I like my FitBit mainly as a tool to get me moving more during my work day and at night when I settle in for TV. I get up during commercials or breaks and walk. I figure anytime I’m not sitting is time spent well. I try to get 6000-80000 steps over what I run, unless I’ve done a really long run and then I don’t worry about the extra steps. The thing I like about FitBit and Vivofit is that they have a display. I have this glitzy cover for my FitBit for formal occasions.
Before FitBit I would have guessed that with all of the walking around I seem to do at work that I had the 10k steps covered easily. I was wrong! i need to do something in addition- treadmill or get outside and walk in order to make it.
Swam for an hour, then did weights.
I like my Fitbit, but it doesn’t motivate me to do more – I’m doing it anyway. I switched to the HR Charge, and have mixed feelings about it. It definitely undercounted my steps the other day - - by a fair amount, probably because my hands were in my pockets. And the heart rate part works most of the time, but sometimes is definitely off.
My husband has lost two Fitbits, both times when he went through airport security and emptied his pockets. He’s got an Apple Watch now, which he can’t lose. But nothing motivates him to move more. In the winter, when I can’t get him to go outside, he probably walks under 500 steps a day. Grrr.
My D sent me her Fitbit that she wasn’t using and today is the first day using it. Not sure how accurate it is. It showed that I had activity minutes getting my sports bra on lol!
I had to wait around the house waiting for a repair person but after went XC skiing for an hour. Got my 10,000 steps in.
Jym, I’m in Northern Michigan, I’m just XC skiing. There is a downhill ski resort close to my house but we like XC better. My H had neck fusion surgery 2 years ago and his days of downhill skiing are over.
Deb- I’ve mentioned that I get a lot of steps if I clap at a concert or sporting event. My daughter and son in law got 18000 steps riding in a jeep on rough roads on safari in Kenya once. The counters are not accurate, but they are good enough for most purposes. I figure 2000 steps to a mile for me. You will get steps brushing your teeth!
I have a deep dark secret I need to confess.
As others have mentioned, I get a lot of satisfaction in seeing the orange bar in my Garmin Connect confirming my 10,000 steps each day. I have a goal of achieving 10k each day in 2016 and have achieved the goal so far.
When I’m running, achieving 10k steps is no problem. I’m typically over 16k a day. As many of you know, your steps barely register when you are cycling.
As a result, when I cycle for 1 1/2 hours, I sit upright and move my arms in a running motion to help me achieve my 10k steps. I feel “justified” in doing this because if I feel if I substituted walking, running, etc I would have achieved my 10k. I have only told my wife. She feels that I am cheating. I think I’m just “bending” the rules and complying with spirit of the 10k rules. (I think she only feels that way because we have a “friendly” steps competition going on!)
There it is. I have bared my soul. I have confessed my sin to the fitness community. Please forgive my transgression!
LOL Ohio. I love stuff like that! I think you are totally justified in counting it! I actually clap with one hand at the basketball games so I don’t mess up my step count!
Ohio, you are engaging in a creative adaptation of technology and are to be commended for your innovation, not chastised! 
What Michael said! 
it is also a novel type of fusion exercise! Because your arm muscles burn some calories while you move the arms while cycling, you are cyclewalking.
Walked the puppy (who’s 6 months today) for 1.5 miles. She’s doing better with the snow/ice. Afterwards, I went to flow class, which was taught by my favorite instructor. She teaches a fast-paced class–always does crow and eagle–which are really hard for me because I’ve got a bad ankle (hardware/inflexible) and am challenged by poses that require balance.
@ohiopublic Since you confessed–you’ll also have to do 3 Hail Marys!
@abasket Do you know others in your workplace who are disappointed with the new schedule at the fitness center–could you all send/sign a joint email/letter to the person in charge of programming and let him/her know that you’re dissatisfied/disappointed with the new offerings? It might help.
