FitBit for Wheelchair Users? Yes

Fitness trackers such as the Nike Fuel Band and the FitBit have been all the rage in the past year or two. Interested in “stepping up my game” (no pun intended), I considered purchasing one of these products. As my awesome, against-the-grain little brother said to me when I came home with my FitBit Charge HR at the beginning of April… “Oh my God Brenna, you’re so mainstream”. Well yes, bro, maybe I am– but after having the device for a little under two months, I will defend and support the popularity of the product. As a wheelchair user, I originally had no idea whether the device would be usable and effective for me. But now, although I haven’t taken a “step” in 5 years, I’m happy to say that I love my FitBit.

When I began thinking about purchasing a fitness tracker, I sought the help of the know-it-all internet, hoping to find information from fellow wheelchair fitness friends who had advice on which trackers worked best (if any worked at all). The results I discovered were pretty slim, with the exception of one post here (turns out, we have a lot of the same positive opinions on the topic). Sadly though, I came up clean otherwise. However, despite my futile wheelchair-specific research, I found and considered a handful of information that helped me pick my device.

First of all, if I wanted a fitness tracker, I knew that it needed to be a bracelet style tracker. I wasn’t going to be able to record activity with a pedometer stuck in my back pocket all day. Duh, my bum is seated 24/7, so that just wouldn’t have cut it for me. I have friends that swear by certain phone apps, and even the new(ish) “Health” dock on iOS tracks steps and miles, but I simply don’t take steps, so having my phone in my lap all day still wouldn’t work. (Today, my iPhone tells me I’ve taken 933 steps and traveled .93 miles….. but I did a 7 mile bike ride this morning with my phone tucked into my sports bra, so there’s the proof of that inaccuracy). I knew I needed a wrist-mounted tracker that would measure the propulsions of my wheelchair. I wasn’t exactly sure how accurately the FitBit would measure these propulsions in comparison to steps, but I knew that the bracelet style was my best option regardless.

Once I knew I wanted a wrist-based tracker, I begin looking into FitBit because it had been one of the more popular models I had heard of and seen amongst my friends and acquaintances. In my internet research, I read reviews in which people preached the accuracy of the FitBit. Then again, I ready articles that completely tore FitBit and other trackers apart and I took this into consideration as well (as any educated researcher should do). FitBit themselves answered some of my general questions about the device’s accuracy (check it out). In a journal article from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers noted 2 different FitBit products in the top 3 most accurate trackers with about a 10% error rate. I expected that for wheelchair users the error could be slightly higher, but being amongst the best helped convince me of FitBit’s credibility despite this.

Once I had decided on the FitBit brand, I needed to decide which model would be best for me. I was most interested in the Flex or the Charge HR, with the main differences being that #1 the Charge HR monitors heart rate, unlike the Flex and #2 the Flex does not provide any information directly on the tracker (only on the bluetooth synced phone or computer app), whereas the Charge has a small display that will reveal steps, miles, calories, HR, and time while wrapped around your wrist throughout the day. For me, personally, I knew that it would be more beneficial and motivating for me to see my progress throughout the day at the touch of a button, without having to open up an app. Plus, my spinal cord injury has contributed to somewhat of a strange, irregular, tachycardic heart rate, and I was interested in discovering my vital patterns. And of course, I know that heart rate is another measure of physical fitness, so I opted for the slightly more expensive, but likely more useful option.

Following the purchase of my Charge HR, I can truly say that I have found no detrimental flaws and I’m very happy with my decision to purchase this fitness tracker.

So what is it really like using a FitBit while in a wheelchair?

First of all, it really is more of an ACTIVITY tracker. Since I’m not walking, it obviously is not counting steps, but rather arm movement, and it is unrealistic to assume that one step and one wheelchair propulsion are equal in all aspects. Essentially, the only way that they are equal is that they are both physical movements. Still, that’s a plus! If the FitBit motivates you to push you chair an extra mile, or 2,000 more “steps” a day… Bravo!

The first week of FitBit, for anyone, but especially chair users I would imagine, is very exploratory. Understanding how much distance equals how many steps, establishing an average step count per day, recognizing when you are more active than not, etc. However, once you have established this baseline, FitBit becomes a much more useful tool. After about a week, you may look at your data and say “okay, on average I take 14,000 ‘steps’ a day”. From there, you are able to gage your activity and fitness based on your own norms. Who cares if a “step” is not really a step… my FitBit tells me if I’m totally smashing my daily average activity or if I’m being a complete lazy bum. I’m not always honest with myself… but my FitBit doesn’t lie to me.

I have discovered that one wheelchair propulsion usually syncs to approximately two or three steps. Well, “that seems unfair!”, an able-bodied FitBit friend might say (especially if we are involved in a challenge, racing to see who can get the most “steps” per day). However, it really evens out. One propulsion of my wheelchair moves me much farther than one step by an able-bodied walker. Also, consider things such as ramps and hills: a wheelchair user registers essentially no “steps” while going down slope, but an able-bodied friend would still be adding to their step count. Therefor, it’s my opinion that, “step” for step, in terms of distance and activity, FitBit is still a fairly accurate and equal measure for wheelchair users, once you know what you’re looking for.

In addition to it’s activity tracking properties, I have enjoyed the ability to monitor my sleep patterns, as well as utilize the silent alarms that FitBit offers. My vibrating FitBit is a MUCH nicer wake-up call than my obnoxious alarm clock, and the sleep tracking is shockingly accurate. With the addition of the heart monitoring feature, the FitBit has given me great insight into my general daily health and has pushed me to incorporate more active pursuits into my life, even outside of my specific workouts and athletic endeavors.

I will also praise FitBit for their excellent customer service skills, which has nothing to do with my use of the product as a wheelchair user, but further enforces my contentment with the tracker and the company. About two weeks following my purchase of the FitBit Charge HR, I noticed a small rip in the band, which continued to get bigger and bigger. Online, I searched for replacement bands (I knew they sold them for the Flex), but came up short; apparently FitBit does not make replacement bands for the Charge. So, I sent an email to FitBit support. They asked me to send a picture of my receipt and a picture of the ripped product, which I did. Within 4 days there was a brand new FitBit charge delivered directly to my house, without the hassle of waiting and sending the old one back. I was extremely impressed and satisfied.

The one disclaimer I find important to note for wheelchair users, however, is that the calorie measurement is certainly not accurate. As wheelchair users, those of us with spinal cord injuries at least, we naturally burn less calories on average, simply because we have lost the use of certain muscles in our bodies. Muscle, at rest, still expends energy (burns calories), though paralysis often leads to muscle atrophy (loss), which lowers our metabolism. Then, when we are active, we must still consider that the muscle groups in our arms are smaller than those in a typical person’s legs, which further means less calories are being consumed by our muscles. This is not in any way meant to belittle the recreation, sport, and fitness endeavors of wheelchair users, but is something to keep in mind and consider when tracking calories. When I have pushed 22,000 “steps”, it is highly unlikely that I have actually burned 3,200 calories, as my FitBit has revealed to me before. I am not a scientist nor a dietician, so I can’t tell you how many calories you actually have burned, and it would be different for everybody anyways, but just note that the FitBit calorie count is certainly not a wheelchair user’s most truthful friend.

Overall, my experience with FitBit has been a very positive one. Looking forward, I would love to see FitBit (or another similar company) design a product specific for wheelchair users, but in the meantime I believe that the “step” based trackers still estimate competent activity measurements for wheelchair users interested in tracking their fitness.

More questions? Let me know.