Wellness Wednesday - Fitbit

It's our first "official" Wellness Wednesday post! Last week we introduced our recurring themed post and we're looking forward to sharing more on the blog besides just recipes. At some point we would've written posts on these topics anyway but I'm glad they'll be grouped together and we can share them through Wellness Wednesday. To me, the takeaway from figuring out your wellness level is to look at your lifestyle. At the beginning of the year I decided I wanted to really examine our lifestyle and make changes to better reflect optimal wellness. Decluttering the house and becoming more active have been two of the changes that we incorporated into our lifestyle. They have been our focus for the spring (decluttering the house is transitioning to summer focus as well). Be on the lookout for a future post on decluttering the house because today's Wellness Wednesday post is featuring my Fitbit and leading a more active lifestyle!
 

 This is the Fitbit Charge. I've had it about one month and am really enjoying it. There are several different Fitbit models so before I invested in one (they range from $60-250 with the wristlets starting at $100) I purchased a $15 pedometer at the beginning of the year to see how I liked using a pedometer. I really liked using the pedometer, monitoring my steps, and seeing what features I would use. By using the pedometer for a trial period I was better able to determine what Fitbit would best suit my needs. Here's a bit of what I learned from the pedometer and why I chose the Fitbit Charge: 1) The pedometer was designed to fit into pockets although it did come with a clip attachment. I don't wear a lot of pants with pockets so had trouble with figuring out how to clip it on my wardrobe. If I wore leggings the best option was to clip it into the waist but then the clip attachment irritated my skin so I had to make sure to my camisole was under the clip attachment. At the gym I would end up clipping the pedometer onto my sports bra which was more out of the way than my shorts and didn't bother me as much. Being able to wear the Fitbit Charge around my wrist is a game-changer! I don't forget to clip it on anymore (I would forget the pedometer at least once a week probably) and it's always out of the way.

2) After I knew I would be looking at a wristlet Fitbit I was deciding between the Fitbit Flex and the Fitbit Charge. The Fitbit Flex has a slimmer profile but no dislay for detailed information - just a progress display with 5 dots (1 dot per 2,000 steps). The Fitbit Charge is wider than the Flex but the display allows you to see the time, steps taken, calories burned, stairs climbed, and a bit more information. I was torn between the two because I learned two important things from the pedometer: 1) I obsessively checked the number to see where I was and 2) I really liked knowing the time and having the clock feature. So you can see my dilemma - the Flex, without the detailed display, would allow me to monitor my steps without the obsessive check in but the Charge was the option with the clock. Ultimately it was a toss up and I decided the clock feature was more important to me. Now that I've been wearing the Fitbit Charge I find that I'm not checking it as much as before.

A few more features I'm liking about the Fitbit (both the Flex and Charge have the same features):

1) Alarm feature. At first I didn't think I would be interested in the alarm feature at all and would not wear the Fitbit at night. The first weekend I had the Fitbit we were in Chicago and I thought it would be fun to try the alarm instead of the phone alarm and was hooked! The Fitbit vibrates at your alarm time and now I have come to really appreciate this feature. I also have medication I need to take in the morning and need to do so at about the same time. I was failing miserably at this task and the pharmacist told me it was important to try and take it at the same time. Well the Fitbit Charge alarm has made me an all-star at taking my medication at the same time every morning!

2) Fitbit app. I love the Fitbit app! I'm not a big app user but I think it's great to check in on my progress on the app throughout the day. The Fitbit has wireless syncing with the phone app. Here's a screenshot of the app:


Here's a shot of my monthly progress with the Fitbit. Ultimately my goal will be 10,000 every day! I've currently been dealing with some chronic knee pain. I finally told my physician at my last checkup and she referred me to an orthopedist who then sent me on my way with a knee brace and physical therapy appointments. If you look at the month below, last Wednesday (after 6 days straight of 10,000 steps) my knee was really flaring up and I had a PT appointment. The physical therapist recommended a break from cardio and more focus on strength. So I'll have to put aside my 10,000 steps for a bit and focus on rehabilitating my knee and getting it back to normal!


In the meantime the Fitbit is a nifty bracelet and an awesome alarm clock!


If you're curious about Patrick he wore the pedometer for a little bit to track his steps. He wasn't interested in a Fitbit. Even though the Fitbit is a motivator for me, it isn't for him. Finding your motivation is what's important! Since we're both committed to the lifestyle change we're motivators for each other!

Future Wellness Wednesday post on 10,000 steps and achieving cardio goals! In the meantime, this "Steps, times, distance ..." article from the LA Times is an interesting read.

If you're interested in becoming more active, as always, remember to check in with your physician for evaluation and clearance on a new exercise regimen.

Any other Fitbit fans out there?!

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