A couple weeks ago I posted about ways to stay active while sitting at a desk all day, and one of those ways was tracking your activity. I have been tracking my steps, sleeping habits, and water intake all with the Jawbone Up Move and the SmartCoach app. Now that I’ve been using both the tracker and the app for the past few weeks I wanted to share my thoughts, a review per se, with you all.
The Tracker
There are a few things that set the Jawbone Up Move apart from other fitness trackers. You can wear it as a bracelet which is the standard for fitness trackers, or you can clip it on to your shirt or pant cuff to keep track of the steps. Although for the most part I left it on my wrist so I didn’t have to think about it. When it’s clipped on, any time you change your clothes you have to remember to move the tracker, which was one more thing I didn’t want to worry about. However it is nice to have the options and flexibility of having the tracker somewhere other than your wrist.
I think the best part about this tracker is that the battery lasts for up to 6 months. That means nonstop tracking for 6 months at a time. There’s a little watch battery inside that you simply replace when its time for a new one. There’s no need having to worry about charging it up every few days.
The SmartCoach App
Once you get the tracker, the first step is to download the SmartCoach App for Android or iPhone and sync your tracker to it. It’s a simple process and once that’s done you will never get off the app! Seriously. I’m checking it all the time to see how many steps I’ve taken or how my sleep was the night before. Throughout the day the app will give you tips and tricks for improving on what you’ve done, or motivating you to take a few more steps to hit your goal for the day.
The app syncs with many other fitness apps, so when I track a run with MapMyRun, SmartCoach instantly registers exactly what I did by syncing with that app. You can also easily track food, water, weight loss/gain, and mood. The more information you put in the more SmartCoach can help you reach your personal goals.
The Effect
Since wearing this little tiny device, I have consciously made small changes that had added up to a healthier lifestyle. If one night I get less than a desirable amount of sleep, SmartCoach pipes up and challenges me to get to bed earlier the next night. And it might sound silly but if I tell someone (yes, even a phone app) that I’ll be in bed by 10:43pm, gosh darnit I’m going to be in bed by 10:42! The same goes for drinking more water or just walking Lucy a few extra blocks. While making small changes here and there don’t seem like a big deal, when you track it with the Up Move you can actually see just how much a difference each little thing makes toward living more healthy.
This post was sponsored by Jawbone in collaboration with Collectively. I was provided a Jawbone UP MOVE to try out, and all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog!
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