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You are here: Home / Blog / Activity Trackers and Wellness Challenges

Activity Trackers and Wellness Challenges

February 20, 2019 By Shann 5 Comments

Activity Trackers

I’m probably the last person on the planet to finally get a Fitbit. I workout, teach dance, and run after my kids, so why would I need one? Activity trackers are for people who need to get more active, right?

Wrong.

After getting my Fitbit for Christmas, I’ve realized activity trackers are a great way to figure out what your daily activity really looks like, how much sleep you’re getting, and how hard you are exercising.

It was a huge eye opener for me, and prompted me to make some changes.

I’ve also made a few other changes in the new year, including seeing a new doctor,  and trying to get my mental health in check.

It’s been hard.

So, I wanted to share my thoughts, progress, and challenges with my new health overhaul and road to wellness.

The challenges with getting healthy. How to use activity trackers to reach your ultimate health goals. #activitytrackers #fitbit #health #wellness #gethealthy

Mental Health

Before, I get into the physical stuff, I wanted to talk about the hardest thing I’ve been going through. As I’ve mentioned before, I suffer from anxiety. It’s something that I’ve dealt with most of my life. At times, it’s been all-consuming, while at others, just an afterthought. I’ve tried therapy, different medications, and natural remedies.

Recently, my anxiety has been under control. I’ve been using the same medication for a few years, as well as the techniques I learned in therapy. Writing and exercise help too.

But, still something didn’t feel right.

It’s hard to describe, but the only word that comes to mind is flat. No excitement, no joy, and no desire. Small things would bring me to tears, I would snap at my kids, and I had no desire for physical affection.

Sure, most of the time, I just put on a brave face and push through, but it’s been getting harder and harder. It’s actually exhausting. So, when we switched insurance in January, I brought it up to my new doctor.

I told her about my lack of desire and joy, how I can’t sleep, and how I just don’t want to do anything.

We decided it was time for a change.

Activity trackers and Wellness Challenges. The challenges, both mental and physical, to getting healthy. #overallhealth #selfcare #beyourbestself

So, I’m weaning off my old medication and going back to one I used before I was pregnant.

This process is not easy. There are side effects, both physical and mental, from going off one. It also takes a while (like weeks) before the new medication starts working. Plus, there’s no guarantee it will work.

But, I had to try something different because what I was doing just wasn’t helping anymore.

Luckily, this new doctor seems very knowledgeable, and I’m hopeful.

Getting Physical

While my mental health is a work in progress, my physical health is too.

I consider myself a pretty active person. I take classes at the gym and teach dance classes most days of the week. When I’m not doing actual exercise, I’m fetching things for my kids and cleaning/organizing the house. Plus, they don’t call it “running” errands for nothing, right?

However, I’ve seemed to have stalled in my progress. I’ve gained a little weight back, which I know is from eating junk and all the mental stuff above, but my workouts have been off too. With the amount of time I spend at the gym, I figured I’d be feeling stronger and fitter at this point.

I can lift more weight, but I don’t feel like my endurance has changed.

So, how could I figure it out? This is where activity trackers come in!

Fitbit

After seeing and reading about them so much, I had to see what all the hype was about activity trackers. I didn’t want a really fancy one, and I also didn’t want something to big or bulky. I asked for one at Christmas, and my husband got me the Fitbit Alta.

It seemed like the perfect size, he got me a bunch of colored bands to use with it, and it syncs with my phone. Reading text messages on my wrist? Super cool. I feel like a technology wiz….even though I’m about two years behind everyone else.

-Click through the pictures to purchase your own through my Amazon Affiliate links. No additional cost to you, and I may make a small commission if you decide to make a purchase.

It also tells me how much sleep I’m getting, tracks the type of exercise I do, and tells me how many calories I burn.

This was definitely going to give me the info I need to get in better shape.

Activity Trackers for the win!

10,000 Steps

I’ve read that 10,000 steps is the minimum amount a person should hit for optimal health, so that’s where I set my goal on the Fitbit App. I also enabled the hourly move reminders, which I obviously wouldn’t need.

