Do you walk in place to reach your step goal?

Tolstolobik
Tolstolobik Posts: 78 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I sometimes like to walk or jog in place. Will those steps be "legitimate" for my Fitbit step goal?

Replies

  • dechowj
    dechowj Posts: 148 Member
    I find that my fitbit doesn't up the step count when I walk in place. I have to actually move around a bit. So I do loser laps around my house or office or I pace in front of my computer.
  • deepwoodslady
    deepwoodslady Posts: 12,154 Member
    I do step in place or sometimes march but the others are right. I don't always get credit for all my steps on my fitbit so it does take more steps & longer to reach goal. Walking up & down my hallway in my house, or generally around my house gets them faster & more accurately. I think it moves more muscles around in the body so it probably actually burns more going around corners & doing general natural walking.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited April 2019
    Fitbit doesn't do well with stationary steps. The motion of walking involves more than stomping feet, so the algorithm doesn't always recognize walking in place. With that said, not I don't walk in place. When I used to do step challenges I used to walk around the kitchen or the garden to get reach steps, then it became a chore so I stopped doing challenges. I try to walk as often as I'm able, but I don't exactly force myself to achieve a certain step goal. It's dangerous for me because I'm a logical rebel, if I feel I have to do it without a good reason, I stop doing it and lose interest in walking more all together.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    edited April 2019
    I do at work. I have a lot of downtime where I usually read (or MFP), so instead I will walk in place while reading. I try to get to 15 minutes because then it'll count it as a work out, lol. For me, is does count all the steps, as far as I can tell.

    ETA: when it does log it as a work out, it logs it as being on the elliptical, which makes since in my head :)
  • Tolstolobik
    Tolstolobik Posts: 78 Member
    edited April 2019
    Thank you so much for your insightful replies! I get excited when I discover another nugget of wisdom on the art of maintenance using technology.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I'll expand beyond the step goal aspect.

    There is also the aspect of what distance did it think you did from that impact - and resulting calories assigned.

    You probably could find exactly the sweet spot that would match so that it was accurate - if all the steps were seen.

    But the likely hood of that could be very iffy.

    Help a lady once who jogged in place the first 5 min of every hour the whole day.
    She had HR data too.
    So got on a treadmill and matched the turnover and got the HR to match.
    Her pace and distance happened to match almost exactly what Fitbit assigned to the in-place jogging.

    But it so easily could have been wrong, she very much lucked out.

    Higher knee raise and/or just more pounding could have given inflated values.
    Lower knee raise other direction.
  • Kimmotion5783
    Kimmotion5783 Posts: 417 Member
    I sort of do that, but not in a single spot. It's more like pacing back and forth. I find that stepping in place doesn't seem to affect my Fitbit as much.
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 494 Member
    dechowj wrote: »
    ...I do loser laps around my house...

    Loser laps! So that's what I've been doing around the dining table late at night to get in all my missed steps. lol

  • Tolstolobik
    Tolstolobik Posts: 78 Member
    edited April 2019
    heybales wrote: »
    I'll expand beyond the step goal aspect.

    There is also the aspect of what distance did it think you did from that impact - and resulting calories assigned.

    You probably could find exactly the sweet spot that would match so that it was accurate - if all the steps were seen.

    But the likely hood of that could be very iffy.

    Help a lady once who jogged in place the first 5 min of every hour the whole day.
    She had HR data too.
    So got on a treadmill and matched the turnover and got the HR to match.
    Her pace and distance happened to match almost exactly what Fitbit assigned to the in-place jogging.

    But it so easily could have been wrong, she very much lucked out.

    Higher knee raise and/or just more pounding could have given inflated values.
    Lower knee raise other direction.

    Heybales! I've read numerous posts by you in regards to Fitbit....I learned so many good nuggets of wisdom. You have inspired me to check the length of my stride. Thank you!
    Do you know if there is a difference in accuracy in Fitbits that are ment to be worn on your wrist as opposed to the clip on ones? I am looking into upgrading mine in the near future. I am looking at the new Inspire that I can clip on my bra. My question is...will I get a more accurate reading from an Inspire HR(wrist only) if all I do is mainly walk for exercise(I also swim recreationally with my kids during summer months) and do occasional squats and push-ups?
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    My Garmin definitely counts walking in place steps and so do I! I get great workouts from Leslie Sansone "walks" and a lot of those are walking in place. Some take you up and back, side to side, but a portion of it is in place :)
  • wenrob
    wenrob Posts: 125 Member
    Laps around the island/dining room table while watching Days of Our Lives. :D Since I switched to an Apple Watch I now focus more on closing my exercise and activity rings. Makes me work harder and I’m no longer hyper focused on the step count.
  • lx1x
    lx1x Posts: 38,330 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Fitbit doesn't do well with stationary steps. The motion of walking involves more than stomping feet, so the algorithm doesn't always recognize walking in place. With that said, not I don't walk in place. When I used to do step challenges I used to walk around the kitchen or the garden to get reach steps, then it became a chore so I stopped doing challenges. I try to walk as often as I'm able, but I don't exactly force myself to achieve a certain step goal. It's dangerous for me because I'm a logical rebel, if I feel I have to do it without a good reason, I stop doing it and lose interest in walking more all together.

