fitbit charge hr and walking with stroller

losingitinBC
losingitinBC Posts: 15 Member
edited November 21 in Fitness and Exercise
Im considering investing in a Fitbit Charge HR but I am wondering whether it will work for what I do.When I do go for walks,my wrists, where the monitor would be, are fairly still as I am usually pushing a stroller.
When I am not pushing the stroller,I am usually bike riding and pulling my little person in the trailer.
Would a Fitbit be able to measure these activities and give me any kind of useful feedback?
If I am not swinging my arms while walking,does the FB still register steps?
Would the HR monitor help determine calorie burn during cycling?
Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

Replies

  • Tasjiri
    Tasjiri Posts: 1 Member
    It probably wouldn't unless you attach the Fitbit to your ankle or leg.
  • kindrabbit
    kindrabbit Posts: 837 Member
    the heart rate monitor would be tracking your calorie burn all the time so I'd say it will do what you want. it might not count steps but it is advertised as working well for spinning as far as calorie burn is concerned.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    If I am not swinging my arms while walking,does the FB still register steps?
    Karen_libert wrote: »
    the heart rate monitor would be tracking your calorie burn all the time so I'd say will do what you want. it might not count steps but it is advertised as working well for spinning as far as calorie burn is concerned.

    This ^ ^ It is a fallacy that you have to swing your arm to get steps counted. The issue with strollers (and shopping carts) is that the vibration going up your arm confuses the fitbit. It can't tell if it is coming from a step or not so it skips some steps. If you want to maximize your step count while pushing one, try to push it as much as possible with the hand that does not have the fitbit. Otherwise, trust the burn from the HR

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Karen_libert wrote: »
    the heart rate monitor would be tracking your calorie burn all the time so I'd say it will do what you want.

    Given the low intensity it'll be significantly overestimated calorie expenditure though.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

    No single device will do everything you want.

    I'd recommend a smartphone app like Endomondo or Runkeeper as your best option. And they're free.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

    No single device will do everything you want.

    I'd recommend a smartphone app like Endomondo or Runkeeper as your best option. And they're free.

    They don't count steps though, do they? They are great for single workouts but not for continuous counting, you need to have your phone with you all the time with the app engaged.

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

    No single device will do everything you want.

    I'd recommend a smartphone app like Endomondo or Runkeeper as your best option. And they're free.

    They don't count steps though, do they? They are great for single workouts but not for continuous counting, you need to have your phone with you all the time with the app engaged.

    That was my point, no one device will do everything the originator is after.

    A wrist based pedometer will be useless pushing the buggy or cycling but will give some indication of step count in other circumstances. An HRM will overestimate as the relationship between HR and calorie expenditure is not linear at lower ranges.

    The originator stated that she doesn't want to spend money on something that won't give useful information. Neither pedometers nor HRMs will give useful information, due to their design limitations.

    A phone based app will give a more realistic assessment, than either of the other options. It does have it's own limitations; requires GPS coverage, doesn't deal well with very short distances etc.

    It's about most appropriate tool for the job, or perhaps least inappropriate...

  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    Im considering investing in a Fitbit Charge HR but I am wondering whether it will work for what I do.When I do go for walks,my wrists, where the monitor would be, are fairly still as I am usually pushing a stroller.
    When I am not pushing the stroller,I am usually bike riding and pulling my little person in the trailer.
    Would a Fitbit be able to measure these activities and give me any kind of useful feedback?
    If I am not swinging my arms while walking,does the FB still register steps?
    Would the HR monitor help determine calorie burn during cycling?
    Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

    I have found that if I wear mine on my dominate hand while using the elliptical, and or pushing a cart for some odd reason I tend to move that hand more. If it's steps you want to register, a hip based pedometer will be your best bet.

    I don't know much about these, but the Withing pulse Ox seems to be a versatile Activity monitor that may be more along the lines that you are looking for

    http://www2.withings.com/us/en/products/pulse?utm_source=crm&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=banner_cs_wam01
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    losingitinBC wrote: »
    Im considering investing in a Fitbit Charge HR but I am wondering whether it will work for what I do.When I do go for walks,my wrists, where the monitor would be, are fairly still as I am usually pushing a stroller.
    When I am not pushing the stroller,I am usually bike riding and pulling my little person in the trailer.
    Would a Fitbit be able to measure these activities and give me any kind of useful feedback?
    If I am not swinging my arms while walking,does the FB still register steps?
    Would the HR monitor help determine calorie burn during cycling?
    Dont want to spend money on something unless it gives valuable and useful feedback.thanks to anyone who answers this :)

    For the stroller: Turn on the GPS track walk in the Fitbit App. This will adjust your distance travelled and steps. It won't give much of a calorie burn at first. Then when you sync your Fitbit after the walk the calories burned will be updated based on your HR information and steps/distance will be corrected on the Fitbit. (I have the Surge and this is what I do. Should work just the same for a Charge HR).

