Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Incredibly Easy Ways to Increase Your Level of Fitness

So we are already heading into the second half of 2018 and if better fitness was one of your goals, Let's Review how to do this easily!


Today many jobs have us sitting on our behinds for long periods of time.  Even hobbies that we enjoy can make us less active than we should be.  Most health experts agree that this is not the best thing for our bodies.  So let's review how to make it easier to remember to get up and move!  If we don't use it, we will lose it!  

Being sedentary for short periods of time is fine, everyone needs to relax for a little while.  What our bodies need more,  is to move.  There is evidence that if we sit around too much our health declines.  Not just our physical health, but our mental health as well.  

We need a certain amount of activity in our daily lives, that means moving every day.  Whether you take a walk at lunch time or go to a yoga class after work, maybe go for a swim at the recreation center or a bike ride when you get home, these are all ways to become more active and healthier.

senior activities collage
All of these activities will help you become more active!  Find one that you really like!

I must confess, that I had fallen into the very sedentary group for far too long.  It wasn't easy to get motivated to move! Then I was faced with some serious health issues, the choice became one of necessity.  I can get very caught up in the internet, browsing websites, reading blogs and writing my own blogs.  All of these things are sedentary activities.  I used to have a timer that I would set every hour and when the timer went off, it was time to get up and go for a 10 minute walk.  Well that worked for a little while, but then I forgot to set the timer and forgot to set it again and again.  All my best intentions went out the window and the kitchen timer went back into the kitchen.

I moved to an apartment so that stairs were no longer an issue for me (bad knees, bad ankles and bad hips).  One of the most important aspects of moving was to find a place that had a swimming pool that I could use year round.  Where I live that means an indoor pool.  Well, we found the ideal place and call it home now.  The promise was that I would use the pool daily (exercise is easier in water) to help my movements become more routine.  To that end, I found my ideal exercise tool and it can be yours too!

It's called a FITBIT!    There are several different styles of Fitbits and this one is a great one for just about anyone!  The style is very understated and can be worn with just about anything.



Now why in heaven's name would you need a FITBIT? 

FitBits or Activity trackers are an amazing tool that everyone can use regardless of age, sex or lifestyle.  Whether you are an athlete already or whether you have decided to become more active this tool will help you!.

It is a multi-tool for your wrist.  It is a watch that will keep you on time for all your appointments,  It is a heart rate monitor that let's you know how hard your heart is working.  It can monitor your sleep patterns.
It will track all day activities like walking, stair climbing and a total of all your active minutes.  You can receive calls, messages, and other notifications depending on your own personal set up. Many of these digital trackers have these features and more.  

I personally like my fitbit very much, it is connected to my computer and I can look over my weekly activities and adjust as need be.  It has helped me to keep moving every hour for at least 10 minutes.  If I don't walk in a certain period, at 10 minutes before the hour is over, I will get a buzzing vibration on my wrist with the message, You need to walk 110 more steps this hour.  Well believe it or not, I don't ignore this alarm.  I get up and I do those steps.  At the end of the day I know that I have walked a minimum of 5000 steps.    That is the minimum amount of daily activity that is recommended by almost all doctors.

fitbit activity scoresdisplay
Screen Shot of my FitBit activity.
Once you purchase a FitBit (I'm not sure about the other brands) there is even an online group that you can join for added support and friendship.  

FitBit would make a great Father's Day gift, or a wonderful birthday gift for anyone you love.  If you love them, you want them to stay healthy!  This is one tool that will help along the way.

** I am not a doctor.  Before embarking on a fitness routine check with your medical practitioner.  No advice given here is meant to be medical advice for anyone. 
Always check with your own doctor first.**








Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


10 comments:

  1. I have heard good things about the FitBit, Olivia, so nice to have the features described by someone who owns one. I use a kitchen timer to keep myself on schedule and regulate how long a time I am wasting on the computer (LOL), but would love to have a 'reminder' to help keep me moving. I also love the idea of having a record to refer to as a way to follow along on my progress. Thanks for your review and reminder to 'keep moving'.

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    1. There are so many features that I am still finding out about. My DIL has a Fitbit as well and all of a sudden she was calling my Fitbit and making friends with me. So now we keep tabs on each other too. I have not even started with the music that you can play on this. Earphones and your watch and you are set to walk, run, play or whatever with your favorite tunes playing in your ears....it's amazing.

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  2. Wonderful review of the technology that is out there today. Fran, and my daughter Jamie both have FitBits and both love them. Fran even linked her FitBit to her Weight Watchers App on her phone. Great review Olivia :)

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    Replies
    1. Yes there are many apps that are compatible and help you keep track of food choices and hydration too! Glad they enjoy theirs as much as I'm enjoying mine...

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  3. The FitBit sounds like a wonderful fitness tool. I could certainly use the encouragement to get up and move every hour. I do tend to get locked into a project and think, let me just finish this first. Before I know it, the whole day is passed. It would be nice to have a reminder that time is passing faster than I realized and I need to get up and move. I've never heard of a FitBit before. Not sure how I would respond to wearing a "watch" all day, but I think I should try it. You mentioned it would monitor sleep habits. I assume you would need to wear it 24 hrs a day then. Is that correct?

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    1. If you want to track you sleeping habits, yes, you would wear it 24 hours. The nice thing is that you wear it loosely on your wrist so it's not like a noose on your arm. I started out using the Kitchen timer faithfully, and then started to slip into my old ways. With the Fitbit, you wear it like a watch, so it's always there. And it is vibrating right now so, I need to move for another 115 steps...Be Right Back! lol

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  4. It's really important to keep exercising as you get older, says he at the ripe old age of 21, unfortunately 3rd time around (63)!
    I go to the gym at the weekends (still too busy to go in the evenings during the week), and I love to swim as well as to get loosened up first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, all the good work I go in the gym, taking a steam and a swim, are all for nothing once I have spent a few hours working in the garden. I end up almost bent double after a digging session.
    I have a "poor man's" Fitbit, one of the cheap versions. It's ok, but really a poor substitute as it doesn't always want to link to the phone and the App is terrible. But, it's an incentive to set yourself goals.

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    1. Very funny Tony, except that you are right, you have to keep moving. I'm a little riper than you and I'm finding that once you get into the habit of moving, you can see the difference and feel the difference very quickly. I have started to go swimming for minimum 45 minutes a day and if I miss a day, boy is it harder when I start back again. If I keep moving it becomes easier and easier.....I think that's a good thing. Anyways, I'm glad I got this Fitbit and that it does so much. I'm still finding out new things that it does. I'm amazed and pleased.

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  5. Sounds like an excellent tool. I've used step counters many times in the past few decades and find that when I'm wearing them I get very competitive with myself and want to drive the step count up. My health has been an issue so for me at the moment, biking is the best solution for movement.

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    1. What I love about these fitness tools is that it will include many activities into your overall regiment. Walking, biking, weight training and more. These fitbits seem to make you a little more accountable to yourself. No one needs to watch over you, you do that on your own. Step counters are great too, I've had many but they break or you forget to put them on. This fitness tool, because it's also a watch, seems to become part of your everyday dress code. Hope you find one that works for you.

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