I didn’t think exercise could be this fun!

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I never jump on the bandwagon right away. I like to watch a while. Doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t go to a new restaurant in the first month. Don’t buy a new product. And good grief never new electronics! Sometimes it takes me a long time to recognize value or need. (Yes I still have my Conestoga wagon in my garage!)

Recently I jumped in with both feet surprising myself. I wanted a pedometer. Something to count my steps. Simple and easy. No fancy stuff.

I had one that wasn’t very good about ten years ago and was hoping that there was improvement.

Periodically I checked and the accuracy wasn’t there. Clip on or wrist band was the controversy. Finally I decided to get a fitness watch. Such a selection. My eyes went bleary reading the reviews.

Ultimately it was price and popularity that chose. That and a really good holiday sale.

I wanted something entry level. If I’m not enamored of it, I won’t use it. Then there was the fit. I have small wrists. My wrist circumference is 4-1/2”. That’s smaller than the child version which comes in Star Wars or Dinosaurs but not Hello Kitty. (What were they thinking?)

The first one I bought went back the next day. I learned some lessons from it. I needed one that was square rather than a long narrow version. The square ones are ginormous. I could make it work so I’d have to get used to that. It looks like a cinder block sitting on my wrist.

The second one I purchased was better. I immediately bought a different band that didn’t have a buckle and that made a big difference.

I set it up without fancy stuff and started walking. Cool. It would send me messages. I was in love. It was very happy with me. I started adding things. Even more cool. I can track my sleep. Whoa! Do I get that much sleep? I can get texts and email. Super whoa!

I’m really bad at drinking enough fluids and I can track that. I can set alarms to remind me to do things. What I liked most was the positive reinforcement I get from it. It sends me badges when I reach a goal. It’s like school with star stickers.

It tells me how wonderful I am. Even if I don’t attain the goal, there is no shame. It goes onto the next hour hoping for better performance from me. It’s my new bestie.

If you would have told me this, I would have laughed. Seriously it’s a step counter. How could I get so involved?

I should have upgraded to the rose gold version. Maybe it cleans windows.

It’s my competitive nature that’s coming out. Excuse me, I have to do 86 steps to meet my hourly goal. We’ll talk soon!

70 thoughts on “I didn’t think exercise could be this fun!”

  1. I loved my fitness watch for the few days until I realized it wouldn’t count cycling or spinning as steps. WTH?! If I’m working out, I wanted credit for it. Meanwhile, it would count chopping vegetables as steps. Go figure.

    So the fitness watch got demoted to a shelf in the closet where it still sits today.

    Admittedly, I’ve been eyeing the Apple Watch for a while now, but the truth is, I simply like watches and have MANY of them as proof 😉

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    • Chopping vegetables count? I’ll have to try that. Mine doesn’t count cycling unless I set up an app and I haven’t done that. I am enthralled with it. At ten minutes before the hour it will buzz me if I didn’t meet the hour goal and I get up and walk. Nothing makes me do that! I bought the entry level. I’m already thinking about an upgrade where I can order a Starbucks. I am hooked! 🙂 Sadly all this happened after I spent money replacing all the watch batteries that were dead!

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  3. I keep wanting to try a Fitbit but never get round to budgeting for it. Pretty fun to see what you’re phone thinks you’ve done on the apps they can come with if you actually carry it around all day through.

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  5. I’ve worn out two Fitbits, and haven’t decided if I’m going to replace and begin again. I think I get more than enough steps in a day, but I’m like you, I do enjoy tracking. And I think that seeing a number sometimes encouraged me to perhaps walk just a little further. Good for you. I set daily goals, but not hourly. You really are dedicated! 🙂

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  6. That sounds fun Kate and next you will be setting a year-end goal and have us egging you o to do more. You already do the gym on a regular basis, so you are all set in the exercise department. I just use a pedometer and have the same one I bought in 2011 when I began walking – it is just simple but measures steps and gives you your past 7 days’ steps. My walking has not gotten traction as I’ve not gotten out since Sunday due to our weather and Monday I did errands, but my resolution for the new year is less sitting – the sitting at the computer since I have gotten busier with blogging in November of 2017 means I am logging way too many hours at the computer and that’s not good – 12 hours a day sometimes, so I have a bike, but have not been diligent about going down on it due to the cold basement – no excused going forward!

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  7. Kate, I am into pedometers. Especially when they also work as a watch. I happen to have the rose gold one. I had a four year old one I handed down to my daughter. Btw, drinking wine seems to count as steps. Just sayin’

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  8. I had a Fitbit but it lied. Really, it did. After wearing both my Fitbit and my husband’s Fitbit at the same time for a few days I discovered that my Fitbit registered less steps than his. Like a thousand steps less per day. Naturally I tossed the little liar and bought a bottom of the line pedometer that is unpretentious and truthful. Just saying, beware of what your device tells you.

