6 Tips to Rev Up Your Fitbit Tracking

Don't sweat the small stuff; here's how to make the most out of your Fitbit.
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6 Tips to Rev Up Your Fitbit Tracking

Our first Fitbit tip is the most important: the device is not going to magically get you to your goal weight in 10,000 steps. I don't say that flippantly, but rather as someone who has tried and failed at that sort of method, and then learned that keeping track of calories and staying on top of activity are the keys to weight loss.

That's where Fitbit's devices can help. Whether you're ready to Blaze it or are leading the Charge to take control of your health, getting an honest account of your daily activity and syncing it to the number of calories you've consumed can definitely put you on the path to a better, healthier you. (Coincidental to that "healthier" aspect: Fitbit might soon be selling actual medical devices.)

Fitbit has been selling fitness trackers since 2008, and its name has been virtually synonymous with the device category ever since. Despite the Apple Watch frequently being used as a fitness tracker, Fitbit has managed to hang on to its market dominance, thanks in part to the relatively low price tags and useful features of its gadgets.

So whether you're just getting started or need to brush up on your Fitbit skills, check out our tips and tricks for making the most out of your fitness tracker.

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  • Don't Just Sit There

    1 Don't Just Sit There

    There is never going to be a definitive answer to the standing-desk debate, but one thing is for sure: you should move more. Fitbit says its data shows most people remain inactive for periods of 90 minutes or more throughout the day, which is disastrous for their health. So its Hourly Activity Goal encourages you to take at least 250 steps each hour. Go to the Fitbit app > Dashboard and scroll down. You'll see a person icon and several dots; if you've moved more than 250 steps, those dots will be lit up. Tap it to see a more thorough breakdown. To change the times of day your Fitbit tracks your activity, tap the gear icon on the top right of the "Hourly Activity" page to select a time frame; anywhere from five to 14 hours per day.
  • Weight Weight Don't Tell Me

    2 Weight Weight Don't Tell Me

    If you're using a Fitbit, chances are you're trying to lose weight or track what you eat. Your Fitbit can work together with some weight-loss trackers to keep your efforts coordinated.

    If you're on Weight Watchers, log in to the Weight Watchers site > Settings > Activity tab > Connect to a Device or App > choose Fitibit > Continue > log in with your Fitbit account info. Your Fitbit data will then sync with your Weight Watchers app, allowing for easier tracking of WW FitPoints.

    For those who use MyFitnessPal, log into your MyFitnessPal account, select Apps > Fitbit > Connect > Allow.

    The premium version of Lose It can sync to your Fitbit. Sign in to your Lose It account, then go to Apps & Devices > Connect Fitbit Trackers. Log in with your Fitbit info and you're done.

    If you have a Withings scale, you can connect it to your Fitbit account by logging in to the Fitbit site to associate the scale and your tracker. Fitbit also has its own smart scale, the Aria that can sync with things like the Weight Watchers app.
  • For Your Eyes Only

    3 For Your Eyes Only

    You might have seen the term "Fitbit community." That's because you can share your Fitbit data with (real and virtual) friends. Being a part of a larger community can be incredibly motivating. But exposing how many steps you've taken in the past week and photos of your fitness progress might not be the sort of thing you want the wider world to see. Should you want to keep your profile on lockdown, go to Settings > Privacy. You can go through the full list of items and set them to be only visible to you, to be shared with those on your Friends list, or to be visible to all Fitbit users.
  • Time Travel

    4 Time Travel

    Let's say that you're so diligent about your fitness that you take your Fitbit on vacation. Don't let a time zone change trip up your activity tracker, though. Some users have reported trouble with their Fitbit when moving between time zones. And Fitbit itself recommends turning off automatic time zones "to avoid data loss." In the Fitbit app, tap Account > Advanced Settings. Under Time Zone, make sure the "Set Automatically" option is toggled off. To make sure the language on your device doesn't change, go to Account > Advanced Settings > Country > toggle off Automatic. "Note that the time on your tracker may not update to reflect the time in your new time zone," Fitbit warns.
  • Get Juicing

    5 Get Juicing

    Your Fitbit has a pretty robust battery life, but there are way to eke out a few more hours of juice. If you sync with the Fitbit app, for example, turn off All-Day sync (Account > select your device > toggle "All-Day Sync" off). If you're syncing on Android, Fitbit says the "Always Connected" option may also reduce battery life. For more, Fitbit has a device-by-device breakdown of how to save battery life on each of its devices.
  • If It's Not One Thing It's Another

    6 If It's Not One Thing It's Another

    If This Then That (IFTTT) recipes are calorie-free ways to stay on track. For hundreds of ways to connect your Fitbit to other apps and to get reminders and motivational messages, the IFTTT community has your back.

    If you want to keep yourself on track (and are motivated by the possibility of public shaming), you can also link your Fitbit account directly to Twitter. On Fitbit.com, select the gear icon on the top right > Settings > Sharing. There, you can click "Link to Twitter," and share daily or weekly stats to all your followers (or a private account only you monitor).