Discovery Health - Vitality & Team Vitality plus everything else you need to know

[carbon29er]

I'm running 9.3km daily (every morning).  "Disco" rate the training as a 10-min speed workout - only 100 points per session.  So no more 300 or 600 points for a descent workout!

 

I would like to see somebody run 10km in 10 min!!!!

 

They are continually changing the goal posts.....

Do they give more points if you run uphill? Maybe switch your run around and start at the bottom of the hill.

[Morwa]

Yes.....I'm using a HR monitor (strap) and my Fenix 3 - via Garmin Connect.  If I don't use the HR strap you only get points for your daily steps.....

 

Only 100 points per session....

[Morwa]

Do they give more points if you run uphill? Maybe switch your run around and start at the bottom of the hill.

 

TX for the comment Rob.....you of all people must know English is a foreign language here in my town....

[garrethk]

Unless your DEVICE is a Garmin loading it onto GC will not miraculously earn your Vitality Points. Whether you use tapiriik or not.

 

I have not tested PolarPersonalTrainer without a Polar watch but we did this in the past.

As I said, Polar Beat works and is recognised, only issue is it is a bit buggy with heart rate monitoring dropping off. Comments on play store say this happens with H7 sensor as well (so not hardware issue). Worst case though is that it will just record speed data and you get 100 points. Which is better than nothing.

 

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[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

TX for the comment Rob.....you of all people must know English is a foreign language here in my town....

then what's your average HR during the effort? If it's less than 80%, then you'll only get the 100 points. But yeah. I agree that for some of us, the 80% is not an achievable target unless you're going flat out. And even then, sometimes not. 

 

For the target market though, 80% is very very simple to achieve. 

[lerouc]

As I said, Polar Beat works and is recognised, only issue is it is a bit buggy with heart rate monitoring dropping off. Comments on play store say this happens with H7 sensor as well (so not hardware issue). Worst case though is that it will just record speed data and you get 100 points. Which is better than nothing.

 

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I use the H7 belt and i have not had any issues, but then again i only use it for spin sessions in the gym.

 

I've de-linked my Polar account from Disco in an effort to keep my points lower but i've been averaging 3k+ points since the new system has been put into play.

[dracs]

I'm having a rethink of my approach to this. Gym fees at the national rate are approx R 200 per month. If I have a national membership, I can go to my local gym and also the one close by work. Going there after work is a shedload easier than negotiating rush hour traffic and THEN hitting gym. And I still want to keep my local gym, as I take my lightie swimming sometimes (my wife does that more often as she has the time)

 

Decisions decisions....

 

Same boat - I am keeping national membership for now.  But it is annoying really - what is the logic for having no booster for national membership?  Don't want it for free but why no discount if I met my targets?

[Lands250]

I use the H7 belt and i have not had any issues, but then again i only use it for spin sessions in the gym.

 

I've de-linked my Polar account from Disco in an effort to keep my points lower but i've been averaging 3k+ points since the new system has been put into play.

I use both my Polar H7 and my Tickr on the Polar beat app. The H7 I run simultaneously with the gym equipment, and the Tickr I run simultaneously with my Fenix on rides and outdoor training. I do this because I have my Polar linked to Discovery.

I have not had any issues with dropping heart rate on the Polar Beat app at all. Even when I am using my old 4S outdoors.

Maybe make sure the app and iOS is up to date and that the pick up has good battery level?

Edited April 25, 2016 by Lands250

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Same boat - I am keeping national membership for now.  But it is annoying really - what is the logic for having no booster for national membership?  Don't want it for free but why no discount if I met my targets?

I've asked them, and the standard response is "the rand value of the discount on national membership is already greater than that of the single club membership with the 100% discount" 

 

that's bullshaite, and I've "escalated" the query with the Vitality guys and my Disco consultant (who is USELESS - I'm routinely asked by my employer if I'll consider going back to Disco cos the service I gave them was that much better than what we get now - if the staff in the office want info on Disco products, they ask ME, not the consultant - and I've been out of Disco for 6 years now)

 

So no - don't hold your breath. I've spoken to the actuaries, and they're aware of the issue. Just know that there's no desire to rectify it at this point in time. 

[garrethk]

I use both my Polar H7 and my Tickr on the Polar beat app. The H7 I run simultaneously with the gym equipment, and the Tickr I run simultaneously with my Fenix on rides and outdoor training. I do this because I have my Polar linked to Discovery.

I have not had any issues with dropping heart rate on the Polar Beat app at all. Even when I am using my old 4S outdoors.

Maybe make sure the app and iOS is up to date and that the pick up has good battery level?

Perhaps it's just the Android version, other apps are fine.

 

Sent from my E5603 using Tapatalk

[Bub Marley]

Gotta say I'm struggling to hit above 80% when I do road cycling. Mountain biking is a lot easier to hit that target but damn, you really need to give it freaking everything on a normal smooth surface. This morning I went flat out and still under 80%.

[Veebee]

Was easy for me to smash some points on the weekend, rode Tour Durban at about 90% of my heart rate. Avg was 172 for 3h26

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Was easy for me to smash some points on the weekend, rode Tour Durban at about 90% of my heart rate. Avg was 172 for 3h26

yeah, it's easy for me to maintain that. I feel broken afterwards, but I still maintain it pretty well. 

[Veebee]

yeah, it's easy for me to maintain that. I feel broken afterwards, but I still maintain it pretty well. 

 

I haven't been feeling the best so that's why. But I definitely still feel broken 2 days later, legs are still @#$%.

[carbon29er]

About the only thing that came out of the Armstrong doping era was a pearl of wisdom from Carmichael.

 

Recovery below 80% of actual heart rate max is an hour for an hour. So if you ride at 75% for 4 hours you only need 4 hours recovery.

 

For every hour above 80% of actual heart rate max, not disco age based bollocks, you will need 8 hours recovery.

 

So it's fair to say if you are pushing 172 bpm for 3 1/2 hours your recovery will be a day at least. But as you are not an elite trained athlete you will feel farked for more than a day. It's just your body saying I don't want to do that again soon.  Realistically you should wait until your resting pulse returns to normal, less than 50 for most, before you go hard again.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

About the only thing that came out of the Armstrong doping era was a pearl of wisdom from Carmichael.

 

Recovery below 80% of actual heart rate max is an hour for an hour. So if you ride at 75% for 4 hours you only need 4 hours recovery.

 

For every hour above 80% of actual heart rate max, not disco age based bollocks, you will need 8 hours recovery.

 

So it's fair to say if you are pushing 172 bpm for 3 1/2 hours your recovery will be a day at least. But as you are not an elite trained athlete you will feel farked for more than a day. It's just your body saying I don't want to do that again soon.  Realistically you should wait until your resting pulse returns to normal, less than 50 for most, before you go hard again.

You've just highlighted why I feel absolutely gutted after stringing together a full week of effort in the gym or on the bike. I'm always up there...