I walk around a lot in Seattle; in fact, it’s my primary mode of transportation! Of course, it was only a matter of time before I got curious about my step counts and how much exercise I was actually getting in a day. I felt like I was missing out on getting my full step “credit” by relying solely on the pedometer within my iPhone’s Health app (since it’s not attached to your body it won’t be super accurate), so a wristband health tracker suddenly became a very interesting option to me.
These days, it seems like Fitbit is a household name so you’re probably already familiar with them (or have at least heard of the brand), but they were my number one choice to shop from after hearing so many good things from trusted friends and family (I also did some of my own research and determined that Fitbit was definitely the way I wanted to go). Once I narrowed down my search to the brand, I had to determine which model to go with because Fitbit has multiple smart watches and fitness trackers to choose from. (They also offer a comparison tool on their website to help you decide what would be the best option for you!). In the interest of full disclosure: I’ve owned an older Fitbit model (the Alta HR) and it was great! It lasted a few years, but finally bit the dust recently so I was suddenly in the market for a new model!
Ultimately, I ended up choosing the Inspire HR model for the following reasons:
Small Profile (slim band + small screen)
Interchangeable Band (#fashun)
Minimal Needs
Tracking App + “Linkability”
The first and second points sort of go hand-in-hand here… and I’m just going to say it: I don’t care for the way that bulky, large-face fitness trackers and smartwatches look. My style and I are not sporty, so that vibe just isn’t for me. I want my fitness tracker to basically blend into my outfit instead of standing out (but that’s just my personal preference!). I also like that the wrist bands are interchangeable (as they are for other Fitbit products as well) because I am so not into the rubber wristband for everyday wear — that being said, I definitely switch to the rubber wristband when I’m actually working out. Fitbit offers a few of their own leather and styled rubber options, but I was more interested in my fitness bracelet appearing like jewelry (or like an actual watch!) so I researched and found a few gold metal band options on Amazon that I really liked! If you feel the same way and are looking for similar options, I’ll link the styles that I purchased here and here (I also like this mixed metal option).
As I said before: I am NOT very sporty, but I do walk a fair amount in my daily life, occasionally attend Dance Church, and am researching Seattle barre locations to try out this year. What I am really interested in getting out of my fitness tracker is essentially just monitoring my daily step count and any additional activity (dance / barre workouts) so the basic functionalities available on this model are all that I need (pedometer, heart rate, mileage walked, and calories burned).
I absolutely love that Fitbit offers an app to give you more long-term tracking history and visibility into your health with a dashboard that shows you things like trends in your activity, milestones, and additional health monitoring. Fitbit also makes fitness life super easy because you can sync it with other health apps such as WeightWatchers (which I participate in), MyFitnessPal, Strava, and a handful of others – so brilliant!
So far I’ve been really happy with my Fitbit Inspire HR and it’s helping me to be more conscious about my daily activity levels and inspiring me to make changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, reminding me to move around every hour, and helping me to meet my daily step goal.
What small changes (or resolutions) have you made in your life to benefit your health? Let me know in the comments!
xx, Natalie
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