    Not Swinging Arms: Yes and no. A stroller seems to keep the arms to still for the Fitbit to notice the majority of your steps. I can however walk holding my 1 yr old (arm with Fitbit supporting him under his butt) and every step is picked up (I've manually counted and checked my Fitbit after to see).

    Cycling: Yes. Just put it into workout mode and it will use the HRM to determine your calories burned. It should work just fine for that.
  • thomas12j
    thomas12j Posts: 4 Member
    I've put mine on my belt loop or tied it to my short strings. I've also heard putting it on your bra strap does the same thing
  • kindrabbit
    kindrabbit Posts: 837 Member
    I have the fitbit app on my phone. I often keep my phone in my bag and it still registers steps. it doesn't seem to be activated by arm swinging. I don't know how accurate it is and I don't log them as I think walking is just a part of my daily background calorie burn but it certainly knows I am moving when its in my bag.
  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
    As far as I know, there is no GPS feature on the charge HR (I have it).

    Don't put it on your ankle-I did and it double counted steps.

    I have no solution for it yet (holding stroller) and manual log it as exercise (minimal burn however). I do not sync my fitbit with mfp however and keep it simple...lol. So, if I was out walking stroller I might just time the walk as an exercise :)

  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I have the HR, and its been super awesome so far 4 days into using it. It seems extremely accurate for my daily burns.
  • losingitinBC
    losingitinBC Posts: 15 Member
    edited July 2015
    wow....thanks for the response guys :smile:
    Lots of stuff to think about.
    I actually do not have a smartphone so the suggestions about apps are non applicable.Also the charge HR doesnt have built in GPS...just the Surge does.
    I like the idea of a heart rate monitor, but the price tag is pretty steep for something non essential that may or may not have a strong motivational impact.
    I might just put it on my birthday wishlist or something LOL


  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
    You could just get the Charge without HR. I find it's enough of a motivation just for the steps and stairs :)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    bbontheb wrote: »
    You could just get the Charge without HR. I find it's enough of a motivation just for the steps and stairs :)

    The Fitbit Charge is only $20 less than the Charge HR, and it has a clasp rather than a buckle—with no heart rate monitor.

    All Fitbits calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and sync with MFP. Which one you choose is a matter of personal preference—and price.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • lauramillat
    lauramillat Posts: 41 Member
    bbontheb wrote: »
    As far as I know, there is no GPS feature on the charge HR (I have it).

    Don't put it on your ankle-I did and it double counted steps.

    I have no solution for it yet (holding stroller) and manual log it as exercise (minimal burn however). I do not sync my fitbit with mfp however and keep it simple...lol. So, if I was out walking stroller I might just time the walk as an exercise :)

    I have the Charge HR as well and yes, the GPS feauture is not on the Charge HR ITSELF, I think the previous poster was referring to tracking a workout with the fitbit APP, from there you can choose to monitor your distance too, rather than just time (which can be done by pressing the button on the fitbit charge HR).
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    reasonle wrote: »
    bbontheb wrote: »
    As far as I know, there is no GPS feature on the charge HR (I have it).

    Don't put it on your ankle-I did and it double counted steps.

    I have no solution for it yet (holding stroller) and manual log it as exercise (minimal burn however). I do not sync my fitbit with mfp however and keep it simple...lol. So, if I was out walking stroller I might just time the walk as an exercise :)

    I have the Charge HR as well and yes, the GPS feauture is not on the Charge HR ITSELF, I think the previous poster was referring to tracking a workout with the fitbit APP, from there you can choose to monitor your distance too, rather than just time (which can be done by pressing the button on the fitbit charge HR).

    ^ You are correct. @bbontheb - I was talking about the "Track Workout - Walk " feature in the Fitbit App. It uses your phone for GPS. The GPS function on the Surge will map your route but the steps/distance will be wrong if it can't detect steps (like when pushing a stroller). Which really bummed me out, because I was hoping it would calculate the distance/steps based on the GPS.
  • bbontheb
    bbontheb Posts: 718 Member
    shadow2soul wrote: »
    reasonle wrote: »
    bbontheb wrote: »
    As far as I know, there is no GPS feature on the charge HR (I have it).

    Don't put it on your ankle-I did and it double counted steps.

    I have no solution for it yet (holding stroller) and manual log it as exercise (minimal burn however). I do not sync my fitbit with mfp however and keep it simple...lol. So, if I was out walking stroller I might just time the walk as an exercise :)

    I have the Charge HR as well and yes, the GPS feauture is not on the Charge HR ITSELF, I think the previous poster was referring to tracking a workout with the fitbit APP, from there you can choose to monitor your distance too, rather than just time (which can be done by pressing the button on the fitbit charge HR).

    ^ You are correct. @bbontheb - I was talking about the "Track Workout - Walk " feature in the Fitbit App. It uses your phone for GPS. The GPS function on the Surge will map your route but the steps/distance will be wrong if it can't detect steps (like when pushing a stroller). Which really bummed me out, because I was hoping it would calculate the distance/steps based on the GPS.

    I had no idea of this feature! Thanks so much.
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