    You can walk in place.. just have to swing your arm like you walking..


  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Tolstolobik wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    I'll expand beyond the step goal aspect.

    There is also the aspect of what distance did it think you did from that impact - and resulting calories assigned.

    You probably could find exactly the sweet spot that would match so that it was accurate - if all the steps were seen.

    But the likely hood of that could be very iffy.

    Help a lady once who jogged in place the first 5 min of every hour the whole day.
    She had HR data too.
    So got on a treadmill and matched the turnover and got the HR to match.
    Her pace and distance happened to match almost exactly what Fitbit assigned to the in-place jogging.

    But it so easily could have been wrong, she very much lucked out.

    Higher knee raise and/or just more pounding could have given inflated values.
    Lower knee raise other direction.

    Heybales! I've read numerous posts by you in regards to Fitbit....I learned so many good nuggets of wisdom. You have inspired me to check the length of my stride. Thank you!
    Do you know if there is a difference in accuracy in Fitbits that are ment to be worn on your wrist as opposed to the clip on ones? I am looking into upgrading mine in the near future. I am looking at the new Inspire that I can clip on my bra. My question is...will I get a more accurate reading from an Inspire HR(wrist only) if all I do is mainly walk for exercise(I also swim recreationally with my kids during summer months) and do occasional squats and push-ups?

    The devices are attempting to read impact of each step - when on the wrist attempting to do that despite the swing of the arm, so usually extra logic and settings to allow fine tuning that method for better accuracy.

    So either device in your example would work fine.
    Difference would be if you are curious enough about HR throughout the day and all the useful info that provides (/sarcasm).

    Body device is better if decent steps while with shopping cart. Though wrist device put on body then can work fine usually.

  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    I march in place often, ensuring my knees are raised high with each step as well as exaggerated arm movements. I also step side to side (sort of a grapevine move for those who have done aerobic dancing) ... I allow my Fitbit to capture those steps but I don't log as a workout in MFP ... if your arms are swinging and those knees get raised, you can burn a few calories!
  • sammidelvecchio
    sammidelvecchio Posts: 791 Member
    JennJ323 wrote: »
    sammidelvecchio wrote: »
    My Garmin definitely counts walking in place steps and so do I! I get great workouts from Leslie Sansone "walks" and a lot of those are walking in place. Some take you up and back, side to side, but a portion of it is in place :)

    I recently tried some of her YouTube videos, I was shocked at the workout I got from a "walking video." Definitely gets me sweaty if I do the longer ones!

    Girl, my mom used to talk non-stop about these videos. But I never took them seriously until I tried one. I LOVE Leslie and the workouts are great. I told my sister I was doing them and she laughed, like I used to at my mom but now she's doing them too! Leslie for life.
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    i don't walk in place as that doesn't work well with the fitbit at raising count. i DO house walk. meaning i walk around the house back and forth when i'm a bit low on steps or i want to round up. especially if weather is bad or i can't leave the house (ex: something in the oven).

    i totally feel those are legit steps.

    I do this as well.
  • r5abel
    r5abel Posts: 1 Member
    I work out of my home. I try to get up each hour and get my steps in. I walk, March and jog in place. I also give my arms a workout at the same time. If I’m short steps or just feel like I need a bit more, i put my fit bit on my ankle and do some old fashioned bicycling on the floor. This also works my abs a little.
    My Fitbit seems to keep track.
  • kbmnurse1
    kbmnurse1 Posts: 316 Member
    LOL.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    r5abel wrote: »
    I work out of my home. I try to get up each hour and get my steps in. I walk, March and jog in place. I also give my arms a workout at the same time. If I’m short steps or just feel like I need a bit more, i put my fit bit on my ankle and do some old fashioned bicycling on the floor. This also works my abs a little.
    My Fitbit seems to keep track.

    Keeps track of steps.

    Just be aware the distance calculated off those steps, and resulting calorie burn, have no reality to the actual calorie burn you are doing cycling.

    I'd imagine in fact it's only seeing slight impact from one foot, not sure how it could even sense the other one.
    so probably half the steps.
  • mk2fit
    mk2fit Posts: 730 Member
    Welcome to the Borg! Silly fitbit. It gives me steps for drying my hair. Rather that worrying about/counting steps, which is so arbitrary, focus on how many calories you are burning. If you get up and walk for 5-10 minutes each hour, you are doing fine. Add in a couple of mile walks, a run, or a good 15-30 minute cardio video and you are OK.
    Basically, fitbit and all the other fitness trackers are for making sure we aren't sitting on our fannies all day. (Not to mention making a buck or two off of us!)
    Get up and move...walk, run, dance, clean house

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