I would hit 10,000 steps by lunchtime.

Um. Not quite.

10,000 steps is actually quite a lot of activity. I guess I didn’t realize how inactive I was. Or that some of my gym activity didn’t really up my heart rate like I thought.

On days that I take a cardio class, teach a class, and then take a dance class, I do hit the 10,000. At the very end of the day.

However, on a day where I’m working on the computer and hanging around the house, those steps are hard to hit. Even on weightlifting days, I’m still running in place at 10pm while catching up on Netflix. As I’m writing this, it’s 3:30 pm, and I’m only sitting at 4200 steps.

I’m going to have to hit the basement stairs tonight!

I’ve read all the tips and tricks:

  • Park your car far away.
  • Take the stairs, not the elevator.
  • Take an afternoon walk.

It all basically boils down to the same thing: I need to move more!

Yes, I am active, but I am inactive a lot too. It’s not all about the weight on the scale, but about feeling better and being healthy.

t’s also a little bit about how my jeans fit.

While the “time to move” notifications are getting annoying, that little buzzer that goes off when I hit finally do hit the 10,000 is pretty addicting.

During the summer, I will definitely be incorporating a daily walk. But during negative temperatures and snow storms? No thanks. I will take some extra strolls around Target or Costco instead.

Lessons Learned

So, I’ve got some work to do both mentally and physically. It made me realize how connected my mental and physical health are, so it’s not surprising that both are challenging me right now.

Stay tuned for progress reports.

Filed Under: Blog, Health Tagged With: activity trackers, anxiety, depression, doctor appointments, exercise, Fitbit, Fitbit Alta, fitness, gym workout, Health, healthy living, medication, mental health, self-care, wellness, work out

Comments

  1. Charlotte says

    February 20, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Well, first of all, I’m so proud of you for going to seek help and tinkering with meds until you find something that works. I know how stressful it can be, and waiting around until you start to “feel right” SUCKS so very much, but it’s always worth it in the end if you do get to that place of sanity. Also thank you for the reminder that I needed to call in a refill on my own anxiety meds.

    The Fitbit is amazing–I have it set to remind me every hour if I’m not moving. Because so much of my work is done in front of a computer, I don’t always have the chance to get up and move around, but I am starting to read more emails walking in place and I get up to take the dog out or run errands and really all that I can to stay active. It all adds up (and reaching 10K a few days a week is a goal for February for me). Best of luck with everything momma–most importantly the mental stuff. Much love to you!

    Reply
  2. ShootingStarsMag says

    February 20, 2019 at 10:46 am

    I have a FitBit, but man it’s tough to get to 10k. I rarely make it, and I know I need to up my movement more, even if I’m not quite hitting that. Small steps and all that. lol I’m glad that you’re trying something new for your anxiety though. I’ve been on different meds over the years; sometimes it just takes some adjusting, etc.

    -Lauren

    Reply
  3. Katie says

    February 20, 2019 at 1:52 pm

    It really is hard to get in your step goal! I recently adopted a dog and this has made it a LOT easier since he has to go out 3-4 times a day and I live on a 3rd floor apartment. He’s also only 10 months old so he’s still young and needs a lot of activity. I’m looking forward to the warmer months when I can take him running with me but for now, even those short walks around the complex have been adding up. Otherwise, before him, it would shock me that unless I ran that day, it was SO hard to get in my step goal working behind a laptop all day!

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    February 20, 2019 at 2:17 pm

    Good for you figuring out what you needed to do to help better manage your anxiety. I recently started therapy for mine and it has been the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s so important to take care of our mental health so I’m so glad you are making yours a priority! The physical health is the area I really need to work on next. I looked at getting a Fitbit and then I didn’t. I have an offbrand one that’s ok, but I’d really prefer a Fitbit. I’ll have to start considering that again!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. March 2019 Goals: Feeling Good Inside and Out - Shann Eva's Blog says:
    March 1, 2019 at 6:01 am

    […] more active by ramping up my steps per day, especially this last week. As I mentioned in this post, 10,000 steps is actually a lot more than I thought it would […]

    Reply

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Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

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