I started tracking my food intake years ago and until I did, I always struggled with getting the kind of results I wanted. When I started a keto diet, I knew I’d need help to ensure I didn’t go over on carbs, so I downloaded the Lose It app and started tracking my intake. I have gotten the best results from a diet that I’d ever gotten before I started tracking, so it became a habit and I haven’t strayed from it. I watched a YouTube video the other day, and one of the topics was moving away from tracking. I thought about it for a second, but realized I like doing it and it works for me, so I will continue, but I did check my Lose It account to see how long I’ve been doing it: 7.5 years! I have literally logged everything I’ve eaten, every single day for 2700+ days!
COVID-19 struck and I realized I didn’t have a thermometer and with fever being a primary symptom, I got one and started tracking my temperature every day. This got me thinking about activity trackers. I like the idea of them certainly, because I obviously like tracking things, I like real time information, and I like cool gadgets but I never really considered getting one because I don’t run or bike or do the things typically associated with trackers. I read an article about how heart rate and O2 tracking from these trackers could be used to identify locations of COVID outbreak so it gave me another reason to look at them.
I did my research and settled on a Fitbit Charge 4. I chose this gadget because it provided overnight O2 data, so I figured between tracking temperature, O2, heart rate and sleep, I could get a kind of heads up if I’m coming down with a case of viral infection.
I’ve had it a little over a week now and thought I’d jot down my experience with it. The first thing I like about it is the step count. I had no idea how much I actually walk every day and was very pleased to see it’s much more than I expected. I’ve only hit 10,000 steps one time, but I average over 7,000 steps without trying. Increasing daily step counts is an easy way to increase daily calorie expenditure so it’s definitely something in the Pro column.
Heart rate info is great to have as well, because I find that during my training, my HR gets into aerobic “zones” fairly frequently giving me anywhere from 30-50 minutes of cardiovascular benefit without actually doing cardio. This eliminates that nagging guilt that I should be doing some cardio. My resting heart rate is consistently in the mid 40’s and it’s nice to know any blip in my regular resting HR would be quickly apparent. Another Pro.
The regular notifications reminding me to get up and move around some is nice to have, although I ignore it most of the time. My workouts are at 3:00 every day and I walk my dog 5-6 times a day. I live on the 3rd floor, so stairs are a regular part of my life. In other words, I move as much as I’m going to and the reminders don’t do much for me. Neutral.
The biggest, and probably the only Con and frankly my biggest disappointment is how hard it is to actually get the sleep data and O2 data I wanted it for in the first place. Despite trying to wear it in different spots on my wrist, I only got good sleep data on two nights, and even then I didn’t get the HR and O2 data because it wasn’t in the right place on my arm. I don’t know what else I can do, so I’ve basically given up on it. Big time Con.
There’s lots more that this thing can do, what with a built in GPS and being essentially waterproof, so if I ever got the urge to swim, bike and run again, it’d be pretty awesome. I think triathlon training is in my rear view mirror, but you never know. Pro.
I can actually participate in a COVID-19 research program, which as I mentioned above, is going to try to use these trackers to identify outbreaks. There are two studies currently going and I may join one, but until I get the sleep thing figured out, I don’t see how I’d be helpful.
Ultimately, I like having it, but I will not be paying $10 a month to get the Premium info. I’m on a free trial now, so we’ll see if when that ends I notice the difference and feel it’s a worthwhile expense. I doubt it will meet the Spotify test, which I apply now before I subscribe to any monthly service. Spotify is the best $10 I’ve ever spent, so unless something comes along that I will use as much and get as much out of it as I do with Spotify, I’ll probably do without.
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