My Love - Hate Relationship with Fitness Trackers
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Sweaty Betty Cross Train Hoodie Jacket | Zella Mira Tank | Zella Live In Lite Crop Leggings | Nike Tennis Shoes
Did you "miss a Monday" today?? Ya know the whole "never miss a Monday" mantra about working out? Don't get me wrong, I 100% feel better when I work out, but sometimes it's not in the cards. And guess what...that's okay!
I have a Type A personality for the most part. Sometimes I have Type B, but yeah...I'm also a type 1 on an enneagram if you know what that is. I'm 100% the definition of a 1. I try to be perfect and that's kind of hard with a fitness tracker. It becomes somewhat of an obsession for me. Merriam Webster defines "obsession" as an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind. Sure, someone may say "I'm obsessed with this sweater" or "I'm obsessed with this restaurant;" however, I'm not sure about you, but it's kind of hard to live life when you're truly obsessed with something. You become fixated on that very thing and not much else.
Regarding fitness I'm very in or I'm very out. I become 100% obsessed with it and place it above living actual life, or I get in an Eeyore slump and well I'm already behind so why start? When I trained for my half marathon, I would put sleep and eating right above having fun or really anything else. And not to say that you shouldn't always care about those things, because you def should, but not to the extent I was. On the other end, back in 2016, I was so burned out on work, blogging, and wedding planning, I couldn't even really bring myself to work out. Not what I originally had in mind as someone who was about to get married, but yeah. It took me 6 months after getting married to kind of get back into a routine. Fast forward to now and I worked out every day for about a month May-June. I took a rest day here and there and suddenly it was a "why bother, I already broke my streak." Not the greatest, but the truth.
Let's talk about fitness trackers. The first one I ever got was a Jawbone - I got it around 2014. It was great! It tracked my steps, sleep, and encouraged good habits. My favorite part was that it would buzz me if I didn't get up at least once every 30 minutes. Counting steps became less popular and overall tracking became king, as did the Apple Watch. Last fall, I got Nick the new Apple watch for his birthday and in turn, I got his old one. Overall, I really like it. I like that it keeps me on my feet, connects to my phone, and of course the "find your phone" button, which I use way too much. My issue? Some days I don't need to see how little I walked or how much I sat. I can also become very anal about it, like "only 100 more calories to go -gotta make it before bed!" As recent as last week, I did that. I paced for probably 15 minutes until "I closed all my rings."
Guess what? That's not necessary. I don't have to "close my rings" to feel good about myself, but unfortunately some days I do. How about I just focus on my body and what makes it feel good? This Saturday I slept in until 10, took Dino on his first public walk outside of our apartment complex, and got stuff done. When we were on our walk Nick asked me if I started my "walk" on my watch. When I said I didn't wear my watch, he got confused. I mean, does a walk even count if it's not logged on your Apple watch?! I mentioned that I didn't want to focus on that today, as I had been obsessing too much over it and that was that. Me deciding what was best for me. I think of it kind of like social media. Some days it's cool to be plugged in and some days it's not.
Don't get me wrong, I think the rise of fitness trackers is a great thing for our society, especially for promoting healthy lifestyles. I would just challenge you to not live or die by your fitness tracker, your 10000 steps / 500+ burned calories or lack there of. Instead, focus on your body and treating it well, by eating a balanced diet, moving your body, and being happy where it got you today. No fitness tracker can accurately measure that anyway;)
Do y'all have any thoughts on fitness trackers? Yay or nay?
P.S. My whole outfit is part of the Nordstorm Anniversary Sale. If you're a cardholder, you can shop it now! I also went through and picked out my fitness faves. Just click on any image below to be taken to the direct link! If it won't click through, just refresh the page.
Women's Fitness Picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
Men's Fitness Picks from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
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