smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,704 
Location: Houston, TX
|
Post by smartypants71 on Oct 13, 2015 15:16:46 GMT
My company gave us all a fitness tracker bracelet and has started a contest for the month of October. The way it works is this:
Teams of 10 are formed and points are measured as 1 point/step for walking and running, 60 points/min for group exercise classes, 800 points/mi for cycling and some points are assigned for weight training and swimming, but I don't remember what those are.
Anyway, there is no actual reward other than fame and recognition. The company donates a certain dollar amount per point to Children's Miracle Network up to $150k.
Most people amass around 10k-40k per day depending on their exercise, but there are a couple people that are averaging around 160k per day. It turns out they have these little mini elliptical trainers under their desk, so they pedal away and count that as cycling! According to their points, that would mean they are averaging about 200 mi/day.
There's also another group that sits in the area next to me, and I can see that they have their bracelets on their ankles and sort of stepping in place.
Now, I know that this is no big deal in the scheme of things, and the charity still benefits regardless, but I SO want to call them out on what they're doing! So what say the peas? Cheating or no?
|
|
|
|
Post by whopea on Oct 13, 2015 15:21:04 GMT
If it's enough movement for a fitbit or other monitor to register, I don't think it's cheating. They are moving and that's the point.
|
|
|
|
Post by mikklynn on Oct 13, 2015 15:22:07 GMT
Cheating! Unless you are on your feet all day, it would be really hard to get 40k steps.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 8, 2024 6:29:50 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2015 15:22:18 GMT
I guess I don't get how these elliptical machines work. If their feet are moving, why wouldn't it count?
|
|
|
|
Post by kristi521 on Oct 13, 2015 15:23:10 GMT
If it's enough movement for a fitbit or other monitor to register, I don't think it's cheating. They are moving and that's the point. My thought exactly. |
|
smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,704
Location: Houston, TX
|
Post by smartypants71 on Oct 13, 2015 15:25:11 GMT
I guess I don't get how these elliptical machines work. If their feet are moving, why wouldn't it count? The work involved in a mini elliptical is in no way equivalent to pedaling a bicycle. Riding a bike for 200 miles in one day is something that the average person just cannot do. The most I've ridden in a days is about 120, and I was worn out for a couple of days after. If they would count it as walking at 1pt per step, I wouldn't have a problem, but they are calling their activity cycling which gets 800 points per mile. |
|
smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,704
Location: Houston, TX
|
Post by smartypants71 on Oct 13, 2015 15:29:01 GMT
This is what pedaling a compact elliptical looks like (fast forward to about 1:05):
|
|
|
|
Post by Darcy Collins on Oct 13, 2015 15:39:29 GMT
I say cheating as it's over counting the effort. I have no issue with them being imaginiative in finding ways to move while sitting at a desk, but the points earned should better reflect their effort. There's no way their doing 200 miles a day unless you work with Lance Armstrong.
|
|
marimoose
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,282
|
Post by marimoose on Oct 13, 2015 15:41:54 GMT
I think it is cheating the system, in a clever way. Yes, we can say they are moving and at least they ARE physically moving something but to say that if the fitbit measures it then it is movement isn't really accurate. My dh has figured out that he can add steps to his fitbit without truly moving in the truest sense by sitting and shaking his arm. Sure his arms are getting a workout haha but I doubt it is doing anything to help his heart/body. These people are moving but to be counting it as cycling seems to be pushing it. Would i be annoyed? Yes but not enough to say anything because it wouldn't be worth my time and the charity benefits either way which is what counts at the end.
|
|
|
|
Post by Woobster on Oct 13, 2015 15:43:18 GMT
Totally cheating... But I give them points for creativity!  |
|
smartypants71
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,704
Location: Houston, TX
|
Post by smartypants71 on Oct 13, 2015 15:50:19 GMT
If it's enough movement for a fitbit or other monitor to register, I don't think it's cheating. They are moving and that's the point. Except that I don't think that cross your legs and tapping one foot is the same as actually walking. I think they are totally gaming the system. As far as i know, fitness trackers want you to put the bracelet on your non-dominant hand. Not the ankle you tap all day. |
|
|
|
Post by SnowWhite on Oct 13, 2015 15:54:37 GMT
If it's enough movement for a fitbit or other monitor to register, I don't think it's cheating. They are moving and that's the point. Except that I don't think that cross your legs and tapping one foot is the same as actually walking. I think they are totally gaming the system. As far as i know, fitness trackers want you to put the bracelet on your non-dominant hand. Not the ankle you tap all day. It's splitting hairs, but I see a difference between gaming the system and cheating. They are gaming the system in my opinion, but unless the rules specifically prohibited something like this, then I don't think they're cheating. |
|
likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
|
Post by likescarrots on Oct 13, 2015 16:06:47 GMT
I don't think it's cheating and i don't see how it's 'overcoming their effort'. If pedaling a bike counts, i don't see why this wouldn't.
Eta: mine is in response to the desk pedaler, not the bouncing feet.
Eta again, i missed the part where they are considering it cycling and that they have a different point value. I would consider that activity on par with walking.
|
|
|
|
Post by ktdoesntscrap on Oct 13, 2015 16:19:11 GMT
I guess I don't get how these elliptical machines work. If their feet are moving, why wouldn't it count? The work involved in a mini elliptical is in no way equivalent to pedaling a bicycle. Riding a bike for 200 miles in one day is something that the average person just cannot do. The most I've ridden in a days is about 120, and I was worn out for a couple of days after. If they would count it as walking at 1pt per step, I wouldn't have a problem, but they are calling their activity cycling which gets 800 points per mile. Okay I see your point there |
|
|
|
Post by pierogi on Oct 13, 2015 16:22:41 GMT
It's not kosher, and I wouldn't be cool with it.
|
|
peaname
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,389
|
Post by peaname on Oct 13, 2015 16:23:05 GMT
I wouldn't do it.
|
|
|
|
Post by kryssy on Oct 13, 2015 16:31:30 GMT
I used to participate in some online fitness challenges -- they were just for fun and bragging rights, and supposed to motivate you. The leader would change it up each week, assigning bonus points for crunches, or push-ups, or running stairs, then there were regular points you could earn for exercise and drinking water, etc...
