{Previous post: Fitbit to be Tied, Part 1}
Strapping on a Fitbit activity tracker did indeed make me more active this summer. I’ve worn a pedometer in the past, but the Fitbit offered a new twist in the form of social connections.
I linked up with some friends who also have a Fitbit, and our names climbed up and down the leader board, which shows how we all rank for total steps for the last seven days. It’s motivating to take a peek (on an app on my phone) after lounging around all morning and see my friends’ totals have climbed above mine.
I’ve been getting over 10,000 steps a day, thanks to a lot of tennis and walking. This month, I completed a special mini-goal to get at least 15,000 steps for five days in a row while my husband was away, and I rose to the top of my leader board for the first time. I was excited to break 20,000 steps on a couple of days, too.
Wearing the activity tracker helped me avoid long stretches of lethargy, which has been great, but it can get ridiculous at times. Once when I took my Fitbit off to charge the battery, I caught myself not wanting to get up to get another cup of coffee because my steps wouldn’t count.
And then there was the time I joined a friend to walk a few miles in a full-on downpour. (We thought the rain had stopped when we set out.) A mutual friend saw us from her car and pulled over to laugh at us. It was pretty funny to be soaked to the skin and sloshing through puddles. We got in our steps, though!
Overall, I have increased my activity and my fitness. I remember back in early May, I got sore after only one set of tennis, while last week, I played three sets against my teenage son, and then I took a long walk.
I also am avoiding the obsessiveness that made me stop wearing a pedometer in the past. After all, my body is the ultimate activity tracker, and it’s feeling stronger.
{I have no affiliation with Fitbit.}
What do you think about activity trackers? Anyone want to link up as Fitbit buddies? (Email me at marcy@tootimidandsqueamish.com)
