I tend to be rather black and white with fitness and health trackers like Heart Rate Monitors and Fitbits. I am all in or all out. I have been thinking about whether this is a good thing or a bad one. And, I’ve been going back and forth on whether my type A tendencies make some of these health tracking devices “unhealthy” (or maybe less than totally healthy.)
I wrote a post on fitness tracking and “betting” trends in 2012. I enjoyed looking back at what I said then and seeing how these tools and movements have grown. The number tracker devices and apps have pretty much exploded. And the betting sites have continued to grow and be very popular, as well.
From 2012:
1. Apps like DietBet and Gym-Pact (now called Pact) enable you to enter weight loss contests with your friends (or strangers) or create financial incentives for meeting fitness goals (and getting payouts from people who do not meet theirs). The former works by taking before and after photos and “validating” results and the latter by checking in at your gym on a smart phone (not sure how it knows if you are actually working out – but getting there can be half the battle – right?)
2. Members of the Quantified Self Movement use phones, journals, gadgets, and apps to record things like sleep, air quality, stress levels, heart rate, and mood. The idea: gather data and learn from it. It’s not just about aggregating all sorts of numbers, but about using that info to achieve better health. Want to learn more, check out the Quantified Self Movement site for tools and resources. Of course, tracking health doesn’t guarantee better health, but it may bring a new awareness to our daily routine. The Quantified Self Movement is all about motivating people to taking their health and wellness into their own hands.
Strange as it seems to me to say this (as some of you know I am a betting woman)… I can relate more to the trackers. I have been known to track miles, pace, food logs, heart rate and steps (I have even killed a few FitBit pedometers.) I am (more than a wee bit) competitive, but the idea of entering a weight loss bet online or creating a gym-pact is not for me.
How about you? What motivates you? Friendly rivalry or taking matters into your own hands?
And now? Both challenge/betting sites are going strong and there are hundreds of trackers in the Quantified Self tools page. There is even a conference and expo on June 20th in San Francisco with “a packed exhibit floor and expert-led how-to sessions on health, fitness, learning and much more!”
Through the years, I have used Garmin and the Strava app for running, several versions of Fitbits including the FitBit flex, Polar and Suunto heart rate monitors and more. As I mentioned, I tend to go all in (wear the device for every workout/step no matter what) or abandon it. I am the same way about scales and other traditional tracking mechanisms. I am proud to say that I have a healthier relationship with my scale than in past times. I weigh myself once a week and generally gauge my weight by how my clothes fit. For running, I use Strava when I am somewhere that I don’t know the distance to track my runs, but generally “run free.” I mentioned a few times that I started wearing my Fitbit Flex in January. In the plus column, it gets me up and moving during the day and keeps me walking on days that I don’t get running miles in. In the negative column, I beat myself up on travel days when my numbers are “bad.” I have walked in circles at airports and at home on those days. So… not sure I need the tracker and I do worry about my relationship with it. What do you think?
I am still solidly anti-bet or contest. I do participate in wellness challenges online and at work. The idea of weighing myself and sharing the results makes me want to barf. Gym bets are not necessary for me – it would be a sucker bet for the other guy. And, I would be stressed about fitting in extra workouts to “win” versus doing what I need to do for my training goals.
How about you? Bet or Track? Neither or both? Would love to hear your opinion in the comments.
Also, I mentioned that I needed some help from you. Speaking of tracking and statistics, I am also a bit obsessive about checking my blog statistics. This May is the first time I have had less traffic than the previous year for the same month. It feels like a slump and blogging seems more like a chore when there is less of a response. I used to post four times a week and added Monday giveaways and the Wednesday Giveaway Round Up. I am thinking of going back to posting four times a week with one giveaway per week. That said, I would love some feedback on my formats, timing and blog in general.
I will give away a Jawbone Up (original version black Large) or a Lumo Lift (posture and activity tracker) to a randomly selected winner for anyone who fills out this brief survey to help me to improve my blog. The survey will be open through June 8th. One winner will be selected and contacted on June 9th. Winner must be a US resident, 18 years of age and the giveaway is void where prohibited. Please note: the raffle is in no way affiliated with Jawbone or Lumo. I have new devices that I will giveaway to the winner. If you don’t want to take time for the survey but you want to give me feedback on what I should stop, start and continue on the blog, please email me at erica@ericafinds.com and I will give you an entry to the giveaway!
Thank you in advance for your help and feedback!