In case you haven't heard of Fitbit, here's a brief summary:
There are several different types of Fitbit devices--the One, the Zip, a scale, and a few others. Some clip to your clothing, others can be worn as bracelets. Because I own a Fitbit Zip, that is the device on which this post will focus. If you want to learn more about this device or other Fitbit devices, you can visit http://www.fitbit.com/.
Don't forget to check out the Fast Fitness Tip at the end of this post.
What the Fitbit Zip does...
1. Counts your steps.
2. Counts your calories burned.
3. Tells the time.
4. Tracks your mileage.
5. Makes faces at you...
6. Resets itself every night at midnight.
The Faces
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| This seems to be the general "Hi-I'm-Your-Fitbit-Zip" face. You will often see this face when you first wake your Fitbit Zip up. |
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| This is the ecstatic face your Fitbit Zip will make if it is pleased with your activity level. |
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| This is the content face your Fitbit Zip will make if it is satisfied with your current activity level. |
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| This is the less than thrilled face your Fitbit Zip will make if you are being too sedentary for its taste, and it is growing bored. I think it looks like it is sticking its tongue out at me... |
Information Displays
To view the different displays on your Fitbit Zip, all you have to do is tap the screen.
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| The Fitbit Zip will display how many miles you have traversed in your day... |
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| ...how many calories you have burned... |
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| ...and what time it is. |
On-line Support
1. While the Fitbit Zip does not track your sleep, you yourself can track it on the website using your account.
2. You can acquire Fitbit friends on the website, much like you can on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
3. You can join various groups on the Fitbit website to challenge and support other Fitbit users.
4. Using a small USB card, your Fitbit Zip device syncs up to your on-line account, where you can view steps taken, calories burned, mileage covered, various badges (awards for meeting certain goals), and charts and graphs that track trends in your activity levels.
5. In addition to manually tracking your sleep, you can also use your account on the website to track the foods you eat, and view how many calories you consume versus how many you burn.
6. Each week, you will get an e-mail summarizing your most and least active days, your average calories burned, your average steps taken, etc.
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| When you log on to your Fitbit account on-line, you can view a chart showing how many steps you took in fifteen-minute increments throughout the day. On the vertical access are the number of steps. The horizontal access shows the time of day. Red indicates light activity, yellow indicates moderate activity, and green indicates intense activity--all determined by how many steps are taken in fifteen-minute blocks of time. |
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| In addition to the summative chart, you can also view the number of steps you have taken. When you have reached the minimum recommendation of 10,000, the color turns green. |
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| When you hold your cursor over the number of steps you have taken, the site will display what percentage of the recommended minimum 10,000 steps you have achieved. |
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| You can also view how many calories you have burned (left) and how many miles you have traversed (right). |
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| As with the steps, if you hover your cursor over the amount of calories burned, your screen will display what percentage you have burned of your recommended intake/burn (determined using your BMI), as you can see on the left. If you hover your cursor over the number of miles traversed, the screen will display what percentage of the recommended five miles per day you have completed. |
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| The last two pieces of basic information viewable on your dashboard on the website are how many "very active" minutes you achieved throughout the day, and any badges (awards) you have earned. |
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| Each week, you will receive an e-mail detailing your most and least active day of the week, and comparing the current week's activity level to past weeks'. A chart in the e-mail displays how many minutes you were "very active" each day of each week, allowing you to compare activity levels on certain days or during certain weeks. |
1. You can wear your Fitbit Zip almost anywhere. It clips onto the waistband of pants, onto a sports bra, or onto the inside or outside of a pants pocket.
2. The Fitbit Zip does not have a stop watch.
3. The Fitbit Zip does not keep track of how many flights of stairs you have climbed, but the Fitbit One does.
Fast Fitness Tip
Current guidelines recommend that healthy adults walk/run/jog (whatever) at least 10,000 steps a day. Here are a few easy ways to increase your daily steps:
1. Don't use the remote control. Get up and walk to the TV to change the channel or adjust the volume.
2. If you have extra time during your lunch break, take a walk outside or around the office.
3. Park farther away from the store/restaurant/your place of work.
4. Instead of e-mailing co-workers, when you have a question, walk over to their cubicle/office/classroom to ask.
5. If you have a dog, walk him or her.
6. When you watch TV, march in place or walk up and down the stairs during commercial breaks.
7. Instead of stopping your car at the end of the driveway to get the mail or paper, park your car and walk back down the driveway to get the mail or paper.
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