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fitness tracker - working for you?

macbrian87
macbrian87 Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone!

I'm new on here, just started last week. (bit late on the new year's resolution). I was wondering if anyone could share their experience with fitness trackers - I'm thinking about getting some kind of device but am still unsure what kind? some go on the wrist, some you clip anywhere you like - how's that working for you, and are these things really accurate? Or will an app for my iphone just do? I've tried to find some numbers on this and came upon some statistics like this (http://www.statista.com/statistics/259860/usage-of-digital-fitness-devices/), but I don't know anyone who has actually tried /been succesful with these.

Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • Joytotheworld57
    Joytotheworld57 Posts: 2 Member
    Hello! I am new to this site as well, having signed on only yesterday. I have a Fitbit Flex that my children gave me for Christmas and I love it! It is worn on the wrist and tracks activity through a rechargeable sensor. It also has a sleep mode and will log how long it took me to fall asleep and how many times I have awakened in the night.
    I have now linked my Fitbit to this site to track food and exercise. I am loving the motivation that both provide.
    Best of luck with your journey!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Phone app for starters - something like Runkeeper. Pretty good app. If you then want to go further and you think it is worthwhile, you could invest in a GPS watch. More comfortable of course than carrying a phone. Garmin are one of the big players in this market. I have a Garmin Forerunner 205. Good device.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I love my HRM.
  • GalloMatesegirl
    GalloMatesegirl Posts: 2 Member
    Hello! I have a Fitbit One because as I searched other trackers, I didn't want something around my wrist everyday & all the time since it would get in the way & get all sweaty. I then opted for the Fitbit One because it fit into my lifestyle the best & offered everything I wanted, plus it works with an iPhone or Android phones (it synced with my Droid Bionic last yr. when I had it but now I have an iPhone). i like the syncing feature of syncing with both my computer (Mac or PC) or with my smartphone. Also, if I want, I can wear a band that my Fitbit One unit fits into so it will also track my sleep as well. The ability to sync across different platforms (myfitnesspal,computer, & smartphone) was the best option for me since my unit can be worn on various parts of clothing. Personally, I like to wear it on the pocket of my pants so I can see all the information readily if I want to.
    I hope this helps you to decide with unit you purchase. Don't forget that the unit needs to fit into your lifestyle. I just wanted one to perform all the functions I wanted/needed with the littlest intrusion as possible.
    Maria
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I love my HRM.

    It depends on whether or not you'll be working out, but after some tangles with my Polar FT7 (mostly needing to replace the original chest strap and learning to keep the thing tight enough to pick up my heartbeat), I love it. It's more accurate than pedometer or wrist monitors and works in water (I like to swim). It's best used, though, for measuring the length and intensity of your workouts. You don't wear it all day, only when exercising. If you're mostly planning on counting steps per day, FitBit Zip is great. (Yeah, I got one of those, too. I like electronic toys.)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It depends on the kind of exercise you do. If you walk a lot like me, a fitbit is better. If you do a lot of cardio programs/classes where you don't actually walk, you're better off with a heart rate monitor with a chest strap (like Polar).
  • misko555
    misko555 Posts: 12 Member
    In last few years the activity tracking market has grown extremely, there are a lot of trackers you can choose from, but not all are worth the price. Here are the ones to choose from:

    http://progressgear.com/activity-tracker-pick-top-2014/
  • Maitribb
    Maitribb Posts: 2 Member
    I got a Fitbit Flex for Christmas and I love it. For me, it's good because I'm larger and so I never know how many calories I really burnt doing any specific exercise. Can't trust those treadmills! And doing weight lifting, you really have no idea how much it burns. The Fitbit tells me daily how many calories I burned via exercise. Love that!

    I will say that I have an iPad2 and it is *not* compatible with the Fitbit. Likewise, my phone is an Android, but the particular model is also "not" compatible with the Fitbit. That was the downside for me - I can only sync to my home laptop, nowhere else. So whichever tracker you're considering, also consider your devices that you would want to use to sync it with.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I love fitness trackers. I know nothing is perfect but to me it's a fun tool. I've always used a traditional Polar HRM with a chest strap which is my go to. But I have tried the Bodybugg which I really liked minus the visibility of it I thought it was a great tool. For the past few months I've been using the Polar Loop and I like it. I have an Android and it doesn't sync with that but that's not an important feature to me. I like to gauge where my heart rate is during activities and get an idea of my calories burned.
  • Sunitagt
    Sunitagt Posts: 486 Member
    I find my trackers incredibly motivating. I have the Withings Pulse and I check in on it all the time to see how I'm doing, how many calories I've burned (and how much more I can eat in my day, lol!). I also have a Polar FT4 for when I go to the gym. When I got my Pulse, I realized how little I was walking in the day, and now my goal is minimum of 13,000 steps. I go for a walk every morning, and later in the evenings if I'm lacking in steps for the day, but it keeps me honest trying to burn more calories. I am much less sedentary now than when I started, before I got the device.

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