How do you deal with going to a beach or water park?

BarbieAS
BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
Or any other place where you'll be moving around quite a bit for most or all of a day in a place where you can't wear your tracker?

I'm taking my kids to an indoor water park for the weekend. There will be a good bit of swimming, climbing stairs, walking around, etc. (the plan is to just hang at the water park for all of Saturday afternoon/evening and then all day Sunday until the evening, leaving my Fitbit in a safe place in the hotel room the entire time) all in a place where I won't be able to wear my Charge HR, and so I'm trying to decide how to address that.

Honestly, whatever I burn this weekend probably wouldn't impact my calorie intake too much anyway - there are a few restaurants in the resort where we're staying and no matter what I'd probably just be trying to make the best choices there that I can anyway. I'm almost more concerned about my streak of data - I've had a Fitbit for almost 4 years, and while I've obviously gone without it for a few hours here and there before, never what amounts to an entire weekend, and I'm kind of distressed at the prospect of not having my steps for those two days! Haha.

What do other people do? Try to make something up, or just deal with it?

Replies

  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    Good question - I would probably do one of two things:

    1. Just not wear it for those days and deep breathe through the withdrawals; or
    2. Come up with some sort of waterproofing solution - I'm in the very early stage of thinking about this, but I'm imagining some sort of seriously heavy-duty ziplock bag.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    Wait, back in the day, I used to smoke, and I liked to go to the water park. I had this thing that you could wear around your neck, it was like a plastic tube with a truly waterproof seal - I could carry a couple of cigarettes and a lighter in it and my money and they would stay totally dry. Maybe something like that still exists?
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    Yeah, I don't think I want to try to carry it around with me. If it was a lazy day at the beach maybe, but this is going to be waterslides, lazy rivers, etc, with 2 little kids. Seems like too much potential for disaster. I'm trying to decide if I should try to mock up some activity estimates to throw in there somehow, or just leave it be.
  • macgurlnet
    macgurlnet Posts: 1,946 Member
    How many steps do you get on an average day? I would just add in exercise calories for that amount and call it good. Add 25% if you'd like. From what I've heard from folks that go to amusement parks, they get easily 50% more steps than an average day, and often double.

    A couple of days off from accurate tracking will be AOK - and then you don't have to worry about your Fitbit getting damaged/going missing.

    ~Lyssa
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    'Ive heard some people wrap theirs up in a condom and still wear it on their wrist. Get a pretty pink one :wink: I doubt anyone will notice, maybe...
  • mathiar86
    mathiar86 Posts: 26 Member
    Lol! ^
  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
    When it comes to amusement parks, I rent a locker, and put everything and my tracker in there.
  • GBO323
    GBO323 Posts: 333 Member
    I put my tracker inside a ziplock bag...and put that in another ziplock bag and suck the air out of both. Close the bathing suit pocket with a couple of safety pins. Haven't lost one or ruined it due to swimming.

    Water/Amusement Parks are awesome and you can easily hit 10K steps in one.
  • sarahmichelef
    sarahmichelef Posts: 127 Member
    edited March 2016
    I was in this situation a couple of weeks ago... And I honestly just didn't sweat it. I wore my flex when I wasn't in the water, tucked it away in the bottom of our bag when I was, and just tried to make reasonable food choices. I'd bet you'll have enough fun that you won't notice the withdrawal symptoms. ;)

    (Says the person bemoaning my upcoming week without Internet access, which means I'll lose my year-long MFP login streak)

  • songbird13291
    songbird13291 Posts: 120 Member
    I own a Charge HR and a Zip. When I go to the pool I use the Zip. I have a terrycloth wristband with a zippered, waterproof pocket, I put the Zip in a Ziploc bag and put the bag in the pocket of the wristband.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Just enjoy the day. Guesstimate your activity or just consider it a day off.

    For the beach, I'd wear mine because I love walking on beaches and can easily reach 10K+ per day there. Just be sure to remove it if you will be swimming.