Knowing myself: attempting to choose an activity tracker
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A pretty simple task, I thought: to choose an activity tracker. Look at everything available, look at what each one does and simply pick the features in my price range.
You see I’m going to be mostly working from home later this year, which will immediately reduce my commute (yay!) and walking around the office (yay!) but inevitably means less routine movement built into each day. I’ll need to work much harder to create everyday activity.
So I decided to get a pedometer. It’s one thing to know you should go for a lunchtime walk, quite another to have a number telling you to do more. Personally I find that extremely motivating. Last year I participated in the Global Corporate Challenge to walk 10,000 steps a day. They send you free analogue pedometers which largely did the trick but are broken now. I know they weren’t completely accurate, but seeing 8000 steps really did make me get off a stop earlier on the way home and run up and down the stairs a few times before bed.
When I told my boyfriend I wanted a pedometer he seemed enthusiastic and decided to get one too. I was really excited to have some competition! But when he offered to take on finding the right one, that’s when it all went wrong (not at all his fault!)
Omron Walking Style III Pedometer: This is what he decided we needed – very cheap at about £17 and it tracks steps. He arranged the purchase and I anticipated its arrival. Only when it arrived and I read the booklet did I realise it does what it says on the tin – it ONLY tracks steps. It won’t track zumba, or jogging. It won’t measure trips to the kitchen for tea. It won’t measure extra runs up the stairs. And it needs to be carried in a pocket or bag. Previously I had something clipped to my trousers which could be forgotten for the day. So it does great things for a cheap price, but if I’m sitting at my desk of an afternoon and read 500 steps, that won’t get me up for a 10 minute boogie around the house. And that’s what I need.
Lesson learned – don’t accept the boyfriend’s offer of help because he’s lovely and it’s easier. It’s not easier when he has an entirely different idea of what he wants! He loves his Omron because he goes for long walks and simply wants to track them.
Time to get down to my own research…
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Fitbit Zip: A little more pricey at around £40 but still not outrageous. Sadly though, this only tracks steps, distance or calories. Ultimately it seems that anything without an altimeter won’t properly track all the things I want it to.
FitBit Flex: Up into a new price range altogether now. I don’t think I want something to go on my wrist but I would compromise for the right functionality. On top of that, it may be sitting on your wrist but your only information from there about how you’re doing against goals is 5 tiny lights. I need numbers people, give me numbers!
Withings Pulse: Finally, something with an altimeter. It’s promising, but the reviews so far suggest it needs some tweaking to be completely effective.
Jawbone Up and Nike Fuelband: Going way beyond my price range now. I have to be realistic about how much money I spend getting myself to do stuff I should be doing anyway. Again, I’m not that keen on a wristband, and definitely not at these prices. Add to that the fact that the Jawbone Up seems to be a pain to track anything other than steps, and the Fuelband only works with iPhone.
Misfit Shine: I WANT ONE! This looks like exactly what I want (and it’s very small and pretty), but without an iPhone I simply can’t use it.
And the probable winner so far is…
Fitbit One: Mid-range price, includes an altimeter, clips to a belt, displays numbers. On top of this it syncs with SparkPeople.com, which I previously used for tracking and might be tempted back to (there’s great community support on there). And there are badges! They’re only a ‘nice to have’ but I know they motivate me. However it still feels pricey to me. I’m moving away from a steady income so I can’t just splash out as freely anymore.
Or back to analogue as a last resort??
Yes, I seriously considered it. Can I get something that works, even if it is a little inaccurate, and just counts my steps? I haven’t yet found anything with decent reviews but really this is all I need. I seem to be asking a lot though.
Computer reminders to get up? Yes I know about these but they would drive me completely crazy. Much as I need to move regularly, my work requires getting into the zone, a state of flow, for a reasonable amount of time. I will break any computer or gadget that forcibly makes me stop.
My main problem of course is that I have something very specific in mind. After 2 years of getting healthier, I really know what motivates me. I do not intend to spend money on a fancy gadget with lots of things I could use but doesn’t ultimately get me off my backside.
Do you know of a product I’ve completely missed which does what I’m looking for? Please, please tell me about it! I'll come back with an update once the final decision is made.