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Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

officialandroid.blogspot.com

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Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#51

Post by dragonwriter »

parfe wrote: post #32
antoncohen wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "You can also connect your favorite fitness devices and apps like Strava, Withings, Runtastic, Runkeeper and Noom Coach to Google Fit and we’ll surface all of the relevant data in one spot, giving you a clear and complete view of your fitness. No need to check one app to see your weight and another to review a run – with Google Fit, that data will all be surfaced in one, simple place."

Yes, I clearly read that line as I pulled a quote directly from it. If you read the quote they don't expand beyond what is already available in the app. If I track a 2 mile 20 minute run with another app, Google Fit (so far) only exposes the data as "Ran 20 minutes" completely eliminating the useful information. And if they have a hidden feature that does track distance as well, why isn't that exposed to me to manual…

The backend platform doesn't seem to have a standard data type for distance (but can track both time and average speed, which, if the other app recorded them, presumably the app, or another front-end for the Fit backend, could surface as distance.) [1]

[1] https://developers.google.com/fit/android/data-types or https://developers.google.com/fit/rest/v1/data-types

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#52

Post by dragonwriter »

gadders wrote: post #4

A better name would be "Google Cardio" (or Met Con if you want to be trendy). Cardio != Fit. Strength is as much or more an aspect of fitness.

Its the basic front-end app for the Google Fit platform, an open, extensible platform for fitness data (not at all limited to cardio data.)

So, the name Google Fit makes quite a lot of sense.

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#53

Post by smileysteve »

calvin_c wrote: post #38
octagonal wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can use it while you're at the gym.

Are there any good workout tracking apps on the market that focus on simple manual entry?

I think so. The last one I used was the Men's health application. It recommends workouts and allows you to log them

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#54

Post by dragonwriter »

macu wrote: post #37

It's clearly a product very early in development. I'm surprised Google released such a minimal product in such an important domain, but willing to give it a chance, feed it data and see how it matures.

> I'm surprised Google released such a minimal product in such an important domain

I'm not -- they need to have some data aggregation/presentation front-end to encourage manufacturers and source-data-feeding app vendors to integrate with the back-end. Once they do that, there'll be more incentive for more presentation front-end work (both by Google and by third-parties -- that's the whole point of an open platform.)

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#55

Post by Cowicide »

I have no real judgment about fitness apps, watches, etc., but I am curious about why so many people use them?

If one doesn't have health issues and/or not a professional athlete - why would one want to keep track of fitness so closely?

I just go out and get exercise and enjoy myself and all this fitness app stuff seems like a distraction. Plus, I really don't want to destroy expensive stuff while I'm mountain biking out here in CO just to see my heartbeat.

Is it just an obsessive hobby done out of curiosity or is there some reason I should use a fitness app instead of simply enjoying myself on my bike, hiking, etc. and focusing on that instead?

Again, nothing against those who use these apps and devices, I guess I just don't understand the obsession.

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#56

Post by dragonwriter »

Cowicide wrote: post #55

I have no real judgment about fitness apps, watches, etc., but I am curious about why so many people use them? If one doesn't have health issues and/or not a professional athlete - why would one want to keep track of fitness so closely? I just go out and get exercise and enjoy myself and all this fitness app stuff seems like a distraction. Plus, I really don't want to destroy expensive stuff while I'm mountain biking…

> If one doesn't have health issues and/or not a professional athlete - why would one want to keep track of fitness so closely?

The majority of Americans are overweight -- which is a health issue, and addressing that health issue is one of the major reasons people use fitness trackers.

> I just go out and get exercise and enjoy myself and all this fitness app stuff seems like a distraction.

Lots of people don't enjoy exercise, especially people trying to establish a pattern with it that haven't done so yet.

> Is it just an obsessive hobby done out of curiosity or is there some reason I should use a fitness app instead of simply enjoying myself on my bike, hiking, etc. and focusing on that instead?

I think you are presenting a false dichotomy.

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#57

Post by endzone »

zenciadam wrote: post #30
Florin_Andrei wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but be careful to not fall into the other extreme. There was a time when I was lifting 3 times a week, every week, bench pressing 100kg, etc. And I tried to ride a bike uphill (pretty long ride) and nearly puked my guts out. You need both strength and endurance. And some fine motor skills, like playing ping-pong or throwing a frizbee. And some R&R interspersed in there, regularly, otherwise you'll collapse from…

A 100kg bench is not extreme strength, sorry. It's "I'm average and I've been at this for 6-12 months" strength.

i am shocked that a bunch of dorks with something to prove have used this post as an opportunity to start droning on about strength training, intervals. it's almost like correlation/causation or dunning kruger

p.s the average man in a gym can't bench 100kg. maybe a rep or two with some generous spotting

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#58

Post by zenciadam »

endzone wrote: post #57
zenciadam wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A 100kg bench is not extreme strength, sorry. It's "I'm average and I've been at this for 6-12 months" strength.

i am shocked that a bunch of dorks with something to prove have used this post as an opportunity to start droning on about strength training, intervals. it's almost like correlation/causation or dunning kruger p.s the average man in a gym can't bench 100kg. maybe a rep or two with some generous spotting

nothing to prove. I've totalled 1680 raw.

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#59

Post by ams6110 »

dragonwriter wrote: post #50
parfe wrote: post #3

Just installed the phone app. Less a "comprehensive view", and more of a pedometer with graphs. You can manually add activities but the only options are: Walking, Running, Biking, Other. And even then, you can only record duration. I suppose there is hidden integration with the wearables, but why can't I manually input the data? If I can't record squats, then what's the point?

> If I can't record squats, then what's the point? The point is to be one front end to "[a]n open platform that lets users control their fitness data" and "lets developers build smarter apps and manufacturers focus on creating amazing devices." [1] > You can manually add activities but the only options are: Walking, Running, Biking, Other. The backend is aware of more activity types [2], so I suspect its either getti…

lets developers build smarter apps and manufacturers focus on creating amazing devices

They don't seem to have mentioned "and lets us sell all the data to the highest bidder"

Re: Google Fit: An effortless, comprehensive view of your fitness

#60

Post by readme »

parfe wrote: post #3

Just installed the phone app. Less a "comprehensive view", and more of a pedometer with graphs. You can manually add activities but the only options are: Walking, Running, Biking, Other. And even then, you can only record duration. I suppose there is hidden integration with the wearables, but why can't I manually input the data? If I can't record squats, then what's the point?

The same point as all Google products, which is to mine your data.

They get more accurate data if you aren't allowed to input it.

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