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Gr8 Health Blog – Tech can support healthy goals

YOU’RE BEING FOLLOWED

Even in the era of smartphones, we can still be surprised by new technology. At least, I can be surprised.

When we started using Twitter at WISH-TV, I grumbled a bit because I thought it would just mean more work. I quickly discovered tweeting can be fun. Maybe that made me a little more open to a Christmas gift that tracked my every move.

I am the proud owner of a Fitbit. If you don’t have one, it’s a little fitness tracker that I clip in my pocket. You can also find models that you wear like a watch. Either way, the Fitbit will count every step you take during the day, hoping you stay active enough to reach, at least, 10,000 steps every day. (About five miles, they say.) It’ll also help you count calories, how much water you drink in a day and even help you with a food plan, if you want to be that organized.

The variety of features made me wonder whether the Fitbit is a toy or can really be a useful fitness tool. So, I asked Heather Fink, an athlete and registered dietitian, what she thinks of the device. She said many people have come to the same conclusion I have about the awareness of daily movement and food intake.

Heather said the Fitbit can help in several ways. Maybe you already run or ride a bike. Maybe you are part of an exercise class. The Fitbit monitors your movement there. But, it also encourages people “to continue to be physically active throughout the day, in addition to structured exercise. Both are important.”

Heather says tracking food intake makes us “more mindful of food choices – leading to healthier selections.” That also allows us “to strive for certain nutrition goals.” It is amazing to me how many foods and their calorie counts are already programmed in. A few clicks and you’ll have a good idea of what you’re eating every day.

Heather encourages her clients “to look at more than just calories. We are also concerned about nutrient density of foods (vitamin, minerals, fiber, etc).”

It has been fun to keep an eye on my activity. And, since I haven’t been training for the Mini-Marathon, this spring, I want to keep my mileage up, even if I’m not running all of it. The Fitbit offers motivation for that goal. If I need some extra steps to reach 10,000 on a given day, I can climb the stairs here in the building. If I’m at the mall, I can avoid the urge to find the closest parking space and pick one that’s further from the door. That adds a few steps. It all helps.

Whatever you do, just have fun. Get active, stay active and enjoy Gr8 Health!

If you’d like to learn more from Heather Fink, you can reach her at http://nutritionwellnesssolutions.org/.

– Eric