In 2016 I had a wrist surgery that I really let myself go after. I saw my blood pressure go from decent to poor in about a 9 month range. I didn’t even realize it was happening, but one day I had what I felt were heart palpitations. I ran to the urgent care and they told me it was high blood pressure that I was feeling. They let me know that I was right on the edge of needing the medication and gave me the choice of whether I wanted to start on meds, and after that episode, I said yes.

I was so frustrated with myself for letting myself get there. I KNEW my family had a history of high blood pressure and that I needed to watch myself. Yet with alcohol as pain medication and the couch as a comfort, I got there. I knew I had to make a change. I had previously had a Fitbit and had to quit wearing it due to a nickel allergy and thought maybe it was time to give it a try again. I did my research and this time I bought a Fitbit Alta HR.

The Fitbit Alta HR was my fitness tracker of choice not only because of the hourly step reminders, but because I could use the heart rate option to monitor my fitness levels. I felt like those step reminders throughout the day helped me manage some back-pain I had lingering from a previous injury and got me back up and moving regularly. At first, my daily step goal of 10,000 steps seemed like climbing a mountain, albeit a small mountain, but a mountain none-the-less. Eventually though, every hour I hit my 250 step goal. I started hitting my 10,000 daily step goal regularly. I started noticing my heart rate recovering more quickly and in the Fitbit app on my phone, I started noticing my fitness levels going up from poor to fair and even to average.

I was so proud of my progress and even managed to get mom to buy a Fitbit when I stepped up to a Fitbit Inspire HR. We both loved them. They had a larger display. They show text messages if you set them up. They track your heart rate. They allow you to track different activities as you were doing them (to get a more accurate read on your activity – I never actually used this feature). Not to mention the step reminders and the daily step goal that I already loved.

Then one day, my little brother and his wife showed me their Apple Watches. They showed me some cool things the Apple Watch could do. They basically felt like they didn’t really depend on their phones because now they could view texts and respond to them right on their wrists. They didn’t mention the activity tracker portion of the watch because they knew I loved my Fitbit and wasn’t really looking for anything else.

THEN one day, 2 of my best buds started talking about getting them. One of them actually got one and I went with her to pick it out. I went home and did some research because the more I learned about it, the more I considered getting one. By the following weekend I decided the investment was worth it and I ended up getting a Rose Gold Apple Watch 5 with a 40mm screen (Wifi not cellular).

I added a couple of applications to it that I learned about on YouTube (there are a BUNCH of videos about the best apps to add to your Apple Watch), and I had a really cool, high tech, fitness tracker. I also found that I could add my friends and track their fitness progress. It made me want to complete my goals even more because I knew they could see what I was doing.

I should mention here that Apple Watches don’t have an hourly step goal. That’s the one feature I wish it had, but instead, if you haven’t moved within a 50 minute period, the watch will tell you to stand. If you have already moved for more than a minute in that period, it won’t remind you. In that aspect, I suppose I’ve become pretty lackadaisical (that is NOT how I thought you spelled that haha) when it comes to my step goals. I still do try to get my 250 steps in, but if I have somehow already hit my 10,000 step goal for the day, sometimes I just walk around for a minute to hit my stand goal and then sit back down.

What do you mean “Stand Goal” Amy? WELL, Apple Watches have a 3 ring activity goal. I’m telling you what, it took me forever to figure out exactly what they were for. Oh, I can get in to the Activity App and look, but even though I did that regularly, I kept forgetting. Here are the Activity Goals:

1. Move. This is basically how many calories you burn from additional movement (not just what your body burns regularly). You set your calorie goal up front – which is then evaluated weekly. At first, the app will ask you how active you are and base your calorie goal off of that. If you have been burning calories like a mo-fo one week, your app will come to you and suggest you raise your calorie goal the next week. Since I got my watch, I’ve only been asked if I want to raise my calorie goal, but I would guess that if I were less active for a week, that it would ask me if I would like to lower it. My calorie goal was initially set at 640 calories and I have consistently hit that goal.
2. Exercise. This is where your heart rate is monitored and the watch makes sure you hit so many minutes of raised heart rate workout per day. My goal is to hit at least 30 minutes. I’ll be honest here, I haven’t had the watch for long enough to know if I can change that number. I do know that it’s healthy to get at least 30 minutes of cardio activity per day so it may be based on that. I’m no Apple Watch expert (yet).
3. Stand. The last goal is the amount of hours you stand per day. This goal expects you to stand and move around for at least a minute per hour. If you do this, you get credit for that hour. The goal is to do this 12 times in a day. I have literally been in bed at 10pm and gotten a stand reminder. I got up and walked around for a minute because I wanted to hit that goal!

Now. I’ve told you about my Fitbit. I’ve told you about my Apple Watch. Now I’m going to tell you which one I like better. Drum roll please…..

Neither.

Oh come on Amy. Really?

Honestly, I feel like my Fitbit was exactly what I needed when I needed it. It’s a fantastic fitness tracker that I would use again if I found myself in a similar situation. If it didn’t have the heart rate option, it never would have stuck. When the tracker with the HR came out, literally right when I needed it, it was exactly what I needed and will remain one of my favorite trackers. The Fitbit Inspire HR comes in right around $100 and is DEFINITELY the cost-effective choice of the 2.

My Apple Watch is what I need now. It has additional functions. It allows me to fraternize with my friends. I can track their shenanigans and cheer them on. When I don’t feel like working out, I look at my watch and see that Brad has almost closed all of his rings and I still have to get in my 30 minutes of exercise – so I go to the gym and work out. Yeah, like I’m going to let my little brother get more in shape than me. (Just kidding. For real though, I’m super proud of the work I can see that he’s been doing. Without this watch, I never would have known about it.) The Apple Watch 5 with the 40mm screen comes in around $430 (without cellular and the data plan). There is another option for the Apple Watch 5 with a 44 mm screen. It would have taken up my entire wrist so I barely glanced at it. If you have trouble seeing small print (or you have a bigger wrist), it’s a good option though. I don’t believe there is much difference in price.

I’ll leave you with this, both fitness trackers are perfect for what I’ve needed them for and I would 100% highly recommend both of them. If you are thinking about getting one and you’re not sure where to start, evaluate what you want the tracker for. I like having the additional feature of receiving encouraging messages and being able to see my friends’ progress throughout the day that the Apple Watch provides. I like knowing that Jess finished a strength workout and that Courtney ran 3.1 miles. It’s what’s right for me right now.

Either way, get yourself a fitness tracker.

Set yourself some goals.

It can only make you healthier!