Review of the Fitbit Ultra
I have covered lots of different topics in Distillery Web Design’s weekly blog. From the most recent concerning Search Engine Optimization (or how your business is found online) to Facebook tips, marketing ideas, and health tips. Today, I am going to switch it up and talk about my newest gadget the Fitbit Ultra by Fitbit.
In its simplest form, the Fitbit Ultra is a pedometer that synchs with the website and integrates with other health and social apps. In order to keep from being too sedentary, experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day. Sounds like a lot, but in actuality it really is not. Instead of sending someone an email, walk to his or her desk, take the stair instead of the elevator and/or park further out in the lot at work or when you go to the store. These steps really start to add up. Fitbit Ultra tracks your steps and how many floors you have climbed. It also does so much more.
Here’s the Fitbit Ultra breakdown:
- Cost
Fitbit Ultra costs $99.95 and they offer free shipping. It comes with 1 sleep wristband, 1 belt holster, 1 base station/charger, and free online tools on Fitbit.com. Some of you might think it is pricey, but read on because you are going to see it is worth every cent.
- What it Tracks
Fitbit Ultra has four displays so it is easy to see your number of Steps, Distance, Calories Burned (throughout the day, including those while at rest), and Recent Activity Level. Each has a special icon associated with it. For Steps, it is little footprints. For Distance, it is dashes indicating – well – distance. For Calories Burned there is a scale. And then my favorite, a growing flower for Recent Activity Level. The more you move, the bigger the flower gets. It is a simple idea, but it helps with motivation.
- Wait, Fitbit Ultra tracks more!
Not only does it track your steps, miles, and calories but it also tracks Floors Climbed, has a Clock, a Greeting, and also something called Chatter. I walk roughly 2 miles every morning and I have noticed that the Ultra will interpret certain hills as stairs. When I check this out on the website under Fitbit 101, one floor is equal to 10 feet or 3 meters. You can customize on the website the Greeting that appears when you pick up the Ultra. It recommends using your name. Then one of my favorite features in the Chatter. Chatter is where Fitbit sends you fun messages. The other day, it said Hug Me which cracked me up. You have the option to turn off any of these features under Profile Settings and then Device Settings.
- Track Your Sleep Habits
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation leads to weight gain and retention. For the past two nights, I have tracked my sleep habits. I typically get up a few times in the night and am not always sure I am getting 8 hours of actual sleep. The wristband that comes with the Fitbit Ultra is super comfortable and the Fitbit slips right inside. To activate the sleep mode, hold the button on the Fitbit for two seconds. When you wake up, take the Fitbit out of the wristband and again hold the button for two seconds. Then take the Fitbit over to your computer, put it on the charger, and it will synch with the website. At the bottom of the Dashboard page is the sleep section. A graph shows the periods you slept versus the times you were awake.
- Log Food, Activity, and Weight on Fitbit.com
Everything on Fitbit.com is incredibly easy to use. You can pick your Food Plan where it gives calorie goals for each day. Pick from 4 categories: Easy (lose .5 lb a week), Medium (lose 1lb a week), Kinda Hard (lose 1.5 lbs a week), and Harder (lose 2 lbs a week). Then just log your food and it shows on the site on many calories you have left for the day. You can also plug in your weight and other activities you completed.
- Synch with Other Apps
Fitbit can synch with many popular apps including myfitnesspal, fourquare, Facebook, and twitter. Visit Fitbit.com to learn how to get started and what products are right for you. In addition, there are free Fitbit apps especially for Android phones and iPhones.
Fitbit.com is vast, but uncomplicated. It has so much information that it is better for you to visit the site and explore it for yourself. In the past, I have tried other calorie counting sites to track my food intake. So far, Fitbit.com has seemed to be one of the easiest to use. I especially like the Explore section found at the bottom of the page. Under Calories in Foods it has a huge database where you can pick, for example, “cookies”. Then it lists what seems to be every cookie imaginable with its Nutritional Information. Fantastic! So if I want or have a craving for Chocolate Teddy Grahams, I know the calorie count before I even purchase them.
I highly recommend the Fitbit Ultra tracker. It has helped not only me but also others in the office make small, but significant changes to our daily routines. Who would have thought a small device like Fitbit would have made everyone in the office competitive? We literally compare the number of steps, and certain individuals (yes me!) have been known to take a little walk- break just to get ahead of others in the office. Be sure to check out the site and see if Fitbit is right for you.
Distillery Web Design and Marketing is a feature website builder, online marketer, and advertising specialty consulting group working with businesses in the Lebanon, Camdenton, Osage Beach, Springfield, and St. Robert areas of Missouri. Facebook, websites, online promotions, print media, radio promotions, online newsletters, graphic design and direct mail campaigns are our specialty. We know how to get the Internet, social networking and new media to work for you!