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  9. It’s great to hear your enthusiasm over your Fitbit. I had one a few years back, it looks like they have changed the name of the one I had. Now it is an Inspire but I didn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. My favorite feature was the get off my butt warning every hour. I didn’t stick with it long because my wrist gets all claustrophobic with something on it. I have never been able to wear anything on my wrists. Quirky… I know.

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  11. Yep, I know all too well how addictive these fitness trackers can be. Since it’s crappy outside, I’ll be earning my steps indoors today (as I used to just about every day when I was working)…and I haven’t worn the finish of my floors yet!

    Enjoy, Kate!

    Deb

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  12. My FitBit is gathering dust in a cabinet so maybe I need to dig it out again. It wasn’t a fancy version like yours, but it did show fireworks when I hit 10,000 steps (yay!). I guess whatever works to keep us motivated is good. Bone density is important and those of us with smaller bones (although my wrist is larger in diameter than 4.5″) are especially susceptible to problems.

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  13. I have a pedometer on my phone but that is it so far. I help in a charity shop and I had someone pay with his watch the other day which was disconcerting.

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  14. Good for you to have found something so motivating!! I had a Fitbit a few years ago that clipped to my pocket since I also have small wrists. It was very motivating for me to keep up with my steps each day. (Unfortunately, I lost it one day while on vacation.) If it tracked water and such I wasn’t aware of that feature and that would have been nice. I don’t drink nearly enough on a daily basis. I like the aspect of self competition and find it so rewarding!

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  16. Your post has me smiling! A fitbit is what my son wanted for Christmas and he is so happy with his as well. He was walking around the living room last night in a circle and I was like what are you doing? He was getting his steps in, for it was too cold outside! LOL! I am thinking I may have to add it to my Christmas list this year!
    You give me hope that there can be one to fit my tiny wrist, for mine are tiny just like yours!
    Enjoy!

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    • When you are ready, contact me. I can give you some suggestions that worked for me. You can go with a child’s version but it didn’t give the apps I wanted and it was pretty gaudy. Yes, that’s coming from me, the queen of gaud! I too will march around the house to get those steps in. I keep wondering if this will be hard on my floor finishes.

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  17. So much psychology wrapped up in a watch. But at least those badges are for a good cause.

    I’m goal-oriented, too. PokemonGo, which I started playing with my son, gives you new buddies and hatches eggs depending on how much you walk. Pretty addictive.

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  19. Good for you! Sounds like you found the right “Wrist Mom” to keep you stepping away. I’d go for simple too. Don’t carry phone with me all the time and actually don’t really need reminders of any kind, but if I knew how much (or how little) I’m moving around I think it would make me keep up with walking. I have leg problems with one leg so can’t do a LOT but I can do SOME and I should. Thank heavens for YouTube – they can show you how to do almost ANYTHING !

    Hugs, Pam

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  22. Great motivation device. I wonder what data is it sending back home to its manufacturer? Perhaps you will get a “Happy Birthday”, a “Merry Christmas”, and maybe even “You haven’t done the laundry yet” messages. When it starts telling you that you are getting low on toilet tissue … you know you have a problem! 🙂

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  23. I really love this post. It is almost (key word almost) making me want to get whatever it is that you got! It sounds like you have a personal trainer with you 24/7. I need that. I need a hand holder, a supporter, a cheerleader. But, wearing it means I have to give up all my other watches. Tisk, tisk…
    good health or old habits????? Very conflicted. (Oh and does it come with a real live person to help you set it up?)

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    • I won’t lie, I spent hours trying to set it up only to resort to YouTube. I would recommend anyone go directly there for instructions. The instructions are generic to the model. I have the lowest level and it doesn’t do some things the more expensive models do but it took YouTube to tell me that! It sends me messages so I don’t sit for an hour and I like that. I do get up and move so it’s working.

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      • I just read a very similar blog post about how SAVING can be FUN:

        “Kumiko Love attempted 12 different frugal challenges in 2019 and chronicled them on her website, The Budget Mom. Participating in a challenge can make the sometimes-intimidating task of saving money easier to stomach. Instead of a chore, a challenge feels competitive and exciting. With a deadline, a gimmick and sometimes an Instagrammable chart, it can even be fun.”

        So, Mary Poppins was right. “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun. Find the fun and *snap* the job’s a game!” 😀

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  26. I have 3 and all 3 will not work (or I’m not able to make them work idk) … but how will something make me working what will not work ? a miracle…. btw: I have my mother as the drink enough reminder, it’s the first question LOL

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    • I got a Fitbit Versa Lite. You can’t pay with it (don’t need that) but if my phone is within 30′ it will show text and email messages (don’t need that either). I was more interested in tracking steps. I can get other fitness stuff with it like biking and my gym also has an app but I’m targeting exercise for bone density. I was surprised at how many apps there are. At ten minutes before the hour it sends a message on how many steps I need to meet my goal and yep, I get up and walk. Then I get an “attaboy” message. I also get fireworks when I hit 10K steps. Ok, I’m easy to entertain! Because of my small wrist I had a lot of issues with fit and I was glad to find a band that worked.

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