Those of you who follow me on Instagram will have seen that my mum bought me a Fitbit Flex*.
My mum thought it would be a good device to track my progress as I fight to get my fitness back. Not only that, but it could be a quantifiable way of learning what my limitations are. I have to admit I was particularly interested to see how well I slept. So last weekend, we went and picked one up in the January sales. It comes in a variety of colours but these were more expensive so I went for the black one. It actually comes with two bands, a small one and a larger one, so it is adjustable to fit most wrists. The bands are made of a rubber material that is lightweight and generally pretty comfortable to wear. It can be a little fiddly to put on at first until you get used to it. If you lacked mobility or strength in your hands then this could be an issue. My main bug bear with it is that it doesn’t display the time, though I am sure there is a more expensive model that does.
The Fitbit Flex connects to Apple devices (iPhone 4S and newer and the iPad 3 and newer) and android devices are also supported, though I have read online that some people have had issues on Android. If you are an android user it might be an idea to check and make sure that your device is compatible. It’s fairly simple to set up and connects to your device via Bluetooth, making it really easy to use. You just switch on your Bluetooth, open up the Fitbit app and it syncs automatically. You can also connect it to your computer (using a little Bluetooth USB that comes with it) but I haven’t done this. For me, it’s more convenient to use the app over the computer. Just as a side note, to charge the Fitbit you put it into a little charger that plugs into a USB port.
The App is pretty simple. The layout shows all the info you need to know and you can click on each item to find out more details. The detail is where the app is lacking for me. I just feel there could be an easier way to present the information as it’s tricky to click on a specific part of each graph on a mobile phone, even when it is enlarged.
The first few days with the Fitbit didn’t go too well in all honesty. After a bath on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, I forgot to put it back on! It’s fine to wear whilst showering but you can’t submerse it in water. Anyway, I obviously missed out on tracking a couple of walks I did but from Thursday onwards I thankfully remembered about it! The first day I used it, I did question its accuracy. It recorded me doing 500 steps before I had even left the house- unlikely considering I hardly live in a mansion! Although I wore it on my left arm (I am right-handed), I found that I actually do quite a bit with my left hand. I therefore went into the settings and checked the box to say that I was wearing it on my dominant hand. This made it less sensitive to movement and hopefully more accurate. It’s never going to be completely accurate but so long as you don’t obsess over specific numbers and look at trends instead, it does a pretty good job.
As I mentioned above, you can use GPS tracking to map your walks/runs. I used it on the first day to map where I walked but haven’t used this feature since. I’m not too fussed on this feature as the app records distances regardless and I am working on building up duration as opposed to miles. Not using it has saved battery life too and the Fitbit went a full week until I needed to charge it again.
I’ve yet to bother with the calorie counting. To be honest, I’ve never been one for counting calories, I just do my best to eat well. I have been following an exclusion diet and though losing wasn’t the intention of it, it’s been an added bonus. However, if my weight doesn’t level out soon I may use the calorie counter to help me to maintain my ideal weight. This feature allows you to compare how many calories you have eaten against the number you have burned so it is useful for those looking to lose or put on weight. I just don’t have the motivation to do it at the moment. It’s laziness on my part as I would have to work out everything as all the food I eat is made from scratch. They do have a database of foods and you can scan barcodes as well to help you input what you eat. Tracking your water intake is much easier and, though I tend to guesstimate it, it gives a clear indication of whether or not you are drinking enough during the day.
The sleep tracker is pretty interesting. I’ve been fascinated to see what the Fitbit records in comparison to how I felt I had slept. Sure enough, on a couple of nights where I felt I hadn’t slept particularly well it recorded me being restless a number of times and actually recorded 162 steps one night; I must have been moving around a lot! Of course it isn’t completely accurate but it paints an overall picture of how you slept and, again, you can track trends. One downside to the design of the wristband is that I have found it to be a little uncomfortable to wear when I am having those restless nights. I don’t really notice it at the time, but the following morning my wrist is tender to touch. I have tried it on both arms to see if that made any difference without success.
Overall I’m finding it interesting to use. I think if you are someone who is naturally quite competitive with yourself, it’s maybe not the best option as you could end up pushing yourself too much. However, if you want to slowly build your progress step-by-step and get an idea of how much exercise is manageable for you, it may be useful. If you feel terrible one day, you can look back to see just how much you did in the days prior to see if you overdid it. If you do figure out roughly what your limitations are, it can also serve as a reminder to slow down or stop on some days. For me, it will be interesting to see the difference in how much I do when I return to work, which I am hoping isn’t in the too distant future.
