Way back when I started on my long winding path towards fitness I knew that I had no clue as to how I should proceed. I knew I felt bad all the time. That was a start but as far as anything else I hadn’t a clue. I did some online research and concluded that my feet would be the primary instruments of weight loss. But how far should I walk or run or jog? Again not a clue.
So I determined that I needed a pedometer. A simple little device that counts your steps. A very basic tool. I found a very cheaply made pedometer at a dollar store and clipped it on. I wasn’t expecting much. Just to get an idea of how much distance I covered in a day. The results were startling.
I had no idea that I was that sedentary. In the course of a day I didn’t even cover a mile! The health guidelines I looked up online said I should cover at least 5 if not 6 miles per day. The cheap little pedometer inspired radical changes in my behavior and diet.
When I got more into fitness I bought a pedometer watch to track my heart rate, distance, and steps taken. I found it somewhat useful though limiting.
Years later I got a new smartphone with a fitness app. Since most smartphones now have accelerometers and access to location devices, they can be used for fitness applications. As it’s also a phone and a web device I found it pretty much irresistible not to carry it on my runs. In the last year I have been using it to keep up with my general health trends.
You see, that’s what I need more than anything. It has been suggested to me that I get devices like the Fitbit bracelet to more accurately track my workouts but I see that as overkill and potentially harmful.
I don’t really need or want to track every calorie I burn or eat. I think that causes people to obsess on the tiny details and not focus on the overall health program. What helps me more is to know that my health trends are generally going in the “right” direction and I find that it motivates you just enough without becoming a smothering presence in the back of my mind.
I really believe that with this that I can achieve my goals in time. I may not do it in the smallest amount of time but I will get there.
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