By Andrea Michelle for Garmin
During winter it can be a real challenge to get out and exercise. While I’m usually fairly motivated to stay fit, I’ve been pretty lazy the last few months, because it’s been COLD and I like being SNUG!
A month or so ago at while catching up with some girlfriends, we agreed it was time to get off our butts and get into it again. Afterall, summer is around the corner, which means bare skin and ice cream and I want to be able to happily indulge in both.
But despite all good intentions – including joining the local gym – I still didn’t get moving. Until Garmin sent me a couple of awesome gadgets to try, which truly motivated me to move: the Vivofit 2 and the Forerunner 225.
These cool fitness accessories (as I like to refer to them as), combined with setting myself a short-term goal of running 14km’s in Sydney’s annual City2Surf, got my fitness back on track.
The Vivofit 2
The Vivofit 2 is an activity tracker the motivates you to keep moving. Setting it up online was simple – my 9 year old did it for me – and I set my daily step objectives to 16,000 per day. Why 16,000? That was what I used to do after my first son was born to lose the baby weight slowly but surely, and with that kind of constant movement, by the time he was 7 months old I was the fittest and slimmest I have probably ever been. Aiming high!
It also tracks things like calories burnt, and even monitors your sleep – something that can be a double-edged sword if you’re up and down with the kids at night. But I’ve been consciously trying to get 8 hours of snooze time in these days, even if it’s grabbing some zzz’s here and there so this has been useful in monitoring that.
Yup, walkies (or ‘holdies’ as it often is with Sushi) counts towards your daily fitness goals!
It’s got a battery life of one year so you don’t need to worry about it running out on you. And it’s waterproof, so I’d wear it all the time, even in the shower and when I take the boys for swims.
Best of all, Garmin have teamed up with Jonathan Adler, the famous artist and designer, featuring his signature patterns on interchangeable straps, so I was able to coordinate the Vivofit 2 with my outfits. This is why I refer to it as my ‘fitness accessory’ as I was able to wear it all the time without it looking obtrusive.
The interchangeable straps designed by Jonathan Adler make it easy to coordinate with outfits.
Garmin Vivofit 2 Fitness Band $119
The Forerunner 225
I find it more motivating to go running with friends, but it’s hard to coordinate our schedules. That’s where this baby came in handy. It became my running buddy.
Hello running buddy!
The Forerunner 225 has a GPS signal with maps your run, pace, distance etc so there is a real sense of reward when you are finished.
“Smug face… look how far I ran!”
And it has built in heart rate sensor, so there is not need for those uncomfortable chest straps like with other trackers – sweat under the boobs is bad enough without one of those straps exacerbating the discomfort!
And while it’s obviously built for serious activity tracking, it still looks good enough to wear everyday like a chunky man-style watch.
“I’m gonna do this run even if it kills me…”
You an also set it up to give you a gentle vibrating reminder to get moving if you’ve been sitting on your butt for too long. I find this handy for days I spend at my desk, as it motivates me to get out and move, even if only for 15 minutes.
The Forerunner 225 was my running buddy in the lead up the 14km City2Surf, and I wore it on the day too.
Might have been a bit nervous before the run… “Am I really doing this?!”
Granted, I had a couple of good mates running with me then, but looking back over my stats from that day enhanced the sense of achievement I already felt from crossing that finish line!
Where’s Wally in the crowd of 80,000 people?
Garmin Forerunner 225 Heart Rate Monitor $389
Going forward I’ll continue to use my new fitness accessories, not just for walking and running, but also for when I finally make my way into that gym I joined. Boxing classes anyone?!
What are your tips for staying motivated to achieve your fitness goals? What’s your favourite activity to stay fit?
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