Any other Fitbit users on here?

[Londonscottish]

The CEO of the company I work for caught the fitness bug and started using a Fitbit a few months ago. He then offered a 90% subsidy for anyone who wanted one and set up all sorts of league tables which to compete.

I don't bother with the latter but find the stats fascinating and useful.

Apart from anything else it encourages me to get off my **** and hit the 10,000 steps a day target (usually manage that fix or six days a week), to get as many as possible (20,000) yesterday.

It's also useful in terms of reminding me to hydrate, measuring my resting heart rate (48-52) and informing me about my sleep patterns.

It's not the be all and end all and I use other tech for other things (Strava, Swimtag, etc) but it's a handy little thing.

Anyone else?

 

[PobodY]

Yes.

I started with the flex, then upgraded to a Charge HR, and am currently using a Charge 2.

We've also got the Aria scales (so any time you weigh yourself the weight and body fat percentage gets logged).

I love to look at the data; for example I can tell when the flu I caught started (as opposed to when I had to call in sick).

I only compete with my family and close friends; I admit to feeling smug when I top the tables, but that's infrequent and I never stay there long.

 

[brucemillar]

I hope to get one. Both my teenage daughters have them and swear by them for different reasons and usage. But it does seem to encourage them to use the step counter and gives them a goal to achieve in their daily walking and eating regimes.

I don't know much about them but figure that they cannot be a bad thing.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Pros and Cons vs Iphone activity monitor....?

I've been tempted to switch to Fitbit but continue to use the only slightly inaccurate step monitor on my Iphone. But if anyone can "sell me" on the killer benefit of switching to a fitbit, I'd be interested.

To be honest, the biggest activity monitor benefit for me is to help manage inactive days. Those days when I've been wasting my time working, and I look at the numbers at the end of the day and realise I've only done 4,000 steps, which is what the average Brit does every day. This week's killer stat: 40% of Adults don't do a brisk 10 minute walk during the course of a month?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...l-manage-even-one-brisk-10-minute-walk-month/

My son does the full high-performance athlete thing, logging activity, calories and training using his polar watch, "but I can't be doing with all that."

I keep being tempted by the idea of an Apple watch, but it seems too clunky and a bit Windows 1.0 to me. (i.e. not quite there yet)

As a JohnnyNoMates, I'm not interested in comparison tables, or competing with others. I'll idly look at cycling speeds for routes on Strava but that's about it.

Give me an excuse to spend some money.....

 

[Steveml63]

Hi,
I bought a Fitbit in January and really like it.
I have a Blaze with the optional leather strap (hated the rubber one it came with).
For me - the sleep time and quality analysis is one of the best features along with the heart health analysis and resting heart rate display.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Mr-Goose]

I have a similar device, Garmin Fenix 3, that I use for sports. It has a pedometer etc. and it shows me how little I actually do during the day. Excluding doing various sports I would only do 2,000 to 3,000 steps per day. I get up. Walk to the car, walk from the car to my desk and then the reverse at the end of the day. The only reason why I don't worry too much about it is due to doing other sports a few times during the week. Unfortunately my hunger usually wins out thus I still don't look like an athlete.

 

[Smart320]

Have a Fitbit , definitely got my activity rate up but still not getting to 10,000 steps a day, but have seen my resting heart rate drop over time, still too high though at 68 bpm so wife has decided a dog is required to get us out walking more regularly. This has required me to trade my E class for a ML as her Smart Cabriolet is not good for anything except a handbag dog which would have required me to buy a handbag.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Mrs MD has Fitbit Charge HR I am using Garmin Vivosmart HR. Both have very similar apps and both monitor the same: sleep, steps, calories, heart rate, etc. The differences are Garmin displays emails and messages seams to be more accurate in number of steps (Fitbit counts almost every wrist movement as a step) and Garmin is waterproof while Fitbit isn't. Both can be paired with Apple health so basically it's the matter of personal preference.

Edit: Fitbit app looks better

 

[Abdul]

I've got an Alta gold, if I walk to and from work etc 15-20k steps a day is the norm. If I drive I barely pass 5k steps lol.

Good little device, I'd recommend one.

 

[Londonscottish]

I hope to get one. Both my teenage daughters have them and swear by them for different reasons and usage. But it does seem to encourage them to use the step counter and gives them a goal to achieve in their daily walking and eating regimes.

I don't know much about them but figure that they cannot be a bad thing.

I find it useful in that it literally makes me get up and do things on a quiet day. Which I would probably not otherwise have done.

In my 50's now - got to get on top things/keep on top things.

 

[Londonscottish]

I've been tempted to switch to Fitbit but continue to use the only slightly inaccurate step monitor on my Iphone. But if anyone can "sell me" on the killer benefit of switching to a fitbit, I'd be interested.

To be honest, the biggest activity monitor benefit for me is to help manage inactive days. Those days when I've been wasting my time working, and I look at the numbers at the end of the day and realise I've only done 4,000 steps, which is what the average Brit does every day. This week's killer stat: 40% of Adults don't do a brisk 10 minute walk during the course of a month?
Four in ten adults fail to manage even one brisk 10 minute walk a month

My son does the full high-performance athlete thing, logging activity, calories and training using his polar watch, "but I can't be doing with all that."

