I decided to purchase a Fitbit Charge 3 a few weeks ago to help me stay on track. For the most part I do love it as it acts as both a watch and a BPM monitor. I like knowing how many steps I take each day and how many flights of stairs I climb.
The app is a bit discouraging as any other apps I have tried to use for fitness goals. Within the fitbit app there is a goal setter where I can set a goal for weight loss. The problem is that it really isn’t realistic as I am not only performing cardio, I am also weight lifting. Lifting heavy weights causes muscles to grow and the body to retain water, which also increases body weight. So even though I am burning fat my overall body weight will increase. I could perform body measurements each day, but who has the time for that.
The technology certainly is getting better, but even the weight lifting apps I use don’t describe the individual routine I am performing. I may be doing dumbbell fly’s but the the app only shows chest fly’s performed on a machine. After trying several I have decided that going back to using the individual paper card where I can write in the exact exercise I am using for a particular routine serves me best.
Another feature I really don’t like about the fitness apps are they are always trying to act as a personal trainer. I come from the old school philosophy that having a fitness trainer there with you to guide you through each exercise before starting a 3 or 6 month routine not only is helpful but teaches us how certain exercises performed wrong can actually cause injury.
I suppose that for those who choose to just do cardio and track their food intake the fitbit is ideal, but for us older folks who depend on resistance exercises to keep our bones strong it just doesn’t work.
I will continue to wear my fitbit but will utilize it as a tool to keep me motivated and less on a performance tracker.
