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Most people know that Fitbit is a popular activity tracker, but how does Fitbit track steps?
Fitbit uses a three-axis accelerometer to measure your motion and calculate your steps. This means that it can track your steps even if you’re not carrying your phone with you.
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How Does Fitbit Track Steps?
Fitbit keeps track of your movements using a 3-axis accelerometer and a step counting algorithm. The accelerometer turns your bodily movements into data readings when worn on your body. Your Fitbit can provide exact information on the patterns and intensity of your activities by evaluating these digital measures, including:
- The total amount of steps you’ve taken.
- The total distance covered.
- The number of calories expended.
- The workout’s level of difficulty.
- If you’re swimming or riding (on specific models).
How Does an Accelerometer Work?
Accelerometers are small devices that sense changes in gravity to determine movement direction. They can be found in various standard appliances, including cellphones and game controllers. When you tilt your phone sideways, the screen rotates with you. That’s an accelerometer at work.
MEMS technology is used in accelerometers (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems). A MEMS device is a little machine that turns movement into an electrical signal that a sensor can read.
The accelerometer must contain multi-axis sensors to track motion in multiple directions. Fitbit’s accelerometer includes three axes (rather than just one, as prior pedometers did), allowing it to measure movement.
If you own a Fitbit tracker, this article may be useful: How Often Does Fitbit Track Heart Rate
How Does Fitbit’s Step Counting Algorithm Work?
Fitbit includes a carefully honed algorithm for counting your steps in addition to an accelerometer. It looks for motion patterns that indicate walking and meet a specified detection threshold.
The motions are measured as steps if their pattern and magnitude fulfill the algorithm’s criteria. A slight movement will not be counted, such as tapping your hand on a desk.
When you sync your Fitbit, the data collected by the accelerometer and counting algorithm generates surprisingly precise information about your workout, which is subsequently uploaded to your app.
The algorithm, though, isn’t flawless. If you’re walking on a soft surface, such as a plush carpet, Fitbit may undercount your steps. It may also overcount steps if you’re traveling down a very bumpy road.
How To Check Your Step Count On A Fitbit
To view how many steps you took throughout the day, press the Fitbit’s primary button on the side. You may now move between metrics by continuously pushing the side button or tapping the screen.
You can also examine your daily step log and step history by opening the associated Fitbit app on your phone or going to your dashboard on a computer. Select Today from the Activities tab, or select a date range.
How To Make Your Fitbit Count Your Steps More Accurately
Aside from plush carpets, there are techniques to improve Fitbit’s accuracy. For starters, especially if your stride is longer or shorter than usual, manually enter your stride length in the Fitbit app.
Fitbit’s default data is based on your height, which may not match your natural stride.
1. Double-check that you’re wearing your Fitbit appropriately.
If you wear your tracker incorrectly, it may have problems recording your statistics. Here’s a quick rundown of what you might be doing wrong:
- Is your tracker on the hand that isn’t your dominant one? If you wear it on your dominant hand, there could be too much movement, leading to an incorrect read.
- Is your Fitbit near your skin? Check if it’s being worn over a shirt or comparable item.
- Make sure your Fitbit isn’t too tight when you’re wearing it. According to Fitbit’s instructions, it should be able to slide around on your wrist a little. The firm recommended that you wear the tracker slightly higher and tighter during exercise, around two fingers breadth away from the wrist bone.
2. Turn on your Fitbit for the first time
There are worse ideas out there. Try resetting your Fitbit because some issues can be resolved by simply turning it off and on. Charge your Fitbit if it’s running low on battery because electrical devices with low batteries don’t usually work well.
3. Adjust the stride length on your Fitbit
This is the most challenging but most likely best method of ensuring that your step count is accurate. If you think your tracker isn’t operating correctly or want to make sure it’s as precise as possible, this is the way to go.
The following are the measures to take:
- First and foremost, you must travel to a location where you can be assured of the distance. The simple solution is to use a track.
- Count your steps when walking or running a distance, such as 100 meters. Fitbit suggests doing at least 20 steps to complete this task.
- Subtract the number of steps taken from the total distance traveled. If you’re running on a track, your stride length in meters or whatever measurement you like.
- The stride length must then be converted from meters to centimeters or inches. People, Google is your best friend here.
In the Fitbit app, you may now alter your stride length manually. This is how you do it.
- Go to your account in the Fitbit app. This is how your page should appear.
- Choose Activity & Wellbeing from the menu on your account page.
- Click Exercise.
- Scroll down to select Stride length. It will take you through a few steps before you can see it. It will look something like this.
- You can manually adjust your stride strength by using your earlier calculations. Enter your data to make your step count more precise.
If you don’t know to update the app of this product, see this guide: How To Update Fitbit App
FAQs
If your arms aren’t moving, does Fitbit still count your steps?
Will my device count steps if I don’t move my arms? Your wrist-based device will count your steps while pulling a stroller or shopping cart, although the total may be slightly lower than usual. Use GPS to record your route, pace, and distance while walking or jogging outside.
Is Fitbit’s step count reliable?
According to a study published by the NCBI, researchers discovered that Fitbit devices were acceptably accurate for step counting around half of the time. They also found that accuracy increased depending on where the gadget was worn: wrist placement was the most accurate for jogging.
How does Fitbit know if I’m running or walking?
A three-axis accelerometer is included in Fitbits. They can recognize when they are moving in three dimensions, such as forward and backward, side to side, and up and down. Your Fitbit can detect if you are walking (or running) or simply tapping your hand on a desk by analyzing the movement data captured.
Why does my Fitbit count steps when I’m not walking?
Check if your tracker’s sleep mode is set to sensitive on the Fitbit Settings Page, and if it is, adjust it to regular. Even when wearing the same wrist, the ‘wrist’ option causes the sensation to shift from non-dominant to dominant or vice versa.
Conclusion
Fitbit is a wearable fitness tracker that helps people stay active and healthy by tracking their steps. The device counts the number of steps the user takes and displays this information on a mobile app or website.
Fitbit also offers other features such as sleep tracking, calorie counting, and heart rate monitoring. HerOFamily hopes this article was helpful.
