FitBit Charge HR question

[East Bay Rider]

I won a FitBit Charge HR last night at the company Christmas party and am curious about it.
I'm right handed so my non-dominant is my left. However that's the wrist I wear my watch on so I've decided to wear it on my right anyway. I hope it'll still be somewhat accurate.
I like gadgets and it was free so that's cool but in truth right now I'm a middle age fat guy with arthritis and back problems - hoping to use it as a tool for motivation, get moving more etc.
Now I'm already thinking about New Years resolutions. Yeah fitness.
How are you using your fitness trackers? Are they doing all they promise and are you getting good, useful data?

[77T]

If it helps you change things then they are fine. My Apple Watch & Runkeeper app do a good job for me.

But if you keep the same habits then they only tell you what you prolly already knew.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rr-nyc]

I used the Jawbone UP for a few years until the 3rd one broke and I gave up. It is a useful tool to monitor your activity and sleep. Most sync to your phone so you can see your day, week, month, and year in review.

UP also had an inactivity alarm that would vibrate the band to remind you that you've been inactive for xx min (user defined). With the band, I first started out with a goal of 10k steps, which in NYC isn't all that hard, but even with all the walking NYers do, it still required me to get up and walk more.

Fitbit is supposed to be the best out there. A childhood friend is a VP over there and he has bugged me to start using one.

[123Blueface]

I purchased it and returned it.
Didn't find it to be accurate as compared to a Polar with a chest strap.
Picked up a Mio instead and seems to be accurate. Just not a step counter but works well for my need for jogging.

[East Bay Rider]

I've already found this tool useful; not for counting footsteps or stair climbs (that will come) but for analyzing sleep.
It seems I'm not sleeping enough, or very well.
I guess much emphasis must be placed on improving sleep habits as well as steps.

[beshannon]

I have been using a Fitbit One for nearly three years. I am pleased with the performance and the data I collect.

The data is only as useful as a person chooses to make it.

I know two people who bought Fitbit's one used his for a month the other never used it at all.

The device cannot make you want to be healthy.

[Dr.Brian]

I use the Charge HR. It seems accurate for me, except for an occasional crazy stair count (~70 vs 10 flights). You can go into the app and select that it's on your dominant hand.
I also use it to track my sleep habits as well. I know that I don't sleep as much as I should, for many reasons, but seeing it staring you in the face helps me recognize the problem and try to improve my sleep habits.
Have fun with it. You could always flip it on Craig's list for a nice bottle of wine/whisky. ;)

[East Bay Rider]

There are 3 of us at work that won these FitBits. We're comparing results and that's dialog, awareness etc. It really illustrates how bad my sleep habits are comparatively.
I'm also in a group challenge which is interesting. The members of the group are ranked by activity level so there's competition involved. Always a great motivator. Today I was able to walk more than usual and meet the default 10,000 step goal.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Originally Posted by East Bay Rider

I won a FitBit Charge HR last night at the company Christmas party and am curious about it.
I'm right handed so my non-dominant is my left. However that's the wrist I wear my watch on so I've decided to wear it on my right anyway. I hope it'll still be somewhat accurate.
I like gadgets and it was free so that's cool but in truth right now I'm a middle age fat guy with arthritis and back problems - hoping to use it as a tool for motivation, get moving more etc.
Now I'm already thinking about New Years resolutions. Yeah fitness.
How are you using your fitness trackers? Are they doing all they promise and are you getting good, useful data?

Just out of interest, are you sure you have back problems?

Ok, first up, I'm not suggesting your back doesn't ache and it's all in your head or any nonsense like that. What I mean is, are you positive it's your back i.e. you've had an accident, hurt it in the gym, slipped a disc, something like that? Or, does your back ache and it's actually caused by something else? I once read in one of my fitness emails that 90% of people (who've not encountered an injury etc.) who think they have a bad back actually don't it's something else. I thought I had a bad back at the time, followed up on the email and found out that it was my hip-flexors. They're linked to the bottom five vertebrae and if they're too tight, they make your back hurt like Billy-O.