I keep being tempted by the idea of an Apple watch, but it seems too clunky and a bit Windows 1.0 to me. (i.e. not quite there yet)

As a JohnnyNoMates, I'm not interested in comparison tables, or competing with others. I'll idly look at cycling speeds for routes on Strava but that's about it.

Give me an excuse to spend some money.....

I got stalled at the begging as various people were regaling me with the various benefits of Garmin vs Apple vs Fitbit. And them getting into geo location, integration with Strava etc etc

Then I realised I was being given 90% of the cost of a Fitbit and so I went ahead with that. Doh.

At the end of the day I use the Fitbit for daily steps, heart rate monitor, info on my sleep and reminders to drink water. I use Strava on my phone to track my commutes by bike. I use Swimtag to log my swimming in the City gym I go to. And I occasionally use Myfitnesspal to look at calorie intake.

It's like home automation; there's no dominant all in one player yet.

 

[Londonscottish]

I have a similar device, Garmin Fenix 3, that I use for sports. It has a pedometer etc. and it shows me how little I actually do during the day. Excluding doing various sports I would only do 2,000 to 3,000 steps per day. I get up. Walk to the car, walk from the car to my desk and then the reverse at the end of the day. The only reason why I don't worry too much about it is due to doing other sports a few times during the week.

Yeah I noticed how amazingly sedentary I could be on the odd day when I worked from home (as opposed to cycling to work or walking to the tube, going down and up lots of staircases, etc). It now makes me want to do chores, walk to the shops etc.

Unfortunately my hunger usually wins out thus I still don't look like an athlete.

I hit 10,000 steps at 5.00 local time when I was making the first vodka tonic of the day. Well we are on holiday and it was my wife's idea........

 

[Londonscottish]

Mrs MD has Fitbit Charge HR I am using Garmin Vivosmart HR. Both have very similar apps and both monitor the same: sleep, steps, calories, heart rate, etc. The differences are Garmin displays emails and messages seams to be more accurate in number of steps (Fitbit counts almost every wrist movement as a step) and Garmin is waterproof while Fitbit isn't. Both can be paired with Apple health so basically it's the matter of personal preference. View attachment 64438

Edit: Fitbit app looks better

Good point ; the fact that the Fitbit i use (Alta HR) isn't waterproof is a downside. I do swim a fair bit and commute on my bike in the rain.

EDIT; I've already Googled the Vivosmart and that looks perfect for me.......scope creep already.....

 

[Londonscottish]

I've got an Alta gold, if I walk to and from work etc 15-20k steps a day is the norm. If I drive I barely pass 5k steps lol.

Good little device, I'd recommend one.

There you go, nice summary. Not of Fitbit the brand per se but of the general concept of small devices on your wrist which can do really useful health-related things.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Good point ; the fact that the Fitbit i use (Alta HR) isn't waterproof is a downside. I do swim a fair bit and commute on my bike in the rain. EDIT; I've already Googled the Vivosmart and that looks perfect for me.......scope creep already.....

If you're looking for vivosmart DON'T buy Vivosmart 1 but only series HR,HR+(with GPRS) or vivosmart 3. 1st series had a lot of display issues (I had it and it was replaced/upgraded by Garmin FOC for my current HR, btw 1st class customer support by Garmin UK).

 

[Abdul]

the general concept of small devices on your wrist which can do really useful health-related things.

Agreed, if I find myself sitting a few thousand steps short of a nice round number ie 10k, 20k, 25k I'll make sure I go for a walk for no apparent reason other than to hit that target. Quite a good little motivator.

 

[Wheelsnuts]

My wife has a Fitbit and finds it a useful incentive to get active. However, there is no doubt that it under counts her steps and when she is pushing a supermarket trolley (one of her main forms of exercise!) it doesn't count the steps at all! My Apple watch appears to be a bit more accurate. Having said all that, under counting steps must be better than over counting and the Fitbit and Apple watch have certainly encouraged us to be more active. So we are fans and also have the Aria scales.

 

[Satch]

Last week Mrs S. was remarking what an amazingly huge number of steps she had done since getting up only a fairly short time ago. Just such a busy day!

I had to point out that using a hand held mixer in the same paw might have had something to do with it

 

[ianw19]

I have a Fitbit Flex to keep me motivated in the lazy days.

I bought Fitbit Charge 2's for my sons on Prime Day since my youngest needs motivation. They get £5 if they hit 70k steps by the end of Sunday. Miss the target and they get nothing. Its amazing how many times the dog is walked these days [emoji3]

Sent from my LG-H870 using Tapatalk

 

[PobodY]

My Dad has an Apple watch (to replace his Fitbit Flex) and seems to spend most of his time shouting at it because it doesn't do what he wants it to.

It's quite funny to watch:
Hello Siri.
Hello Siri.
Hello you $$$$ing POS Siri
(and so on)