Self-analytics

The Fitbit One is not my first self-analytic device, it's my fourth.   When training for a triathlon, I got hooked on the Polar Heart RateMonitor http://www.polar.com/us-en  This was in 1991, and I've used a heart rate monitor ever since.  I use one today for cycling, walking, and even yoga, where it can be very helpful, particularly in recording resting periods, which are, to my mind, equally important as high-intensity workouts.

For over a decade my husband and I have participated in week-long cycling events that require our fitness levels to be higher than at other times of the year.  While training for an event such the Stihl Tour des Trees, www.stihltourdestrees.org I use a power meter made by Cycle Ops that measures how much wattage I produce when turning the cranks on my bike -- the torque I put on the wheel, or how much effort it takes to pedal. There are many of these  devices on the market. www.powertap.com/collections/hubs/powertap-g3-hub I have had my power tap for over two years now and it's still going strong, though it does require battery changes.

We subscribe to a training service called Training Peaks www.trainingpeaks.com to improve our fitness and prepare for some hill climbing in Oregon, for instance.  Our coach tailors workouts for us individually each week.  We  train for endurance, as during the Tour des Trees we usually ride between 80-100 miles each day, which can take a toll on the body if one hasn't prepared.

Because I am a ditz and not a geek I don't understand output/input ratios.  I do know that lolling around on the couch all day is not  healthy.  Couch surfing has it's time and place, but too much of it leads to poor health.

The folks at Fitbit have figured out that the average person, not the super-athlete needs rewards. For my money it's not the technology of the accelerator that is so impressive in the Fitbit One, it's the rewards program and the community that they are building, that surpass the earlier devices.   My wish is that Fitbit would lower the price so that more people could afford, get active, and benefit from the many effects of consistent, moderate activity like walking.