Overview
PacePoints
PacePoints help you track and visualize your energy expenditure throughout the day.
PacePoints are calculated based on how long you spend in each heart rate zone.
Your PacePoints budget is generated after 4 days of data based on the average points spent each day.
You will be invited to review your budget a couple of times during your first month with Visible.
The PaceSetter
The PaceSetter provides a marker for how many points you should be using at any point in the day to stay on track
PaceSetter alerts can be set to help you not exceed your budget.
Your PaceSetter begins at the start of your pacing day.
You can change your PaceSetter's day to end anywhere from 6pm until 4am.
What are PacePoints?
PacePoints are an overall exertion score that helps you track and visualize your energy expenditure throughout the day.
How do PacePoints work?
Your PacePoints are calculated based on the length of time you spend in various heart rate zones.
When your heart rate begins to rise, you start accumulating PacePoints. PacePoints accumulate roughly 4x faster in your Exertion zone than in your activity zone. The calculation is actually on an ‘exponential curve’ in your exertion zone, so they accumulate faster and faster depending on how long you spend in this zone.
Put simply, the higher your heart rate and the longer it stays elevated, the more quickly you will accumulate points.
What is the PacePoints budget?
Your daily PacePoints budget provides you with a personal energy “allowance”. By assigning a numerical value to your daily energy expenditure, you can prioritize the activities that matter most to you and adjust your day as needed to stay within budget.
Get a personalized PacePoints budget after four days of data
Once you've collected four days of data, you'll be able to set a PacePoints budget. When setting your budget, you'll see the typical amount of PacePoints you use each day and rate how your activity level has felt so far. We'll then guide you in setting a comfortable PacePoints budget within that range.
A good budget should feel useful day-to-day and help you to find a balance between exertion and rest.
We'll help you review and refine your PacePoints budget a couple of times over the first few weeks as we get to know you. Each time, we'll check how your budget is working for you and suggest an adjustment if useful.
If you need to adjust your budget at any other time, you can do so manually in the app. See How to manage your PacePoints budget for more information.
What is the PaceSetter?
The PaceSetter is a tool for planning your energy expenditure throughout the day. The PaceSetter moves slowly around the arc at an even pace throughout the day, starting when you first put on the band and ending, by default, at midnight.
Monitoring your position relative to your PaceSetter at any given point can help you plan the rest of your day and avoid using up your budget too quickly.
The PaceSetter begins at the start of your pacing day. If you wear your band overnight, it begins at 4am or, if you’re enrolled in Early Access Sleep tracking, at your wake time. If you don’t wear your band overnight, it begins when you first put it on after 4am.
The PaceSetter runs until your PaceSetter end time. This is initially set to midnight when you start using Visible. You can adjust your PaceSetter end time in your Pacing settings to better fit your daily routine as follows:
Open the Visible app.
Go to Profile → Pacing settings → Budget and PaceSetter
Adjust your PaceSetter end time. You can choose any time between 6 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Note: Days in Visible run from 4 a.m. to 4 a.m. This means if you're still wearing your band after midnight, your heart rate data will be shown on the previous day's Heart Rate page.
Set up PaceSetter alerts in your Pacing settings
You can set PaceSetter alerts to keep you up to date on whether you are on track to exceed your budget.
Open the Visible app.
Go to the Profile page.
Select Pacing settings, then Pacing notifications. From here, you can toggle your PaceSetter notification on or off and choose an alert tone.
Common questions
Why are my PacePoints high/low compared to other people?
Why are my PacePoints high/low compared to other people?
You shouldn’t compare your points to other individuals. The number of PacePoints you gain for different activities and throughout the day depends on how you’ve set your heart rate zones, your level of activity and your condition.
Having low or high points doesn’t mean you have less or more than someone else, because you accrue points differently based on your personal heart rate zones.
In general, at Visible, we try to recommend focusing on your individual trends and personal health goals rather than comparing them to others. For example, depending on how well you’re pacing, your goal may be to reduce your daily PacePoints rather than increase them.
If your budget feels too low or high compared to your day-to-day activities, you may need to adjust your PacePoints budget.
Why am I using more or less PacePoints than usual?
Why am I using more or less PacePoints than usual?
It’s completely normal for your PacePoint usage to vary from day to day. This usually means you’re spending more or less time in your Activity or Exertion zones.
You may also notice changes in your usage for reasons such as:
You are dealing with additional stress, e.g. mental, social, emotional.
You're currently in a crash, e.g. your heart rate may increase during symptom flare-ups.
You're resting more than usual. Remember, you don't use any PacePoints while in your Rest zone.
You are sensitive to changes in the temperature, e.g., there has been recent hot weather.
You have a new acute infection, e.g. a cold or covid re-infection.
You started a new medication that impacts your heart rate or changed your dosage.
Incorrect heart rate zones can also cause issues, such as zones being too close together or too far apart. It's important to check your heart rate zones and PacePoint budget match your level of exertion. If you're unsure on this, you can always reach out to Member Support who are happy to help.