Tom's Favorite Things : @fitbit
I’ve always been found myself driven to data. Whether it is in business or my personal life, I always search to find measurable metrics and use them to drive my actions. Numbers speak to me like poetry speaks to others.
As I grew more accustomed to sitting behind a desk for hours at a time, I realized that something was off. And this realization came at the same time this problem gained national exposure. According to the Mayo Clinic, one of hundreds of studies about sitting, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with several health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. Too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Physical inactivity is linked to more than 5 million deaths a year. Yikes.
I found my solution in the now-ubiquitous FitBit.
I got my first generation FitBit back around 2010. It was a neat contraption that would show how many steps I took- but that was pretty much it- you had to plug it in to get data and I lost a few when I forgot to unclip it from my pants pocket. Even with this imperfect solution, I became hooked on trying to hit those goals and doing small things to increase my movement.
The next generation brought a huge leap forward. The Flex was worn on the wrist, so no problems with accidental washings. It was also more front and center as I would see it during my day and served as a constant reminder to move. Add in wireless syncing and I thought they had hit the jackpot.
What else could I ask for? The FitBit Surge.
This is my most current upgrade in the FitBit world and it’s a powerhouse. A watch, real-time heartrate and step monitor, alarms, timers, phone and text message notifications and a leap forward in exercise tracking.
A game of tennis, courtesy of GPS.
I use it to track my yoga workouts, but also with a built-in GPS, it has great data when I go for a walk or run. It’s also a hoot when taking a walk in the forest preserves to see where you went...and hilarious to see what a game of tennis looks like via GPS tracking.
It also monitors sleep- both showing how long your slept, but when you are moving, restless or disturbed. Having this data helps to take actions to minimize those disruptions and maximize deep, restorative sleep. Add in wireless syncing and a 7-10-day battery life and I swear, they can’t make it better...or can they?
There are so many smart watches and fitness bands, but in my book the FitBit rules. I just can’t wait to see what killer features they unroll next that I never knew I couldn’t live without.