Well, one woman would ALWAYS sail ahead in points, EVERY week. Then she'd post her "exercise," like "my daughter and I went to the playground all afternoon, whatta workout!" or "I danced around while vacuuming the entire house"... O.o She would literally log hours of "exercise," every day. It was pointless to call her out on it... but it did suck some of the fun out of the challenges, and I eventually quit.
|
|
|
|
Post by STBC on Oct 13, 2015 16:31:39 GMT
I guess I don't get how these elliptical machines work. If their feet are moving, why wouldn't it count? The work involved in a mini elliptical is in no way equivalent to pedaling a bicycle. Riding a bike for 200 miles in one day is something that the average person just cannot do. The most I've ridden in a days is about 120, and I was worn out for a couple of days after. If they would count it as walking at 1pt per step, I wouldn't have a problem, but they are calling their activity cycling which gets 800 points per mile. I agree - it's a form of exercise, because they are moving, but it is definitely not nearly as physically-demanding as actual cycling. It should be counted, but for fewer points. Only serious cyclists ride 200 miles in a day, and that's not an everyday thing for them!
Putting the fitness tracker on your ankle is cheating, in my opinion, as that is not how the device is intended to be worn.
|
|
|
|
Post by 2peaornot2pea on Oct 13, 2015 16:51:38 GMT
As long as they are moving, they should be earning points. However, maybe the contest rules can be revised, to assign different point values for walking or cycling in place while working at their desk, versus actual cycling, etc.??
|
|
|
|
Post by monklady123 on Oct 13, 2015 17:00:53 GMT
This reminds me of when my dd had to take freshmen phys ed in college. They all had to have a tracker to count their steps every day. Some of the kids were very "creative" when it came to getting those steps. They'd put it on their ankle and sit studying while bouncing their leg up and down. Or on their wrist and they'd flip their wrist back and forth while reading. One girl would take her dog for a walk, then later when the roommate took the dog out she'd put the first girl's step tracker on the dog. Seriously. lol -- My dd didn't have too much trouble getting her steps in the regular way because that semester her classes were spread out all over campus, plus she did go to the gym two days a week. That was the case for most of them, but there are always a few who try to get one over on the requirements.
In the OP's case I say it's cheating to count the under-the-desk pedal thing as "cycling".
|
|
|
|
Post by auntkelly on Oct 13, 2015 17:12:28 GMT
I think those people who are counting using the mini elliptical machines as cycling are sucking the fun out of the challenge and should be embarrassed.
|
|
milocat
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,429
Location: 55 degrees north in Alberta, Canada
|
Post by milocat on Oct 13, 2015 17:24:56 GMT
When I crochet if my Fitbit is on my dominate wrist then I get steps. My grandma was on medication that made her jiggle her leg so should that "moving" count because at least she's moving something? Absolutely not. The purpose of a pedometer is to encourage movement, exercise, calorie burn a more active lifestyle. Not how much more you can tap or shake one part of your body.
I don't mind that my Fitbit gives me a few cheat steps in a day for say brushing my teeth because I do get cheated out of a few steps everyday. I find mine doesn't register steps if they are too much like shuffling, my kitchen is a closed circle and I don't get good solid steps.
|
|
|
|
Post by not2peased on Oct 13, 2015 17:45:49 GMT
our company had a similar contest but there was a money prize and it was based on self reporting-unfortunately, some folks were literally exercising (or saying they were) upwards of 4-6 hours every single day. made it impossible for anyone "normal" to win.
it wasn't very motivating to be honest, who has 4-6 HOURS a day to work out?
|
|
|
|
Post by utmr on Oct 13, 2015 18:05:06 GMT
Technically? Probably. We had something similar at my work. People were so busy running up and down the stairs for points that little actual work got done.
|
|
|
|
Post by its me mg on Oct 13, 2015 18:08:29 GMT
If it's enough movement for a fitbit or other monitor to register, I don't think it's cheating. They are moving and that's the point. I don't think a few ankle jiggles while you're on the phone but not moving is the same thing as actually cycling. I think they're cheating and petty - I hate "that guy". |
|
Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
|
Post by Dalai Mama on Oct 13, 2015 18:10:35 GMT
Cheating? Yes.
Call them out on it? No.
|
|
|
|
Post by peasapie on Oct 13, 2015 18:13:58 GMT
Time for revenge. Strap it onto a dog and take it for a run!
|
|
caangel
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,452
Location: So Cal
|
Post by caangel on Oct 13, 2015 19:07:48 GMT
This is why I don't understand the popularity of step counters. It just seems so inaccurate.
|
|
|
|
Post by ktdoesntscrap on Oct 13, 2015 19:12:35 GMT
clapping adds lots of steps on my tracker. I spent all day at a theatre festival. I clapped a lot, but I spent most of it sitting on my ass...I had over 10,000 steps that day.
Made me laugh... but I wasn't trying to win anything.
|
|
Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
|
Post by Dalai Mama on Oct 13, 2015 19:13:13 GMT
This is why I don't understand the popularity of step counters. It just seems so inaccurate. They're actually quite accurate for those of us who don't have little pedal thingies under our desks. |
|
