The Tech Accessory That Changed My Life
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm low-key (ok maybe more like high-key) obsessed with my Fitbit. I received it as a birthday present shortly before the start of Fall Quarter and we've been inseparable ever since. I wear it every day, to bed and in the shower if I'm brain dead and forget to take it off. I've even stopped wearing my favorite watches in favor of my Fitbit.
Part of a larger trend of wearable technology, Fitbits are a great way to keep an eye on your daily activity levels. At just the tap of a finger, you can see the time, steps taken and calories burned. The device has an associated app which helps track sleep and allows you to track your stats over time. The Fitbit is usually pretty quick to pick up on exercise and on the app you can manually log or label various exercises - from boxing to Zumba.
Depending on your lifestyle, you can also set goals for number of steps, calories burned, miles walked, and active minutes. Nothing gets me huffing up the stairs instead of taking the elevator then seeing that I'm 500 steps away from hitting my goal.
App home screen; image via
On top of tracking your daily movements, Fitbit sends you an email, summarizing your weekly averages and how they compare to the previous week's stats. Seeing that I got less sleep than the week before is a helpful reminder to take care of myself more and try harder to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Another cool feature is the "Friends" aspect to bring out your competitive side as you challenge friends to see who can move the most.
Compared to an Apple Watch, the Fitbit Alta is a very sleek, minimalist design that is discreet and practically unnoticeable on the wrist. The basic rubber wrist band is practical, sturdy and perfect for everyday wear and sweating it out at the gym. But for the more design inclined, Fitbit has several more ornate designs that look more like jewelry than a fitness tracker. Tory Burch has also designed a line of luxe leather wristbands for a more high-end edgy vibe.
Wearing my Fitbit has made me much more conscious about how much I move (or don't - Reg days are bad days for my Fitbit) and motivates me to go to the gym or walk around campus more to hit my daily 10K steps. I now try to walk more when I would normally take the shuttle or choose the stairs instead of the elevator. The ability to see how each day compares to previous ones brings out the competitive side in me (to the benefit of my health) and pushes me to take a pause from studying in Mansueto to go for a lap and get my heart pumping.
Shop Fitbits and accessories here.
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