Fitness Trackers: How do you use the data? Favorite features / settings?

The only fitness tracker like thing I use is Strava, and the most important features are distance and elevation.

Do you have a Garmin Connect account? It allows for easier set up and putting in your personal info.

https://connect.garmin.com

I have a Fenix3 and mostly track calories and steps but come race season I'll be really tracking heart rate and times during runs. (I don't have the built in hrm model).

I actually have calorie adjustments to MFP outside recorded exercises turned off. Garmin uses a different BMR formula than MFP so I find its most accurate to just send over things like brisk walking and running calories so i know days i need to eat more as a result of those activities.

I just bought the same one and have had it a week. Honestly, I wonder how much of it is accurate because I have a hard time believing that I burn as many calories as it says I do. Its not outrageous or anything but seems a little high when I use the "walking" setting. I like the tracker but if its not accurate it defeats the purpose of having it for me. I know the step counter is off because it picks up some steps while I am driving and I know the stair step counter is off too. Just makes me wonder how accurate the rest of it is. Drives me crazy.

I have a fitbit surge. I wanted it because I wanted the non-connected GPS. I had planned to buy headphone with internal memory. In reality they took way longer to come out (I was eyeing the Bragi ones) and by the time they did I had other things I needed to spend my money on.

I have no idea if the calorie burn is right, when I did track calories I also had an underactive thyroid. I havent returned to cal counting since being on medication (it took 18mths to get to a normal range).

I like the HR monitor. I can see that medication has an effect on my HR, both resting and during exercise is higher and I can actually push myself harder where as before If i did I ran out of puff really quickly.

I've been slowing working towards increasing my step count. So I use that feature to look back on and compare.

Active minutes I dont use as much as I used to. I only record cardio activity and ignore weightlifting. It sometimes picks up my weekly shopping as cycling.

LOVE the alarm! Use this daily and its great if you dont want to wake your partner when you get up.

youdoyou2016 wrote: »

More generally, how do you use your trackers? What data do you use / settings to you appreciate? How does it help you in your goals? What is it good for, in your experience?

Here's something I just started to appreciate - it tracks stride length when I ski. I'm using my own muscle power, no lift or anything. I'll push off against the snow, and, the better my strength and technique and gear are, the farther I'll glide. I just figured out how to record this for skiing, and I wish I'd had that data when I bought my skis. I compared them based on how I felt, but this would have been helpful too.

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1583992367

Another thing I like about mine is that it automatically tracks the highest 20 minute average power output every time I ride my bike, and lets me know when I've improved in this regard. When it tells me I have, I go and update my FTP to 95 % of whatever number it gave me. Much easier and less disruptive than having to do manual testing regularly.

Also, the "map" view. I skied the Mountain Loop yesterday, I forgot to load waypoints, and it was bothering me not to have them.

Really like having a barometric altimeter. Besides it being more accurate than GPS, it's great for predicting short-term weather changes outside of cell coverage.

I thought the "smart notifications" (getting texts and stuff on your wrist) would be a gimmick, but it turns out this is really useful.

youdoyou2016 wrote: »

I recently purchased a refurbished Garmin Viviosmart HR. Works fine, but no instructions or info included in the package. Basically, I just charged it, put it on, and scroll through the screens every so often.

I was just going to start digging around to understand the basic set up for it -- the underlying premise, if you will -- when I thought I'd ask about this here, too. For example, I have a calorie goal; the watch tells me that so far this morning (6:30 AM), I've burned 407 calories; the app says I've burned 31 active calories and have 1230 calories remaining (haven't eaten yet).

Specifically, what is the formula it's using to get this information?

More generally, how do you use your trackers? What data do you use / settings to you appreciate? How does it help you in your goals? What is it good for, in your experience?

I know I'm asking specifically about the Garmin, but my guess is that these trackers all work essentially the same. (Obviously, I could be wrong here ... but I'm assuming we have the ability to track the same information more or less. It's how to use it that interests me.)

(I'm still losing weight but close to maintenance, if that matters.)

I have a Garmin Viovit 3rd generation and i love it! I love knowing how many steps i have achieved...it pushes me to keep walking and reach my goals. But that is all i use it for. and the fact that it is a watch too.

I just read somewhere else that one issue with activity trackers that read your heart rate is that it could identify an increased heart rate from something like being stressed out for exercise.

Nikion901 wrote: »

I just read somewhere else that one issue with activity trackers that read your heart rate is that it could identify an increased heart rate from something like being stressed out for exercise.

That's not really an issue with activity trackers, it's an issue with the concept that your heart rate is (only) a fitness thing. Running will raise your heart rate, but so will caffeine. The problem isn't that these devices report an elevated heart rate, they should, if it's the truth. The problem is assuming what your heart rate means.

If your device uses a barometric altimeter to do its "stairs" feature, those can be fooled by changes in air pressure, which are usually associated with changing weather patterns. My "stairs" go crazy every time there's a winter storm.

I use my Fitbit Charge HR2, previously had the Charge HR. I don't really need encouragement for steps, as a lot of people do who use it. I actually really like seeing calories burnt. I decided to very closely and accurately track my calories, weight fluctuation, and Fitbit readings for MONTHS (like, 6), to see how accurate this number was for when I transitioned to maintenance. I found it to be about 90% accurate (for me--everyone is different), which really helped me set a goal for maintenance calories. I stick to being about 10% under what it says I burn, and so far have been maintaining since October using this. It also helps encourage me to be more active, not in steps, but in a multitude of ways, to get my heart rate up. As others have mentioned, I like knowing how my resting heart rate changes. It also logs sleep, not sure which other trackers do that, but it's nice because it's such an important part of health that is outside the calorie world. I typically know if I haven't slept enough, but seeing it there encourages me to get to bed a little earlier the next night.

I love my Charge HR. I spin a lot (8 classes a week on average). I track a specific "start" and "finish" moment and compare my performance. It keeps me honest - I know when I took it too easy. I've also become quite expert at predicted my avg HR in a class and avg total burn.

I know these numbers are not necessarily accurate. For me, the value is in comparing relative performance. I also have my fitbit settings underestimating performance generally (I tell it I'm older and shorter than I am).