[East Bay Rider]

Originally Posted by Ruud Van Driver

Just out of interest, are you sure you have back problems?...

Yep. Positive.
Two MRIs over the last five years have confirmed that the creamy caramel center of my disks are oozing out and pinching - no doubt caused by years of driving a desk, riding a dirt bike and cutting/carrying firewood/yard work. The disks have crunched and shifted, pinching the ciatic nerve causing numbness and a strange burning feeling in my right leg only.
From what I understand that's typical L4, L5 and S1 stuff.

[123Blueface]

Originally Posted by East Bay Rider

Yep. Positive.
Two MRIs over the last five years have confirmed that the creamy caramel center of my disks are oozing out and pinching - no doubt caused by years of driving a desk, riding a dirt bike and cutting/carrying firewood/yard work. The disks have crunched and shifted, pinching the ciatic nerve causing numbness and a strange burning feeling in my right leg only.
From what I understand that's typical L4, L5 and S1 stuff.

Yeah, herniated disc with radiculopathy.
I had a disectomy a year and a half ago to treat a 25 year long L4-L5 issue.
I also have an L5-S1 but not as severe.
Now a year and a half later, headed for an epidural today and possibly another surgery in a few months as idiot (me) re-herniated it doing idiot stuff. I call it living but my wife calls it idiot. Won't argue with her. After 33 years, futile fight.

[mtrunner]

Originally Posted by rr-nyc

I used the Jawbone UP for a few years until the 3rd one broke and I gave up. It is a useful tool to monitor your activity and sleep. Most sync to your phone so you can see your day, week, month, and year in review.

UP also had an inactivity alarm that would vibrate the band to remind you that you've been inactive for xx min (user defined). With the band, I first started out with a goal of 10k steps, which in NYC isn't all that hard, but even with all the walking NYers do, it still required me to get up and walk more.

Fitbit is supposed to be the best out there. A childhood friend is a VP over there and he has bugged me to start using one.

My wife won a Jawbone Up at her holiday party and I have been using it for a couple of weeks. It's a fun gadget but not sure how accurate it really is. I use a Garmin for running and the Jawbone says I run a couple miles more than the Garmin. I trust the Garmin data since it is hooked up to a satellite and the Garmin has been within .5 miles over a marathon. I was surprised how much difference there was between the two. Having said that like you said it's a nice tool to get your butt up when you are inactive for too long etc.

My wife has a Fitbit and loves it and has been using a Fitbit for a couple of years now.

[hdrazor251]

The wife and I have been using the Microsoft Band 2 since November. She had a FitBit that died but this is my first fitness band. We both love it. It feels bulky at first and it took a couple of days to get used to it. I wear mine face down and the glass doesn't have a mark on it. I even rest my wrist on the glass when using my mouse at work. It overestimates about 10% to 15% when running on a treadmill but that is the only negative I've found (outside of battery life).

[watchwatcher]

I wear the Charge HR and enjoy it. I feel like it is fairly accurate with the data it collects...my only negative is that it doesn't hold a charge very long. Before the Charge, I was wearing a Force, and it lasted forever on a battery charge...I guess the Charge uses a lot of battery life keeping track of the heart rate.

Anyway, good deal for you, I think you'll like it. And by the way, you can wear it on either hand, just go into settings and select dominant hand. That's what I do, as my left hand wears my watch.

[Jim Smyth]

Me and my wife picked up fitbits a few months back. Its a great motivator and were both walking more and getting back into shape. I'm down 20# since September and she's down 15#. You have to stay motivated and push each other or push yourself. Also have some friends on our list and have had a few Challenges already which were fun. Pushed myself to 31,000 steps in one day on that Challenge. Start eating correctly, cut portions down and get walking. You will see results in short order. Best of Luck........