Garmin Challenges and Badges

Do you have a cite that says it's that structured and specific in its triggers? I've read the Garmin docs on this, and it seems more multi-factorial than that. It also differs by device - I think your Fenix is the more sophisticated range, whereas my Vivoactive 4 is more simplistic (though still multi-factorial). In the more sophisticated devices, it appears to consider more variables, plus they say Garmin Connect provides personalized recommended actions for improving fitness age.

Here's what I read:

Overview - https://www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-technology/health-science/fitness-age/

FAQ with more details - https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=CM1YJmMrrNAbEpM9PapJ07

Garmin's estimate for me is flattering - startling, even - but I don't believe it for a minute.

I turned 69 in November 2024. Below is what Garmin says currently. It's been lower, I don't remember exactly how low, but I remember laughing because the number was below the age of majority here, so less than 21.

I'm willing to believe I have a higher VO2max than average given my history, but I doubt it's as high as that estimate . . . and any fitness age it's suggested has been absurd and ridiculous. In contrast, my tricksy bluetooth body scale says my metabolic age is 67. I'm not sure I even believe that.

As context, I've been active in a cardiovascularly intense sport - on-water and machine rowing - for almost 22 years, starting when obese, and way before I had anything like the modern Garmins.

@yirara Yeah, I get nothing like that in either phone or browser Garmin Connect with my Vivoactive 4, which is consistent with the Garmin documentation. All I get in both is the content I put in my PP. I guess if I want my fitness age to stay low or get lower I'll need to figure that out on my own. 😉😆

Yeah, I agree. Sometimes out of pure curiosity I think about getting tested, because there's a university sports med clinic nearby that I think does that. There aren't many calculator-type estimators for rowing. The one at Concept 2, based on my rowing machine stats and body weight/sex, puts mine at somewhere between 18.33 if I were elite training-wise (which I'm not) or 31.5 if a beginner (which I'm also not).

Sharing just for laughs: I tried another online estimator that had a 1-mile walk test, a 2k row test, and an estimate based on resting heart rate. It said my estimated VO2max was -4 (yes, a negative number), 14, or 49 respectively. I'm doubtful, especially about the -4. 🤣

@yirara and @AnnPT77 as always you are both a wealth of information! I'm relatively new to Garmin and haven't figured out all the bells and whistles yet. Usually figure out something exists when I get a message like "congratulations you just lowered your fitness age!" I'm like what? What is this you speak of and where are you buried in my settings? 😂

Mine is only off a little, 61 vice actual if 64. I figured it wasn't extremely accurate but fun to get messages like that, a little pat on the back so to speak.

I did a little better on the challenges this month so that's a plus also.

Again, I have read posts from both of you over the years and always learn something new. I've never taken the time to thank you for the time and effort you put in to giving well thought out answers to strangers on the internet. Even when it's the same question you've answered a dozen times before. Thank you. 💐

@frankwbrown I haven't forgotten you. You are the reason that I switched from Fitbit to Garmin. Thanks for all the information you gave me during that process and for starting this thread.

@frankwbrown I don't know what they consider, other than the two articles I linked upthread. They do mention using heart rate in a generic way, but I don't remember them being specific about what aspects of heart rate, other than resting.

Garmin doesn't usually see a good version of my heart rate recovery, because I usually do a cool-down (CD) at the end of machine cycling or rowing, of 2-3 minutes. Garmin sees that as part of the activity, and I've usually gone from a peak heart rate toward the end of the pre-CD workout that's anywhere from the 130s to 160s bpm down to 125 bpm or lower during the CD. After I stop the activity, Garmin usually tells me the recovery heart rate drop is 20-22 bpm further than that.

Of the 4 factors you mentioned in your PP, this is where I stand:

• Vigorous Days - maintain at least 3 days/wk — I usually but not always exercise 6 days/wk, and there's almost always some vigorous intensity in those days.
• Vigorous Minutes - maintain at least 75 min/wk — Over the past year I've averaged 103 vigorous minutes and 72 moderate minutes, so averaged 278 intensity minutes, but it varies wildly. Only 7 weeks in the past year were under 150 intensity minutes, two of which were zero (just after getting out of the neurology ICU for the head injury 😬); the high week was 655 intensity minutes, 117 moderate and 269 vigorous. NGL, there was a lot of snow-shoveling and ice-chipping that week, at my house and at a friend's house where I was house-sitting, and I recorded that as exercise in addition to the usual stuff.
• Resting Heart Rate - maintain 50 bpm — mine averaged 52 over the past year, varies up and down around that of course, but spiked after the hospital thing.
• BMI - reduce BMI to 22.6 — I've been around BMI 22-point-something for a while, but I'm female and non-tall, 5'5", 165 cm.

Keep in mind that I have one of the lower-tier devices when it comes to estimating fitness age, too - Vivoactive 4, so in my case it's the less sophisticated estimate. I don't remember what device you have.

One thing I wonder about - with respect to anyone here - is whether you have a personalized HRmax defined to Garmin. Most people at large don't have a tested HRmax value to input, but it sounds like some of you have done other sports-lab type tests, so I wonder if you do. Many people end up relying on the default, which is 220 minus age for Garmin. Quite a large minority of people differ meaningfully from the 220 minus age default, IMU - more genetics than fitness related.

I don't know what effect setting personalized HRmax has on Garmin's fitness age or VO2max estimates directly, but it can have a major real world training effect. I'd severely undertrain if I used the default, and that undertraining could affect actual VO2max, since intensity helps develop VO2max.

I personally wouldn't rely on a medical test estimate of HRmax: The only cardiac stress test I had they stopped me way before I was maxed out, around the point where I hit 220 minus age. But I did a rowing machine test for training planning purposes a few year ago, and use that estimate. It was 181 bpm at the time. It would usually go down a bit with aging, but since my rate of perceived exertion (RPE) still correlates pretty well with zones based on that HRmax, I figure that's close enough. The resulting zones are quite different from what I'd get if I thought my actual HRmax was 220 - 69 = 151. I go over 151 pretty regularly, and can stay there without undue stress. Of course it's more fatiguing, but I can still talk to the extent I'd expect mid-zone-4.

While I am aware that I need to pick up the pace of movement to maximize the health benefits there is nothing like seeing it in black and white

Since I am starting with the bar so low, I’m hoping small changes I will stick with and can build upon will become my way forward. 🤷‍♀️

Got in a good outdoor walk and completed not only the March Weekend Walking but also March Walking and 2025 Walking - Stage 1 this weekend.

This has been a super helpful thread. I have a vivomove trend that I got in February when my older Garmin stopped working. So many things a i didn't know it could do. Love it even more now. Thanks all!!

My favourites are the hike/climb Expeditions… I have racked up quite a few of those, but I want to finish them ALL!

I do a lot of hill walking on Saturdays (teaching children to ski at a local dry ski slope), and I set my Garmin to ‘Hike’ as it’s the most accurate way to describe what I’m doing (i.e. not much actual skiing, even though I’m wearing boots, skis and a helmet!).

These are the two I’m currently ‘working on’:

I might finish the March gains badge today (or Friday), and I only need 20km to get the March running badge.

I finished the strength training badge yesterday. Now on to working on the 80.5km running one. 20km left to run, with 4 runs planned still.

@frankwbrown I was not aware of it but good to know, especially on days when I'm out biking without my husband so he'll know where I am. I will definitely check it out. Great job on your run!