Fitness trackers?

Yes - that's seriously helpful. My exercise is walking (outdoors), and I've been timing myself, but as my walking's part of me also spending time outside with a sketchbook, I'd like something that does some sort of logging of it all which doesn't depend on me remembering to re-start a stopwatch! The Garmin Vivosmart was one which also came out well from the Which report I looked up for this.

 

Hola @JenniferW

The device you were thinking about previously is the body media health monitor which is a variation on a theme of fitness tracker. In the UK it is marketed under ki fit and there a big difference in start up and ongoing costs. As tech improves and these are really 1generation devices they will be overtaken in time but it's worth knowing the difference between a health and fitness tracker.

Opting for the gear I take it your android rather than Apple. There are several free apps that you can start with for eg noom pedometer and mapmywalk. Led for an overall view and mmw for the specific walk to and from sketch locations. As it uses gps it will give you a series of data from speed, distance, mileage etc. estimated cals Based on general info inputted. You might like mmw or you might like one of the many free and equally good apps. If you find one you like and then want to take it a step further you can buy a Bluetooth hrm for £10 or so on eBay which will give you a more accurate cals burnt calc but more importantly will give you heart rate training zones eg fat burning, endurance, carb burning so you can then experiment between strolling brisk walking say swinging your arms vigously and how that effects your hr.

To get started you don't have to get the latest all signing all dancing device and as tech changes so quickly eBay is full of last seasons cast offs as people upgrade. Have a play with the free stuff and progress from there. The fitbithr that @hankjam bought recently looks the bees knees but it ain't going to disappear and will only get cheaper and better over time. Remember how much flat screen TVs cost when they first came out!

 

Encouraged by this thread and because it was easy, I walked into the local Argos and bought a Gamin Vivosmart. A bit of an arbitrary choice maybe, but it'll do!

I'm an oddity in that I'm not much of a phone user, including a mobile. I go days without turning it on. So I just do a daily sync with my laptop, and all I really want is the steps and distance, and it's giving me those. In other words, this is working - including the nice surprise that I'm actually walking longer distances than i thought. So this is really encouraging.

 

Good choice and great price from argos at the mo. Enjoy playing with your new toy.

 

You're right - it does feel like a toy! Keeps bringing smiles to my face. Much more fun than the glucose testing.

 

Thank you for the encouragement to get a fitness monitor. I ended up buying a Garmin Vivosmart because it was the cheapest one my local Argos had in stock, i.e. super-rational decision! But I love it! The first week's surprise was how much walking I was already doing - more than I thought. But after a month using it, I've doubled what I was doing, and it feels good. I'm still struggling to get my blood sugar levels down, so in comparison it feels a real treat to have the thing on my wrist tell me I've achieved today's walking goal!

 

Great stuff @JenniferW and glad you can see you're reaping the benefits. If you like you could take it up a level and mix up your pace by brisk walking followed by normal walking say 1 minute brisk 3 mins recovery to start burning your carb store and lower your bs. Hey before you know it you'll be running!

 

I can't see myself as ever turning into one of life's runners (there are maybe other things I might end up trying), but I'm already aware I'm not an even-paced walker, and it's one reason I've never liked walking with other people. I'm not sure why, but I'm aware I have short periods where I do speed up - and not always because it's flat or downhill! But I can't be doing with all this timing of myself. It's why I love the monitor - I just look at it at the end of the day - and my halo glows!

I also do some cycling - for ordinary everyday getting around - and if you live anywhere other than the Fens, it tends to mean short bursts of increased effort are built in!