When I worked as a Speech-Language Pathology, I wore a watch since my entire day was dictated by time. When I retired, my wristwatch followed suit. I was happy to be free of constant monitoring. Is there any aspect of our life that cannot be measured by electronic technology? I was curious if a FitBit would serve me in my pursuit of fitness enough. Borrowing an unused device from my grandson (really, when you are 14, you should just live your life), I enlisted my daughter to program it. After it sat for a few days, I decided to wear it.
I learned that one hour of piano playing registers over 4000 steps, which makes sense since the arm is bouncing up and down. On another occasion, my iphone credited me with over 5000 steps in an hour of jeep riding/bouncing through Canyon de Chelly.
Information is useless if it isn’t applied. I decided that at this time, a FitBit isn’t motivating me to change any behavior. And may even lead to discouragement and guilt.
When I decide to establish a walking goal, I will use my phone to assist in developing courses. (In my jogging days, pre-iphone society, I used the odometer in my car.) But the best measurement of sleep quality is how I feel in the morning. If I am thirsty, I need to drink more water. If I am full, I ate too much. Most of what we need to know is beautifully revealed in our bodies if we are attentive.
Please share your experience using FitBit or other technology.
I love my GearFit. I set it for 7k steps a day, because trying to get 10k like “they” suggest is too stressful. It often hurt to get that many steps, because of my fibromyalgia. There are days I need to know how much I slept the night before, and it keeps me focused on getting some exercise every day.