Intensity minutes - during an activity vs normal walk

Guys,

I'm new to a Fenix with HR. Used to have Fenix 3 util now.

When I walked for more than 10 minutes with Fenix 3 I would get the corresponding intensity minutes. When I walk with Fenix 6, I get nothing. But if I start "Walk" activity I get the minutes. Can you explain please? Do I miss some setting? Should not I get intensity minutes also for walks without starting an activity?

Thank you!

Best,

Marek

  • While I still do not know why there is a difference between just walking (without starting an activity) and starting an activity (walk) in counting intensity minutes.. I just found that there are two ways intensity minutes can be counted. More specifically, how is the HR threshold, for when to start counting, determined. The setting is only available on-line (device settings ... activity tracking) as far I can tell .. and there are two options: (quote from the website)

    Automatic: This is the default intensity minutes calculation used by Garmin. It’s derived by comparing your heart rate during activity to your average resting heart rate.

    Heart Rate Zones: You can have greater control over how intensity minutes are calculated by adjusting which heart rate zones (1-5) are considered moderate or vigorous intensity. The moderate heart rate zones must be lower than the vigorous heart rate zones.

     

    So I just changed the setting from "automatic" and set the moderate activity HR zone to 1.

    Let's see ...

    Marek

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago

    this is from the users guide...

    Intensity Minutes
    To improve your health, organizations such as the World Health Organization recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous intensity activity, such as running.
    The device monitors your activity intensity and tracks your time spent participating in moderate to vigorous intensity activities (heart rate data is required to quantify vigorous intensity). You can work toward achieving your weekly intensity minutes goal by participating in at least 10 consecutive minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activities. The device adds the amount of moderate activity minutes with the amount of vigorous activity minutes. Your total vigorous intensity minutes are doubled when added.
    Earning Intensity Minutes
    Your fēnix device calculates intensity minutes by comparing your heart rate data to your average resting heart rate. If heart rate is turned off, the device calculates moderate intensity minutes by analyzing your steps per minute.

    Start a timed activity for the most accurate calculation of intensity minutes.

    Exercise for at least 10 consecutive minutes at a moderate or vigorous intensity level.

    Wear your device all day and night for the most accurate resting heart rate.

  • Thank you ... this to me means that the calculations outside of an activity are different than when you start a timed activity. Anyway, I'll see what happens after I switched the way it decides what is moderate intensity from "automatic" to "HR zones".

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Marbuel

    to me that means you should record an activity to get intensity minutes. I don't recall ever getting intensity minutes on any Garmin I've owned unless I recorded and activity.

  • Fenix 3 does record intensity minutes for walking. No GPS, no activity started. You just have to walk for at least 10min.

  • It says “most accurate calculation,” which implies, correctly, that you do get intensity minutes out of activity. I have some from this week on the days I didn’t record activities, though it looks like smaller numbers than I used to get from my F5. 

  • Do any one know at what zone (pulse) one gets moderate intensity activity and vigorous intensity activity in Garmins automatic settings. I have the fenix 5X. Mine looks like this   most of it is not recorded as a activity. Mostly running in stairs, fast powerwalks at work etc.

  • This is what I was getting with Fenix 3, which has no HR, without starting an activity I would get intensity minutes for moderate intensity (for vigorous, 2x, I had to have HR). Now, with F6, I get zero unless I start an activity. I tried switching from automatic to manual. But this did not help. I walked for 15min, for sure in my HR zone 1, and got no intensity minutes. I set the moderate activity to be for HR zones 1 and 2. MoveIQ even correctly identified the walk.

    It is weird... My wife has the same problem with her FR645.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Marbuel

    Is there a reason you would not want to record an activity?

    I record all my activities so I can see my progress over time. Maybe that is why I never noticed that it does not record intensity minutes outside of an activity.

    I checked the firstbeat site, and intensity minutes does not seem to be one of their metrics.

  • Well ... If I go for a walk, it seems unnecessary to record it precisely. I don't need to know how long it was, or where I went. Plus it saves battery. Sure, I could have a walk activity without GPS but I would still need to start and stop it .. not just walk. It is simply weird to me that it behaves differently now.