Best fitness tracking device/app?

TeaCord87
TeaCord87 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 26 in Fitness and Exercise
I was hoping to get some opinions on the best exercise tracking apps and devices that people have found. I have been tracking my walks/jogs on my iPhone health app and Map My Run but the difference in statistics is frustrating. For instance, today after my walk the Map My Run app said I went 5.3 miles (when yesterday I took the same route and it said 4.7 miles) and the health app said I have walked 3.3 miles for the whole day so far. It's frustrating when the numbers are so far off, not sure what to trust. Also I have been thinking about buying either a polar watch, up band, or fit bit charge. Any recommendations on which is the best and most accurate? I mainly want to track calories burned during walks/jogs, Zumba, weight lifting, etc.

Replies

  • NJGamerChick
    NJGamerChick Posts: 467 Member
    If I'm walking a set course, I plug my course into a website and then figure out the time and speed that way input into mfp. I can link if you're interested when I'm on my laptop.

    I wonder if the apps are losing gps signal where you are, but that could explain what's going on.
  • jdbinuk
    jdbinuk Posts: 5 Member
    Endermondo is pretty good and integrates with MFP, so your workouts there get uploaded right into your profile. It also covers more than just runs / walks / cycling so you can put gym activity in there too.

    Hope that helps! :)
  • TeaCord87
    TeaCord87 Posts: 4 Member
    Ok cool, thanks for the suggestions
  • jaywirth88
    jaywirth88 Posts: 66 Member
    I just got the fitbit charge hr a few days ago and im really liking it.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,399 Member
    Take your time and do some research. While devices that use heart rate are good at some things, they are bad at others, such as weight lifting. Also consider integration with this app or any other apps you want to use. Some users have had issues with certain devices.

    As for apps.... test them and compare them to known fairly accurate formulas you can find online. I used Endomondo for years, and quit using it for most stuff since it was grossly overestimating my calorie burns on my primary exercise types. As in logging plenty of calories even if I didn't move. I think the MapMyWhatever apps have been known to do the same.

    And I'm not being the "glass half empty" pessimist, I really wish there were good options for getting exercise calories closer to right. I've been looking and watching here and elsewhere, and it seems almost all of them have good and bad points.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    TeaCord87 wrote: »
    For instance, today after my walk the Map My Run app said I went 5.3 miles (when yesterday I took the same route and it said 4.7 miles) and the health app said I have walked 3.3 miles for the whole day so far.

    The phone app uses your phone GPS, so all apps will have the same GPS tracking input. So it's then worth thinking about the route, and the weather. Phone GPS is pretty limited so if your route had a lot of elevations around you; trees, buildings, etc then the GPS track will be less consistent, equally if tree cover is dense then the signal will be weaker. Fog and heavy rain have the same effect.

    The step tracker makes an assumption about step length, that's invalid if you're doing a run/ walk session as your pace lengths differ.

    In practice there is no one tool that will do everything that you want.

    If you're aiming to get to longer distances with your running, as you're saying run/ walk I'm assuming something like a C25K plan, then GPS based remains your best option. Personally I never rated MapyFitness when I tried it. I prefer Endomondo and Strava for phone based tracking, although nowadays I use a Garmin Forerunner. It's worth noting that Endomondo does seem to overestimate BMR.

    The usefulness of a step tracker really depends on your lifestyle. Mine doesn't tell me much I don't know already. On days I'm in the office a lot I'm conscious that I'm taking fewer, shorter steps so I'm more sceptical of what it says, compared to a day I'm out and about a lot.

    As far as other training is concerned, there is no reliable way to externally estimate calories expended in either Zumba or resistance training.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    I have a Fitbit, but use it mostly to ensure I beat the goal of steps per day (usually 13,000) and to monitor my activity. If it's low, I go do something physical.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • TeaCord87
    TeaCord87 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for the reply everyone. Sounds like there's no perfect solution so I'll probably just keep using my phone for a general idea instead of spending money on a device.
  • TeaCord87
    TeaCord87 Posts: 4 Member
    I'm just surprised at all of the success stories on my fitness pal where people are owing it all to this app when it seems to be hard to get a super accurate count of calories in and out. But i guess just using it to keep a log and accountability helps in itself.
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