minute blocks as I think you are assuming. Therefore, yes your 9 minute hike may not get counted, but you will get 29 minutes of active time for your 5K example since it is over 10 minutes.

    Thank you. This makes sense for the 29 minute example and I feel silly for making that assumption.

  • catruledquilter
    catruledquilter Posts: 48 Member
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    SkinnyGirlCarrie wrote: »
    I use an HRM that I sync to my Fitbit account for my workouts, and it pulls my active minutes from that, though I do notice that I have to be over a certain heart rate % for it to count as "active"...I will have to see if this affects that at all, although I don't think it will.

    Which HRM are you using?
  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
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    As far as the 5k being only counted as 20 in your example, I'm guessing it would count the entire time because you had been previously active. And the stopping for water... if you continue on after your pause, I'm sure it will continue counting as well. Its not counting in 10 minute intervals.. its making sure that your activity is planned actual activity rather than fidgets or just walks to the copy machine and back. My old pedometer wouldn't log steps until I was in actual motion for longer that 5 seconds, then it would retroactively add in those steps to the continuing total. I figure fitbit's change is the same sort of thing
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    TheVirgoddess wrote: »
    It does count strength, but only if you log it over here, obviously.

    I did 40 minutes of cardio and 30 of strength yesterday and it gave me 64 (?) active minutes.

    I don't really have an issue with the cut off time. You still get "credit" for your burns, and your number is likely to go up (as they are now active minutes, not very active minutes, and count your "moderate" activity level as well).

    I've never logged strength before so I guess I may have to start. Its interesting that it gave you more than the 40 minutes of cardio. Do you have a wrist-based tracker? Mine is a zip on my waist, so most time spent lifting looks like I'm completely inactive.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    brightsideofpink wrote: »
    I got the email update from fitbit telling me that they now only count 10 consecutive minutes as "active minutes" because of CDC guidelines.

    I sort of get where they are going because I don't think a 2 minute walk to get your coffee should count. But is the cutoff so strict?

    What about interval training? If you spend an hour doing 5 minutes cardio, 5 strength, off and on does none of the cardio time count as active?

    What if I'm on a hike and stop after 9 minutes for a drink of water? Do I lose those 9 minutes?
    What if I'm running a 5k and it takes 29 minutes? I have only burned 20 minutes of calories?

    Thoughts from other fitbit users?
    I've been a loyal fitbit user and defender and in 9 months of use I've figured out appropriate calorie burns using it. I fear this is going to damage accuracy.

    I don't mind the 10 minute cutoff. I really like that they are going to start counting moderately active as active. I average just under 18 minutes a mile (3.5 mph) and it always bothered me that Fitbit didn't count my 5 mile walk as active minutes if I logged it here or on Map My Fitness because it wasn't 4 mph.

  • Zx14chick
    Zx14chick Posts: 255 Member
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    I wondered about my active minutes from yesterday, but honestly, I don't think that's going to affect me too much because I just look at that number because it's there. I log my actual cardio workouts with my HRM and look at my steps. I must not have checked my email yet... This email was the first I'd heard of the change.
  • Maries_wine_calories
    Maries_wine_calories Posts: 152 Member
    edited April 2015
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    My number of "active" minutes is more accurately reflected since my update. I use a Zip and previously I would walk (at work) for up to 20 minutes consecutively several times a day at work and barely log any "active" minutes. Since the update my number of consecutive minutes walking is showing up as many more active minutes in my Fitbit charting. I wouldn't say it earns me any more calories than before vs number of steps though.
  • libbynole89
    libbynole89 Posts: 3 Member
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    It is a little creepy for the CDC to to putting pressure on Fitbit. Sometimes they need to trust that we are adults and can figure life out.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited April 2015
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    libbynole89 wrote: »
    It is a little creepy for the CDC to to putting pressure on Fitbit. Sometimes they need to trust that we are adults and can figure life out.

    They are not putting any pressure on Fitbit. Fitbit is just trying to fall in line with the rest of the fitness industry and following CDC's guidelines is one thing they all have in common now. Consistency is a good thing.

  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    First off, it's not the CDC and they're not "putting pressure" on Fitbit. Fitbit changed their guidelines based on the American Heart Association's guidelines. Being as they are highly involved in studies on hearth health, I'd say it was a pretty good move for those of us who want real information regarding our health.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    jessicapk wrote: »
    First off, it's not the CDC and they're not "putting pressure" on Fitbit. Fitbit changed their guidelines based on the American Heart Association's guidelines. Being as they are highly involved in studies on hearth health, I'd say it was a pretty good move for those of us who want real information regarding our health.

    I don't think they're putting pressure on Fitbit, but Fitbit did cite CDC in their update:

    You earn active minutes for activities at or above 3 METs. To stay in line with the Center for Disease Control's (CDC’s) “10 minutes at a time is fine” concept, minutes are only awarded after 10 minutes of continuous moderate-to-intense activity. You can view the CDC’s recommendations here: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    I like it. I have been told I was active for so and so minutes on fitbit before and I'm like I don't remember doing anything impressive today. I only really consider my running and working out being active, walking from my car to work not as much. So for me, I like the change.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
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    At any rate, I guess I'll just have to give it a few weeks and see how it works out. I'm not necessarily desperate for the extra calories, I just like to stay as accurate as possible. Today for example, I biked for 20 minutes and then followed with a run. I was trying out a sub 10 minute mile, and finished in 9:35. For me, that was very quick and a lot of work with a pretty elevated heart rate. But only my 20 minutes of biking are showing as active.

    I support that the good will outweigh the bad. I have friends who complain about getting active minutes for washing their hands, or walking in and out of convenience stores and getting an erroneous receipt of extra calories. I'll just need to monitor my own reporting more often now, or get a HRM.

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