all about activity {trackers}
Remember when activity trackers used to be called pedometers, and you wore them on your waist band, and if you were lucky enough, you were able to keep it from falling in the toilet when you pulled down your pants to go potty? We've come a long way since then.I've always liked activity trackers. I love knowing exactly how active I am all day long, and, let's be real people, I absolutely love competition and there's something about competing against yourself that's just more fun... right?! I wore a pedometer for awhile, but, like I said above, after about a month or 2, I would lose it. So not worth it.Then, for Christmas a few years ago, my mother-in-law bought me a Jawbone UP. Not only did it track your steps, but it tracked your sleep as well. Plus, smart phones existed and you had an app to compare each day. However, the battery only lasted a few days, and it ended up breaking after only a few months. I got a replacement, but unfortunately, that one only lasted a few months as well. {thumbs down}Then, about a year ago, my {again, awesome} mother-in-law gave me the Garmin Vivofit. I immediately fell in love with it, mostly because I could actually see how many steps I was taking, plus it doubled as a watch. It was pretty accurate, for the most part, or at least for walking. And thankfully, I never, ever had an issue with it and it is still going strong.
Yet, I really wanted something that was multifunctional. Something that could track my steps, double as a watch, and had GPS capability. Enter the Garmin Vivoactive. I received the Vivoactive a few weeks ago for my birthday and am truly enjoying it. I love that I can start and stop my runs and track my steps all in one place. I can also download apps to it, like a new watch face and a stop watch to time my students when they run.
Have you noticed a trend here? Not once did I purchase one of these activity trackers myself. I've always received them as gifts because, for me, they aren't necessarily something I need, but something I want to remind me to move. But, let's be real people, they are expensive. Like super expensive. To the point that even though I got the Vivoactive as a gift, I gave my mom my 35% off so she could order it for me.Enter the Pivotal Living band. Some gals from Duo PR reached out to me a few weeks ago to try out a new, affordable way to track your daily activity. At only $12, this activity tracker tracks your steps, distance, calories, doubles as a watch, and is scratch resistant. I've compared it to both my Vivofit and Vivoactive, and it tracks pretty much the same. I also love that I don't have to worry about it falling off. Plus, it has a really great app to go with it that keeps you accountable for your steps, sleep, activity, and hydration. I love the daily reminders I get too to make sure I sync my band and stay hydrated.
We've definitely come a lot way since the days of pedometers on our waist bands. Now there are smart watches that send you notifications to your wrist. Just imagine what they will think of next!