Activity/exercise tracker - thoughts?

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kevin75626
kevin75626 Posts: 10 Member
i have been contemplating buying an activity tracker ( Fitbit, Garmin, etc.). Wondering if it is worth the money and if it has helped anyone?

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  • KenSmith108
    KenSmith108 Posts: 1,966 Member
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    kevin75626 wrote: »
    i have been contemplating buying an activity tracker ( Fitbit, Garmin, etc.). Wondering if it is worth the money and if it has helped anyone?

    I tried a few apps on my phone. My favorite is a simple stopwatch. I only record exercise duration so it works for me.

  • titinil
    titinil Posts: 142 Member
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    I have a Garmin Vivofit 2 and I love it.

    I like that it uses a watch battery, so you don't have to recharge it every few days; the battery should last at least a year.

    But what I really LOVE is that it personalizes your step goal based on your history. It started with a daily goal of 7500 steps. (I don't know if it starts with that number for everyone, or if it was based on my user settings.)
    In the beginning, I didn't come anywhere near that number, so each day it set my goal lower and lower until it got to a a number that I was able to reach.
    If you reach your step goal for the day, then the next day the goal is increased. I've found that when I just make my goal the increase for the next day is modest, maybe 35 steps more. If I go way over my goal, the increase for the next day will be higher, in the hundreds.
    By the same token, if you don't make your goal for the day, the next day's goal will be lower in the same way.

    I love that the display shows both the number of steps, and the number still needed to achieve the day's goal. Most days I don't even look at the number of steps I've taken, I just look at how many more to reach the goal.
    By striving to meet the goals set by my Vivofit 2, I've increased my daily steps from around 4200 in April, to over 7600 now.

    It also has an activity mode, which is a timer so you can track the length of time spent in an exercise.

    I also like that you can buy different colored/patterned bands, so you can change the band to match your outfit or mood.

    I almost forgot, it's also water resistant, so you can wear it in the shower and in the pool. In fact, the only time I take mine off is when I want to change the color band I'm wearing.

    For me, the Vivofit has been well worth the cost; I have no regrets.

  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    I have a Fitbit Flex.

    Pros:
    -Easy to use
    -Tracks sleep
    -Has changeable wristbands
    -Syncs easily to apps

    Cons:
    -Is a pain to charge (I'm not sure how the newer models are)
    -Doesn't track steps if you are pushing a cart at a store

    I've only ever had the Fitbit Flex. I like it a lot, but I would also switch to another brand easily.

    Overall, having an activity tracker has helped me. It does encourage me to be more active.
  • pennell12
    pennell12 Posts: 190 Member
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    titinil wrote: »
    I have a Garmin Vivofit 2 and I love it.

    I like that it uses a watch battery, so you don't have to recharge it every few days; the battery should last at least a year.

    But what I really LOVE is that it personalizes your step goal based on your history. It started with a daily goal of 7500 steps. (I don't know if it starts with that number for everyone, or if it was based on my user settings.)
    In the beginning, I didn't come anywhere near that number, so each day it set my goal lower and lower until it got to a a number that I was able to reach.
    If you reach your step goal for the day, then the next day the goal is increased. I've found that when I just make my goal the increase for the next day is modest, maybe 35 steps more. If I go way over my goal, the increase for the next day will be higher, in the hundreds.
    By the same token, if you don't make your goal for the day, the next day's goal will be lower in the same way.

    I love that the display shows both the number of steps, and the number still needed to achieve the day's goal. Most days I don't even look at the number of steps I've taken, I just look at how many more to reach the goal.
    By striving to meet the goals set by my Vivofit 2, I've increased my daily steps from around 4200 in April, to over 7600 now.

    It also has an activity mode, which is a timer so you can track the length of time spent in an exercise.

    I also like that you can buy different colored/patterned bands, so you can change the band to match your outfit or mood.

    I almost forgot, it's also water resistant, so you can wear it in the shower and in the pool. In fact, the only time I take mine off is when I want to change the color band I'm wearing.

    For me, the Vivofit has been well worth the cost; I have no regrets.

    Sounds great. I am going to look into this!

  • rbakedq
    rbakedq Posts: 141 Member
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    I am using now using the Fitbit One. I just clip it to the top of my pocket and forget about it. It just works. I was also using the Withings Pulse 02, which is also very good if the only exercise you do is running and walking.