How do I log or record an activity when I didn’t wear my tracker?

There are two ways to ensure that your exercise, workouts, or other activities are calculated in your daily totals and available for detailed analysis:

• Automatically means that your tracker logs your activity as it happens and then uploads the data to Fitbit.com when you sync. All Fitbit trackers except Flex support automatic activity tracking, also known as exercise mode. For instructions, see How do I log or record exercise automatically?
• Manually means that you use the dashboard to add information about an activity after it takes place. This article provides guidance on manual activity tracking. You may want to use manual logging for calorie-burning activities that aren’t measurable by your tracker, such as breastfeeding, or if your tracker did not recognize enough active minutes (a manually logged activity overrides your tracker’s data).

MY TRACKER SUPPORTS AUTOMATIC TRACKING. WHY WOULD I WANT TO USE MANUAL TRACKING?

For trackers that support heart rate monitoring, you would probably only want to log an activity manually if you forgot to wear your tracker or forgot to track the exercise. These trackers take heart rate into account when calculating calories burned, so even if an activity doesn’t count steps, you still get accurate calorie count information.

For other trackers, manually logging an activity works well when step count isn’t the best indicator of the calories burned. If you are doing an activity that does not require steps (like cycling or using an elliptical machine), or an activity that requires more than just steps (like tennis or yoga), logging the activity manually improves the accuracy of this activity’s contribution to your caloric burn.

You can also use manual logging to add an activity if you leave your tracker at home. Note that when you manually log an activity, its step and calorie data override the data automatically detected by your tracker during the same time period. This ensures that your steps are not counted twice as long as the manually logged activity has the correct start time and duration.

HOW DO I MANUALLY LOG AN ACTIVITY?

1. Log into your fitbit.com dashboard.
2. At the top of the page click Log > Activities.
3. Click a common activity or search for one  If the activity is not in our system, create your own by clicking the Create custom activity text that appears below the search field.
4. Enter the duration, distance (if applicable), and start time of your activity. You can enter the number of calories burned if you’d like to.
5. Click Log Activity. Your activity will now be visible and editable in the Logged Activities area.

HOW DO I EDIT OR DELETE AN ACTIVITY?

1. Log into your fitbit.com dashboard.
2. At the top of the page click Log > Activities.
3. Hover your mouse over the activity you’d like to edit or delete. You will see three icons appear on the right side of the activity.
4. To edit the activity:
   1. Click the pencil icon and edit the duration, distance, or start time.
   2. Be sure to click Update.
5. To delete the activity, click the trash can icon.

HOW DO I SAVE AN ACTIVITY AS A FAVORITE?

Saving an activity as a favorite allows you to quickly use it again in the future.

1. Log into your fitbit.com dashboard.
2. At the top of the page click Log > Activities.
3. Hover your mouse over the activity you’d like to mark as a favorite and click the star icon.