The Fitbit is Back!
As you may recall. I tossed my Fitbit out the window at the start of the first lockdown last year because it was causing me some unwanted extra pressure at a time that I was already stressed about the state of the world and all the worrying uncertainty. I gave myself a good 10 months of Fitbit freedom and I am soooo happy that I did. It gave me the opportunity to be my own motivator of fitness and physical activity which was really good practice for accountability. I was able to have my mini workouts (or no workouts on tough days) without the guilt tripping reminders making me feel like I wasn’t doing enough.
It was just what I needed at the time but now that the fog has lifted, I’m well and truly back in the Fitbit game with some caveats…
It started in early January of this year when I decided to dust off my old Fitbit Flex from the junk drawer and ease my way back in. Only thing is, it wouldn’t charge, it was so out of date and malfunctioning so I went online to find a new one and discovered they didn’t even make the Flex anymore! I was soon in a Fitbit rabbit hole looking for the next best thing and came upon the Inspire 2 which came with 1 year free subscription to the Premium package. SOLD.
Don’t you just love getting a new bit of technology? After setting up my Inspire to my liking I spent hours diving into all the Premium content and WOW there’s a lot to offer…workouts, meditations, advanced tracking (sleep and health stats) etc…Such a small device to keep me in tune like a well oiled machine. There’s even an app on the watch that guides you through 2 or 5 minute relaxing breathing meditations when you’re feeling stressed (not gonna lie, it gets me through PMS angst too). I also love the silent alarms which vibrate gently on your wrist. I use it for calendar reminders, texts and wake up calls.
Now, my new ways with Fitbit. I don’t count the steps as the most important stat of my day. Yes, it’s great to get over 10,000 but now my focus is mainly on getting my goal of 5 days of exercise in and the ‘get moving’ nudges are excellent to get during the day, especially when I’ve been sitting to write for hours. I’m also really into the power of proper sleep right now. I really struggle with staying asleep through the night but now I can see all of my sleep (REM/restless/deep) stats I can put effort into making that better and so far it is working!
Having a healthy relationship with your Fitbit takes some work. It’s easy to get really excited and obsessive over it but as soon as you start to feel the guilt roll in, take a little break and restructure. Think of the Fitbit as a tool to better yourself at your own pace. Everyone’s needs are so different so be kind to yourself. If you’ve purchased one, you’re already taking those steps towards self improvement and that deserves a pat on the back. Have fun with it!