You know how I like alliteration or a play on the name of the month to tie in with my goals? Well, here I was thinking I’d been slightly original.
Let me preface my tale of minimal disappointment with my latest toy.
A couple of weeks ago I got one of these:
Where, how, how cheaply are details for another time.
Oh, what is it you ask? This little black strap is a Fitbit. It measures my steps and sleep. (I’ll write about sleep tracking another time too.) Data is synced with my computer and uploads to some cloud somewhere and then automatically/immediately/scarily goes to my iPad – by email, by message and on the app.
Ok, ok, I’ve had other gadgets before. A GPS watch thingy with a heart rate monitor, and a plain pedometre. And I loved each initially but soon dropped them. The heart rare strap was annoying and restrictive and the GPS always took too long to find satellites. And the pedometre’s battery went flat. I had discarded it earlier as I didn’t like the way it clipped on.
So then I got this one. And I have all the fervour of a new convert. I love my fit bit.
Apparently “they” say you are meant to do 10,000 steps. Don’t know who they are because my problem is trying to get my head around the number of steps. For the past two weeks my goal had been 8,000 steps. Most times I achieved my goal, it has been a conscious effort. Occasionally I achieved or exceeded the goal without a deliberate plan, just did a lot of walking. What I’ve realised is how sedentary my life is. If I don’t make an effort, I don’t even get to 8,000 steps. Last Saturday, for example, I only got to 2,677 steps. Drive to hairdressers, sister-in-law’s place for lunch, post-lunch nap and then off to a work event meant I had no time to go for a walk.
Anyway I thought I would try for 10,000 steps in September. It will be a challenge. One to which I will rise.
Which brings me to my mild disappointment. I was going to call it Steptember. But, of course, I find I am not original. And in the era of every charity having a gimmick, one charity has taken on Steptember. So if I say I am doing Steptember, people will think I am doing the charity thing. I’m not. I just like giving my goals and plans a name. So then I will have to explain that I am not walking for charity, just for my health.
So does anyone want to join me and track their walking in Steptember? Apparently this groovy little ting also uploads to WordPress. More scary tracking things!
lucinda sans 
I have wanted to know what the Fitbit craze is! I don’t have a pedometer, monitor or Fitbit though…ok, I will ask the Phys Ed staff tomorrow if we have any floating around…or I could duck out to KMart tonight (vrs drinking my champagne!) I think we know how that option might pan out 😀
Get a Fitbit. It’s brilliant. Love it. Better than any pedometer I’ve had.
Having just looked up Fitbits, now I want one! I hadn’t looked at them before because I thought of them as just a runners’ thing. I would be very interested in the sleep tracking. I won’t be able to participate in your Steptember because we are travelling and i won’t want to wear my manual, clicking pedometer! But I like the idea. (PS – with my pedometer, I don’t even reach 10,000 steps when I walk back and forth to work twice a day!)
Get one! You know you want one. And they’re fantastic. It is amazing how much you have to walk to get the 10,000 steps. Incidental waking is the answer!
I have a pedometer app on my phone which works a treat as long as I am a) carrying my phone in my hand or b) have it in my pocket. According to the app (I did just check!) I’ve done 2,948 steps today. I’ve also ridden six or so km on my bike, wandered around the park for half an hour, done grocery shopping, 52 pickup and some cooking. It doesn’t work all that well in my handbag *or* sitting on the bench.
Helllooo, Miss Maudy. Welcome. One of the reasons I love my Fitbit is I don’t have to remember to take my bag or worry where it clips on. I had a pedometer that I clipped on my pants or skirt. Thing kept falling off in the loo. Stupid. So I relegated it to a drawer until the battery went flat. Not my fault I can’t use it anymore!
A Fitbit is great! I have been using one for several weeks now and I love it. I find I can achieve well over the 10,000 steps if I do my longer walk ( about 3.5 miles), and may achieve the magic total if I do my shorter one (2 miles approx) and go up lots of stairs. As long as my less successful days don’t out number the better ones I am pleased. I think you will love your Fitbit. I am really spurred on by mine.
They’re very motivating, aren’t they? With my longer walk I too can make the 10,000 steps. Difficult pty is fitting the walk in with my working hours. Can’t do it more than once during the working week days.
I am retired so theoretically should have more time for planned walks. Some weeks this happens and some weeks it just doesn’t – not because I am feeling lazy but because of family commitments, hospital appointments etc etc. However the weekly Fitbit report is such an excellent way of seeing where your poor score days were and spurs you on to do more walking on days when time allows. I love it!
A great goal! I was able to fit in a few more steps at work by walking to the printer every time I printed something and at home by walking around the kitchen or marching in place at the stove while cooking. Best of luck!
Yes, incidental walking is the key!
I sorta want a fitbit, seen them emerge from so many bras!! but I shall not buy one… and I decluttered two or three pedometers my mother passed on to me. but having got to drive to work today, I was all too sedentary. At least I did get to make a chopped salad, and ingest something other than homemade choc chip cookies and also these date ball thingies someone made… I did even avoid the stairs at home on both ‘returns’ – slack! So slack!
Get one that is on a wrist strap. I’m singing it loud and often: better than a normal pedometer.
We got fitbits a month or two ago, with our private health insurance.
My husband is very good at remembering to put his on, but I often forget to wear mine… 🙂
Well, yes, that is the catch: you have to wear it. Lol!
There was talk at work how private health insurance may link exercise as measured on a Fitbit to rates but it would be too easy to fake, eg put it on a dog and throw a ball!