There are all sorts of products on the market to help people achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles – pedometers to track how far you walk in a day, phone apps to keep track of your food intake and calories burned, and high-tech scales that measure your body weight, BMI, and all sorts of other measurements (most of which we don’t even understand) while simultaneously syncing the results to your computer or phone via Wi-Fi. Technology is a beautiful thing, no doubt, but it can be confusing to decide which health gadget is the best fit for you.
I recently received a nifty device called a Fitbit for my birthday. You may have seen people sporting these sleek bracelets while exercising or during day-to-day life. I was a little skeptical but interested to see how this increasingly popular device compared to other fitness products that I have tried.
First, what exactly is Fitbit? It’s a company that makes several products that track every part of your day – activity, exercise, food, weight, and sleep – to help you stay motivated and show how small steps make a big impact on your health and your life. Fitbit makes different products to fit to your specific lifestyle, including wristbands, a sport watch, and a wireless scale. I have the Flex, “a wristband that makes fitness fashionable,” according to Fitbit’s website.
It may not be the most fashionable accessory in your collection, but the Flex’s slim design is easy to incorporate in your daily wardrobe and doesn’t get in the way during workouts. The Flex comes with two sizes of wristbands – small and large – and is available in a variety of colors. Designer Tory Burch has even gotten in on the Fitbit frenzy by designing special wristbands especially for the Flex. The wristbands are even waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about it getting splashed if you’re sitting poolside in the summer heat.
The Flex wristband pairs perfectly with Fitbit’s mobile app, which wirelessly syncs with the wristband via Bluetooth. On the app, you can see how many steps you’ve taken (the standard goal is 10,000 steps a day) and it allows you to track the food you’ve eaten, water you’ve drunk, minutes of activity, and hours of sleep you had in the past night. You can see your progress with easy-to-read charts and graphs; compete with family and friends in various challenges; and record runs, hikes, and walks in real time. Plus, you can keep track of your progress with a quick tap of the bracelet – tiny LEDs light up as you get 20% closer to completing your customizable daily goals, whether it is a step, distance, or calorie goal.
One of my favorite qualities of the Fitbit Flex is that it can be worn to sleep to track how much sleep you get and the quality of sleep. At first I was wary of this feature – just how accurate could it be? Would it be uncomfortable? I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t even notice it as I slept. It’s interesting to see how many hours of sleep I get as well as how often I’m restless during the night. Since sleep is a huge component of overall health, the Fitbit easily helps me monitor how my days have an impact on the quality of my sleep.
The Fitbit also has a silent alarm feature that can be used in place of your classic alarm clock – it’s designed to wake you with a silent vibration of the bracelet. The alarms can also be used as reminders for yourself throughout the day. I’m a light sleeper, so the alarm feature worked well for me, but if you’re the kind of gal who sleeps like a rock, you may want to stick with your classic alarm (The silent alarm is also a great way to wake yourself without disturbing your sleeping roommate!).
The Fitbit Flex is my new favorite summer accessory so far. It helps me stay focused on my fitness goals by reminding me to drink lots of water, make healthy food choices, and get moving every day. Its slim design makes it easy to incorporate into my daily life and its wireless syncing makes working toward my goals effortless.
I’m excited to bring it back to the Bend with me to track how far I walk during a typical day at ND – between speed-walking to classes, trips to Rolf’s (which hopefully will become more frequent next semester), and trips to Eddy Street, my Fitbit will help me track my progress during busy days at our beautiful university.
Sparknotes version: If you want an easy way to keep track of your health in your daily life, give Fitbit Flex a try. It’s easy to use, has a ton of great capabilities, and stylish. What more do you need?
The HCND application is now open! For more information contact Rebecca Rogalski at rrogalsk@nd.edu or Katrina Linden at klinden1@nd.edu.
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