fitness trackers

[Mickey12]

I got a fitbit for Christmas. I know I'm late to the fitness tracker world. I have been using it every day and I like the motivation it provides. I'm wondering how many people have them and still use them every day. In other words, how long did it take for the novelty to wear off?

Some people I know have used them for years have upgraded, etc. Others have lots of various reasons for not using them anymore.

Kim

[killoffsonny]

I'm on my third one in about 3 years and its starting wear off now. I don't care if I get my 10000 steps or not. I usually do without trying but if I don't no biggy.

[wishiwasinhawaii]

I have a Fitbit Zip that was provided free by my employer about a year ago. I used it every day for about 8 months, but when the weather turned colder, I stopped wearing it because I know I won't hit 10,000 steps this time of year. I'll probably start wearing it again in the spring when I go for long walks with a friend.

[muggle]

I have a Polar with the chest strap. I used to wear it all day including when I sleep. I know I sleep for crap so I stopped wearing it to bed. Then I eventually stopped wearing it during the day. Now I only wear it during workouts to get a good idea of how long and hard my workouts are alone, to see if I can reach my 100% during the workout alone. Wearing it all day gave me my "activity" for the entire day. So I was easily getting to 100% or more. It's still fun and gives me interesting info.

[ellaenchanted]

I have been using a Fibit for years and still love it. January was a fitness bust due cold and ear infections (my own, DD, and DH). Seeing te numbers is a reminder that I need to get back on track.

[yogapam]

i had a Fitbit Flex that died on me last year. I loved it, but had to watch that I didn't get obsessed with it. My DH bought me a Fitbit Blaze for Christmas and I love it! It doubles as a watch and the band is much more secure than my Flex.

[Mickey12]

I have a desk job and it definitely takes conscious effort to reach 10,000 steps per day. Sometimes it's even tough to get that number with a workout done for the day. I am able to walk around at will during my workday so I can get my 250 steps per hour when I get prompted.

Some days it sort of feels like an obsession, though. I have found myself wanting to do Jessica or Leslie walks instead of weights or yoga merely because it will get me to my step goal. I have to remind myself I need to keep doing all sorts of activity.

Kim

[schoolgirl-01]

i have a polar M400 with a chest strap. it also doubles as an activity tracker.

i've always used a polar heart rate monitor during my workouts. when it came to to replace my old polar i went with the M400.

i wore it for about 2 weeks while sleeping but i sleep really well so after a while seeing that my sleep is over 90% i stopped wearing it to bed.

the nice thing about the polar tracker is setting a goal that has nothing to do with how many steps you get - it's all about heart rate and how active you really are. as we all know all steps are not created equally. walking around the supermarket is not the same as doing HIIT.

so i wore it for a long time - maybe 6 or 8 months to see my activity time. to see exactly how much time i spent sitting/standing/laying down. that was the real eye opener - i then changed things so that i spent far less time sitting down.

now that i have my routine of not really sitting around i only wear the polar to workout and no other times.

[Jeanne Marie]

Originally Posted by schoolgirl-01

i have a polar M400 with a chest strap. it also doubles as an activity tracker.

i've always used a polar heart rate monitor during my workouts. when it came to to replace my old polar i went with the M400.

i wore it for about 2 weeks while sleeping but i sleep really well so after a while seeing that my sleep is over 90% i stopped wearing it to bed.

the nice thing about the polar tracker is setting a goal that has nothing to do with how many steps you get - it's all about heart rate and how active you really are. as we all know all steps are not created equally. walking around the supermarket is not the same as doing HIIT.

so i wore it for a long time - maybe 6 or 8 months to see my activity time. to see exactly how much time i spent sitting/standing/laying down. that was the real eye opener - i then changed things so that i spent far less time sitting down.

now that i have my routine of not really sitting around i only wear the polar to workout and no other times.

I agree. The step counting really doesn't tell you much of anything constructive, in my opinion. I also have a heart rate monitor that uses a chest strap. It's incredibly accurate. We use it in our boot camp HIIT class and it displays on a monitor so we (and the instructor) can see our heart rate and intensity zones. I also wear it when doing workouts, strength training and running outside of boot camp.

I have to also agree, this thing makes me a little obsessed. The app ranks us with our friends (the boot camp group) and assigns us activity points (MEPs) and I have become obsessed with earning the MEPs. The points are assigned according to how long you stay in the higher ranges of your heart rate. More MEPs for being 80 to 90% of your max heart rate, and even more above 90%. So not only does it track how long you work out, it tracks the intensity! Last month I earned 9000 of them, the closest person to me had only 5000. I need to calm down.

Mine is called "My Zone".

[Mickey12]

Originally Posted by Jeanne Marie

I agree. The step counting really doesn't tell you much of anything constructive, in my opinion. I also have a heart rate monitor that uses a chest strap. It's incredibly accurate. We use it in our boot camp HIIT class and it displays on a monitor so we (and the instructor) can see our heart rate and intensity zones. I also wear it when doing workouts, strength training and running outside of boot camp.

I have to also agree, this thing makes me a little obsessed. The app ranks us with our friends (the boot camp group) and assigns us activity points (MEPs) and I have become obsessed with earning the MEPs. The points are assigned according to how long you stay in the higher ranges of your heart rate. More MEPs for being 80 to 90% of your max heart rate, and even more above 90%. So not only does it track how long you work out, it tracks the intensity! Last month I earned 9000 of them, the closest person to me had only 5000. I need to calm down.

Mine is called "My Zone".

I guess it's a good obsession to have, if you have to have one! I agree that all steps are not created equal. But with a desk job it's a real eye opener to see how inactive you really are. My sister-in-law is at a job where she can get up periodically but not for long enough to get in 250 steps each hour, so she is only getting about 5,000 steps per day. It made her realize just how long she sits every day. She's been trying to get the steps in when she's not at work.

Kim