Getting credit with Vitality

I’ve just realised I’m not getting any credit for my Zwift rides with Vitality. Whilst I think I figured out a way to get the credit going forward (I have a Garmin activity tracker, so will double record the ride), I want credit for all the previous rides I have done. Does anyone have any idea how I might be able to fudge it to get the credit I honestly deserve?

Maybe download the workout and alter it in some clever way and re-upload or something???

Hi Alex

As you have discovered, Vitality only works with a recognised activity tracker (like Garmin or Apple Watch), so your approach to double recording is correct. If you are after the points, then Vitality base it on either average heart rate or calories (and you can “improve” the calories that Garmin calculates with the Activity Class setting in the Connect app).

I can’t think of a way to get credit for previous Zwift rides that weren’t also recorded on your activity tracker. And I imagine Vitality wouldn’t want that to happen because it’s too easy to fake a Zwift effort!

One way that works is:

  1. Connect the Garmin to your PC/Mac and browse to the drive and Activities folder
  2. Take an existing activity FIT file from your Garmin
  3. Go to fitfiletools.com and use the “Time Adjuster” option
  4. Rename the resultant FIT file according to the naming standard of the Garmin (use the existing file as an example) and according to the time adjustments made in step 3
  5. Place the FIT file back in the Activities folder and sync your Garmin

Vitality will think this is a genuine Garmin recorded ride

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For this to be legitimate, one would need a way of converting Zwift FIT files (relating to genuine activity) into Garmin format (as they weren’t recorded on the Garmin).

I’ve never tried it with a Zwift FIT file, but it should work. FIT files are a standard, provided you name it correctly for the Garmin head unit to think it generated it

Thanks guys. I’ll try that!

Steven, regarding step #4. Are you referring to the filename itself? Or a label/field within the file?

I tried also using the Device Changer tool, to change it from Zwift to a Garmin device, but that didn’t seem to work either.

What else do you think I need to change to get Vitality to recognise it as legit?

Yes, in step 4 I am referring to renaming the file to match that of the files in the Garmin activities directory, namely .fit (or something like this)
I don’t know why Vitality isn’t recognising it. I’ve only ever taken a previous file from my Garmin itself (eg: I’ve ridden on Zwift, but forgot to record on Garmin, so taken a file from the day before of similar time/distance), and never taken a Zwift file and tried to place that on the device.

I’m downloading my Zwift file from Garmin COnnect as a FIT file, so the filename is already correct. I checked it against IRL rides I had done using my Garmin Edge 530

I’m then changing the device using that site you recommended. But still no luck :frowning:

I’ve requested a complete export of all my activities from Garmin and will send the relevant activities onto Vitality for verification. Fingers crossed that works

I use fit file repair tool ( paid for) which allows me to change the manufacturer and device - then upload that to Garmin connect.

www.discovery.co.za/vitality/zwift allows Zwift users to upload their workouts to Vitality and is available elsewhere in the world, but regular Zwift users in the US can’t integrate hard workouts on Zwift (or easy ones for that matter) with Vitality. Yes, it loads up to Garmin, but will not then automatically load up to Vitality. Instead, you either have to also track your workout on a Garmin device, such as a 520 or VivoSport, load that up to Garmin, and then Garmin notes your workout to Vitality but then you end up with sort of a mess to clean up because that same Garmin loads to Strava as well as Zwift does and, well you see the issues. What is the likelihood that Zwift US will have a similar capability as South Africa.

Okay, enough of my rant, but since Vitality is used by so many companies now, and the Garmin integration is already there, Zwift and Garmin should be able to get something working that lets us get our points without hacks like double recording.

A Zwift UK member here and also a Vitality member.

I echo Roger’s sentiments and think it’s time for Zwift to have an agreement with Vitality. Zwift activities are 100% genuine activities but I cannot get the points for them in Vitality because there is no corporate agreement between the two companies, please sort it out. If dirty Peleton can do it then why not Zwift? Yes there are workarounds using a Garmin device but it’s a messy process as Roger said.

It’s time for Zwift to sort this out with Vitality and get rid of the messy workarounds that Zwifters have to do to get Vitality points from Zwift activities. If Peleton can do it then why not Zwift?