To think someone is cheating on their Fitbit?

[greenmidgetgems]

Totally minor and 1st world problem I know.

But is it actually possible to get 135000 steps in less than 3 days by just going about your day. That includes 65000 steps today alone.

For comparison I do between 8000 and 14000 a day. DH is training for an ultra marathon and did 65000 steps on a 30 mile run.

I have just (being bored) checked this out by setting a two-minute timer while walking briskly with the dog, and muttering 123456.... under my breath. Ok, I take it back - I do around 150 steps a minute rather than 180.

The dog now thinks I'm very odd.

fitbit seems a bit meaningless if you can tot up 'steps' doing something sedentary.

fitbit seems a bit meaningless if you can tot up 'steps' doing something sedentary.

I've found that it sometimes skips steps when I'm walking so it seems to balance out.

Mine does nothing when I'm sedentary. I've kept an eye in mine today, it doesn't move when driving, washing up, waving arms in the air. My husbands doesn't either, if we're having a similar day at the weekend our step count is similar enough.

Kept an eye ON, not IN.

My eye doesn't fit into my fitbit and it wouldn't serve any use if it did.

knitting and crochet add steps too

Only crochet does it for me, not knitting. Must be in the technique! I quite regularly hit my step target chopping veg for dinner too.

My all time record is 25k steps in a day which including probably around 5k of general walking during the day and a running-heavy hour long session of BMF in the evening. I call chinny reckon on doing 65k steps by not doing anything special...

I'm know that the FitBit is probably not 100% accurately counting my steps but I see it as a measure of my general level of activity (it's registered me being asleep when I've been sitting very still at the cinema before!) and so it helps to keep me motivated to keep moving, especially when I am in challenges!

fitbit seems a bit meaningless if you can tot up 'steps' doing something sedentary

Mine doesn't either.

How do they work then?
Do you set the sensitivity? How come it picks up crochet for some people but not for others?

Wearing it on your non dominant hand, with the straps tight and above your wrist bone seems to be part of it. Mine doesn't pick up typing, driving etc, things like chopping veg are done with the other hand.

The 180 steps per minute thing is for elite runners.
For walking the average person walks about 120-140 steps per minute.

WALKING PACE CHART

LEVEL 1: VERY INACTIVE: 80-100 steps per minute = 2 mph (30 minute mile)
LEVEL 2: LIGHTLY ACTIVE: 120 steps per minute = 3 mph (20 minute mile)
LEVEL 3: MODERATELY ACTIVE: 130 steps per minute = 3.5 mph (17-18 minute mile)
LEVEL 4: ACTIVE: 140 steps per minute = 4 mph (15 minute mile)
LEVEL 5: VERY ACTIVE: 150 steps per minute = 4.3 mph (14 minute mile)
LEVEL 6: EXCEPTIONALLY ACTIVE: 160 steps per minute = 4.6 mph (13 minute mile)
LEVEL 7: ATHLETE: 170 steps per minute = 5 mph (12 minute mile)
LEVEL 8: ATHLETE: 180 steps per minute = 5.5 mph (11 minute mile)
LEVEL 9: ATHLETE: 190 steps per minute = 6.0 mph (9-10 minute mile)

That's nonsense, I'm not an elite runner but a distinctly below average plodder:

How do they work?

You need to tell the app whether you are wearing it on your dominant or non dominant hand. You should use it on your non dominant hand ideally.

It uses wrist movement so if you have it wear it on your non dominant hand but do a lot of activity that uses your other hand too - set the app to say you're wearing it on the dominant hand - it will be less sensitive that way and record it less.

You shpuld also use the app to put in an accurate stride length, taking into account at least 20 steps for both walking and running strides. Its more accurate if you know two accurately measured points to walk between and enter your stride rate in manually.

You need to accurate enter your height and gender, esp if letting the Fitbit (or device) set the stride automatically.

My 10k last week was at 10.25 pace and average of 179 steps per min

Actually looking closely at that I wouldn't class 11 min mile runners as anywhere near elite I wish it was

Screenshot is of just sub 8:00 minute pace for 8 miles.

I have short legs - I have no choice but to semi-jog in order to go at 4 miles an hour - so every step is around 0.75 metres, and a mile is over 2000 steps.

Yup, about 140 steps a minute.

How big is your friend's branch of Asda??

psychoactive - thats what is quoted on lots of the running magazines and websites, not just from one. It will be based on an average male stride probably though. That one is for a walking pace - so 180 steps per minute is an 11 minute mile.

This is the running one:

RUNNING PACE CHART (RECREATIONAL TO ATHLETE)
LEVEL 5: VERY ACTIVE: 150 steps per minute = 6.0 mph (10-11 minute mile)
LEVEL 6: EXCEPTIONALLY ACTIVE: 160 steps per minute = 6.7 mph (9 minute mile)
LEVEL 7: ATHLETE 170 steps per minute = 7.5 mph (8 minute mile)
LEVEL 8: ATHLETE 180 steps per minute = 8.8 mph (7 minute mile)
LEVEL 9: ATHLETE 190 steps per minute = 10-12 mph (5-6 minute mile)

Sirzy - that is the WALKING chart not the running one. It is athlete WALKERS. I have posted the running one above.

Ah ok. I have absurdly short legs!

rightsofwomen

This is how they work
help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1143?q=Calculate+steps&l=en_US&fs=Search&pn=1

I wonder if some models are more accurate than others.

Yes, hip ones are most accurate. Arm ones, less so,

Thanks.
I am a runner and use a garmin GPS watch. No idea what my stride length is!

I think mine counts steps accurately (walk a lot and average 14-18K a day) although mine has just congratulated me on 26 min Elliptical this morning even though I have been nowhere near a gym. Perhaps I was swinging my arms more than normal?! Weird, first time it has done that since I got it.

All these devices are rubbish for me because i'm not motivated to read a load of garbage numbers at end of the day. I have done all the supposed calibration tricks they still spit out rubbish numbers. I especially enjoyed the 700 steps I gained listening to a boring talk (was jiggling my leg).

A device that measures distance is fair enough. Pokemon Go says we just walked 5 km. :)

My Fitbit zip which I wear in my front jeans pocket on days off or clipped to my bra on work/dressy days is incredibly accurate. My DP has a wrist worn Fitbit (costing 3-4 times the price of mine) and its way less accurate. Loads of free steps given for arm movements like ironing etc.