WARNING Non boating post!
Two months ago our youngest son gave me a fitness band as a present and I’ve been wearing it almost every day. The idea of purchasing one of these fitness monitors has been on my mind for some time, but the price has always discouraged me. Receiving it as a gift solved that problem!
The are various fitness band manufacturers and mine is a Fitbit.
It has a small LCD display and a button on the side to scroll through the various screens. The band can display the following
- Time and day
- Steps taken during the day
- Distance walked during the day
- Stairs climbed during the day
- Alarm time
The band has both wifi and bluetooth connectivity. It is possible to create an online account with Fitbit where your data is collated and can be shared with invited friends. The idea of sharing your data with friends is to encourage competitiveness and get you to do more exercise. You can also add some personal biometric data to the account along with a diet. The Fitbit then calculates calories consumed and notifies you if you are losing weight. The battery life is just over a week between recharges. I don’t particularly like the proprietary usb cable. Obtaining a replacement might be a problem!
So what do I think of the Fitbit? It’s reasonably accurate, however I did trick it one day into thinking I’d walked 15,000 steps when all I actually did was hold the orbital sander in my hand for an hour whilst sanding the gunwales! I don’t like the design of the strap and I find the fact it isn’t waterproof to be a significant disadvantage.
So would I buy one? At just over Australian $100 the answer is No! If I was going to buy a fitness band it would be one of these
This is an Xiaomi fitness band. It can be purchased from Amazon for approximately £16. The band doesn’t have an LCD display but instead has 3 led lights. It is waterproof and the battery life between charges is 30 days. The technical reviews indicate to me it’s probably just as accurate as the Fitbit. It has a better strap. The Xiaomi can connect to an Android or Apple app on your smartphone or tablet to obtain the same type of data displayed on the Fitbit.
More details on the Xiaomi <here>
5 comments :
"I did trick it one day into thinking I’d walked 15,000 steps when all I actually did was hold the orbital sander in my hand for an hour whilst sanding the gunwales!"
THAT is defeating the object however it did make me giggle with eyes watering for a good 5 minutes!!
Gawd Tom!! Teehee!!!
Sue, When you are competing with the young-uns age and cunning will triumph over youth and enthusiasm!
If you attach the band to the sander you won't even need to hold the sander.
Yes Paul. But the gunwales would not have sanded themselves! 😂
Yes Paul. But the gunwales would not have sanded themselves! 😂
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