[FITNESS BLOG] How to get the Fitbit to count steps while pushing a stroller

I was pushing a stroller around San Diego in early 2016. For 2-plus hours. And my Fitbit Surge, the wristband/watch/fitness tracker, gave me credit for like 50 steps – maybe even less. It was just a bit frustrating, because I do want to reach my 10,000 steps every day, but I also want to go on walks with my 2-year-old daughter while she’s sitting in her stroller. That day I barely reached 5,000 steps officially.

So that was a dilemma. I could swing my arm with the Fitbit while pushing the stroller with the other hand. That works on some surfaces, but not all. It also feels a bit like a workaround.  So, I kept thinking of ways to make sure my steps would be counted. And there is one way to make it work.

To count your steps while on an outside walk while pushing a stroller, go to the EXERCISE section in the Surge, click over to the HIKE setting. Click START (bottom right). This functions measures your distance and steps via GPS. I used it on a later family walk and it seemed to work great and accurately. The Fitbit Surge was tracking my walk and steps via GPS. It even continued to work when my phone ran out of juice. So it’s not dependent on the phone.

So, that’s how I now walk, push a stroller and get my steps counted.

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