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Correct in Steps, not Distance

soccerkon26
soccerkon26 Posts: 596 Member
edited December 2024 in Social Groups
My Fitbit is very accurate when it comes to the amount of steps I take, but is extremely inaccurate in terms of distance. Does anyone else have this problem?

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    You need to measure your stride length and then input that into settings. By default it just uses the average stride length for someone of your height.
  • Panthers89
    Panthers89 Posts: 153 Member
    The stride length is definitely essential for accuracy. However, I have noticed there is a difference in measured distance when on a treadmill vs outside. My uneducated guess is my stride is longer when on the treadmill, thus throwing the distance off - usually about a tenth of every mile when running, a little more like .04 per mile of walking.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Find a known distance - track or such. Longer the better, or loops used. Running may not be as long.

    Start Activity Record with button as you walk at average daily pace (not grocery store shuffle, not exercise level) for the known distance.
    Then do that again with whatever your average jog speed is.

    As you get better - will likely need to update both, walking probably not so much.

    Then look at those records later as to distance Fitbit claims it saw, along with steps seen.
    You have known distance you actually did.

    Actual distance in feet (or miles x 5280) / steps = decimal feet.inches (say 2.4) per stride.
    Enter the feet (say 2) into that stat.
    Take 0.inches (say 0.4) x 12 = decimal inches (4.8) and enter that into that stat.

    Same routine with running.
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
    An alternative to having a known distance - such as a track - is to use an app like MapMyWalk or even the Fitbit mobile app. The rest is the same as heybales describes.

    @Panthers89 : My stride is shorter on the treadmill (and I can't walk or run as fast on the treadmill). I let it be wrong on the treadmill in favor of it being right during normal walking/running.
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