Getting fit, to me, is more about being healthy than hitting a certain number on the scale. I try to stay active even when I do not have the time for a workout that day. This means taking the dog for a walk, hiking with the family, and of course eating healthy. With my busy lifestyle I do not always have time to hit the gym but all the little choices you make throughout the day add up to a lot. This is where the FitBit comes in. It tracks all of those choices to show you how you are doing throughout the day.
The market for wearable fitness trackers has grown tremendously over the past couple of years. There are quite a few to choose from now and it took me a while to understand what the differences between them were. After researching I decided on the Fitbit Force, the newest member of the FitBit family. One thing that is a simple difference is it tells time. Seems like if I am going to bother wearing something on my wrist, it may as well tell time. One main difference to the Force and other fitness trackers is the display is a OLED display instead of an LCD which means your battery will last a lot longer. The biggest new feature though is that most of your stats can be seen on your display where in the past you would have to check the app that goes with it. You can still use the app but you really do not need it as much now.
The FitBit Force measures your steps you take every day. I was pretty surprised at how many steps I take on a daily basis. Once you have been using it for a while you will have an idea of what is normal for you which I enjoy because I find I have a day where my numbers are low I can take a quick walk in the evening to make up for it. All of the other wearable fitness trackers track steps as well but the Force tracks muc
h more. Besides steps, it also tracks calories burned, distance in miles, active minutes, hours of sleep and flights of stairs climbed. A big advantage with the Force is you do not have to plug it into your computer to transfer data, it syncs wirelessly. While the app is not as necessary with the Force, it adds a great social aspect to the experience. Connect with friends and cheer each other on or compete to add a motivation factor.
Fitbit truly encourages an active lifestyle. Looking at your stats off and on all day will encourage you to get moving. Using the app to add your meals each day as well as any additional activities that the tracker may not track can give you a great overall picture of where you are at and how you can improve. With it all right there in front of you it is easy to see where you need to make adjustments whether it is lowering calories or raising your daily activity.
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