@BunsenBurner I have a good friend who works for a startup that created a monitoring system for elderly who suffer from numerous chronic conditions. The clients have sensors (worn around the neck) that send data to a care team (including physicians)–clients are also tied into a computer/care portal that sends reminders about medication, diet, etc. Care providers get tons of data–the system alerts caregivers when a client is not in compliance. They finished testing and have a contract with a visiting nurse association for use with the group’s elderly patients. It’s clearly a whole lot more monitoring than a Fitbit–seems a little big brother to me. I just want to stay healthy so that I don’t have chronic conditions.
I hope I didn’t sound critical of everyone using trackers - that wasn’t my intent - I’m just obsessive about enough other stuff things could really get out of hand if I used a tracker too!
I completely get what you are saying, sabaray. Besides, you do so much else that doesn’t involve steps. My whole reason for getting the tracker (and I also had the fear of becoming obsessed with yet another statistic) was to get myself moving more at work. With my job, I can wind up doing a LOT of sitting. The standing desk has been terrific, too.
Interesting, Bromfield!
Here is a good article describing the challenges that makers of implantable and patch-based electronic sensors face:
http://www.nature.com/news/the-inside-story-on-wearable-electronics-1.18906
OK - new update on the Jawbone - it is going back. I suddenly “lost” about 1000 steps & it re-set itself back to a previous step count. From what I can tell online, this is not an isolated occurrence. I cannot afford to lose steps on the 2016 challenge! Luckily I have my old $5 step counter in my pocket today as I was interested in comparing the two at the end of the day. Guess the $5 item is superior!
Ok, I am truly LOL’ing!!! First, over Deb and the sports bra- hey, when I"m all sweaty it CAN BE a real effort to get that sucker off!!! SO FUNNY!
And Ohiopublic - the picture I have in my mind of you waving your hand on your bike - omg! I don’t blame you - WE WANT CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE!!! On my Charge HR I enter in activity like spinning that won’t get counted in actual steps - I will have to look more closely but I think it almost "credits’ some steps back for those non-stepped activities.
Obsessive? No, really !!! It’s those silly habits and eagerness to meet a goal - be it 10 miles or 10,000 steps a day that make us the pretty darn dedicated folks we are!
@Bromfield2 , there has been a lot of talk - and honestly, complaining to the instructors - not at - each class I attended this week. I have been thinking about writing or talking to someone myself - and just today thought about asking a few other people - there is a core group of 8-10 people who have regularly been attending classes and are employees - not 20 year old college students. People in their 30’s on up - besides maybe one other research doc that I know who comes occasionally, I’m pretty confident that I"m the oldest! Some are overweight - but dang it, they show up several times a week to do their best. That consistent effort should be recognized and encouraged - especially in a healthcare facility!! - boggles my mind!!!
I agree abasket- what is so cool about this thread is that even though we are accused of being “hardcore”, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we readily admit our foibles and failings! That’s what keeps it so fun.
I failed today with the M&M machine. When I have Bi Bim Bap for lunch, I crave something sweet when I get back to the office. And there on my desk loomed the candy machine!
Does anyone know offhand how many steps is a “flight” for FitBit purposes? I tend to go up and down stairs a lot at work, and one of my flights - between our ground floor which has really high ceilings and the 2nd floor- is double the steps of the other floors. I park on ground, my office is on 3, my boss is on 2 and a lot of my clients are on 4. Sometimes we use the elevators if we are in the middle of the building and it makes sense, but I try to do the stairs as much as possible.
Thank you, Michael, so very much. I really appreciate your insight. Honestly, there are only a couple of machines that I feel really did me much good or that felt “good”. One is the leg press and the other is the seated leg curl.
By the way,I love the illustrations found here:
I saw this on Fitbit help: Your tracker registers one floor when you climb about ten feet at one time. It does not register floors when you go down.
I have wondered myself - at work there are some doozy stairs (many steps) and a couple of short flights - like 5 down to our tunnel system.
Thanks abasket. I know when I run hills it registers stairs often.
I read myself to sleep every night.