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- Serious question. I'm not trying to rant or anything. I'm just honestly curious. If you take the fitness band (and let's put away the actual smartwatch functions, just for the sake of an argument), all it does is counting steps, calories and monitoring heart rate. That's pretty much it. So? Should I be impressed? Should I be wanting it? Needing it?
For me it seems like completely useless information that doesnt help you with basically anything. Is it just for rubbing how many miles I ran in someone's face? I honestly don't know.
P.S.: Still, I find Microsoft Band to be very appealing device (design-wise)!03-19-2015 04:33 PMLike 0 - I had considered buying one just to keep track of my miles walked since I do a fair amount of hiking, but I also have a handheld GPS with proper mapping, so I can't justify it. Especially now that I have a sensorcore lumia, even my daily steps and workouts are counted with just having my phone with me.03-19-2015 04:47 PMLike 0
- Serious question. I'm not trying to rant or anything. I'm just honestly curious. If you take the fitness band (and let's put away the actual smartwatch functions, just for the sake of an argument), all it does is counting steps, calories and monitoring heart rate. That's pretty much it. So? Should I be impressed? Should I be wanting it? Needing it?
For me it seems like completely useless information that doesnt help you with basically anything. Is it just for rubbing how many miles I ran in someone's face? I honestly don't know.
P.S.: Still, I find Microsoft Band to be very appealing device (design-wise)!
Also what is " actual smartwatch functions" that's need to clarified. Because would a watch that has alarm be a smart watch function, any watch that does more then just tell time, wouldn't that be considered a smart watch function?
Not trying to be funny just need to make sure we are on the same page, also what are function qualify as a fitness band? We are all different ideas of what a fitness band and smart watch.03-19-2015 07:31 PMLike 0 - So... what's the point of fitness bands?
But really it depends on how you use the information. In my case, it's making a daily log, automatically, of my activity level (number of steps). If I don't like what the log says, then I need to do something about it. In my case, it's finding a little time to make my daily step goal. Here it is 4+ months later, and unless feeling bad or pressed for time, I do try to make my step goal. So it's been successful where a prior manual pedometer failed.
That's how it's worked for me. If you don't see it inspiring you to up your game, then I guess it's not for you. But you might want to look a little deeper at the workouts it can guide you though.
You're not a little bit curious about how active your daily activity is? Or your sleep pattern?- Share
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Tom Snyder and Kronus24 like this.03-19-2015 08:49 PMLike 2 - Share
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By creating continuous feedback on their actual rate of activity and calorie burn, the user can make improvements and KNOW they have made improvements. Also, the social features in many of these devices gamify the activity and create competition among friends which further encourages increased activity.- Share
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03-19-2015 09:10 PMLike 8 - Share
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- Just like everything else. To get your money.
But really it depends on how you use the information. In my case, it's making a daily log, automatically, of my activity level (number of steps). If I don't like what the log says, then I need to do something about it. In my case, it's finding a little time to make my daily step goal. Here it is 4+ months later, and unless feeling bad or pressed for time, I do try to make my step goal. So it's been successful where a prior manual pedometer failed.
That's how it's worked for me. If you don't see it inspiring you to up your game, then I guess it's not for you. But you might want to look a little deeper at the workouts it can guide you though.
You're not a little bit curious about how active your daily activity is? Or your sleep pattern?- Share
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03-19-2015 09:31 PMLike 4 - Share
- 03-19-2015 09:31 PMLike 1
- For me, I guess I would say accountability... taking responsibility for my health on a daily basis. My father-in-law died of a massive heart attack on Christmas Eve 2005, so unfortunately that event made me look twice about my own health. After struggling for a while with my weight and fitness, I finally decided to take a stand, if not for me, for my wife and son. So it started with MyFitnessPal, and I can say that I have been continuously logging my food there for about 1070 days straight, and that, along with regular exercise, helped me keep 35 pounds off for almost 3 years.
I track all of my exercise religiously, as well as my general daily activity, and the Band helps me with that. It's the first "real" fitness band I've ever owned, but I also did about 3-4 months of research to see which band was right for me, and if I really wanted one at all.
It's all about the person, and what they want to achieve. I don't care if you have a Band, a Surge, Jawbone, whatever... but if you're asking what the point of fitness bands are, then you probably don't need one. And being that the fitness band market has been on fire for the past year, I think you'd know what they are for...- Share
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03-19-2015 09:43 PMLike 8 - Share
- I enthusiastically agree with the comments so far and want to extend the argument a bit.
First, I'd suggest that the Band is not the right device for someone who works out at a (really) competitive level. There are lots of anecdotes here to support that, including the fact that long bike rides and runs (over a few hours) are difficult or impossible to track with GPS due to the Band running out of power mid-workout. If (really) reliable HR tracking is important, again, chest-strap methods may be a better solution.
Second, I'd suggest the Band is an excellent device for someone who is just beginning an exercise routine, and can benefit from seeing improvements on a daily basis. In many ways it functions like a workout buddy who helps keep you motivated.
Finally, I personally fall in the middle between those two extremes. The kinds of things I deal with on a weekly basis are issues like:
- making sure I don't skip too many workouts due to work/life stuff
- maintaining reasonable workout goals
- measuring whether in fact I'm making progress toward those goals
- keeping my workouts fun, varied, and interesting
For me, the Band is the right tool for helping me stay on track. For example, because I have a device (pretty much 24/7) estimating my calorie burn, I now have a great reason to keep a food diary and actually compare calories eaten vs. burned. From that I've had several major insights about how and when I eat (er, um...OK, I mean SNACK), how much I eat, and WHY I eat. I've dropped almost five pounds just from the psychological effect of being more mindful about eating.
So for those of us who fall in the middle part of the health/exercise spectrum, I think the bottom line is that the Band's influence is very subtle. Because it's always there, it's easy for the Band to shift your thinking and habits in a positive direction.
-Matt- Share
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03-19-2015 09:45 PMLike 5 - Share
- Boy Matt, I should have just let you answer that question... lol... very well put...
I am about in the middle too, but as soon as the weather up here in RI breaks (are you listening Mother Nature???), I'll usually run about 12-15 miles a week, not to mention keeping up with my VERY active 7 year old son.03-19-2015 09:53 PMLike 0 - Boy Matt, I should have just let you answer that question... lol... very well put...
I am about in the middle too, but as soon as the weather up here in RI breaks (are you listening Mother Nature???), I'll usually run about 12-15 miles a week, not to mention keeping up with my VERY active 7 year old son.
That's too funny that 7-year-olds are a calorie-burning method.
-Matt03-19-2015 10:17 PMLike 0 - I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone (short of an athlete) who doesn't want to up their fitness. They may not want to run marathons, but they want to be better than they are now. And part of that is knowing where you are now.
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Laura Knotek likes this.03-19-2015 11:08 PMLike 1 - Share
- I'm probably the poster boy for how well this technology can help someone. Like people have said it's increased my accountability, given me data that's helped me figure out when I'm not working hard enough or when I'm working too hard and puts pressure on me to keep streaks going. For instance the other day I was tempted to skip the gym, but I have a streak of over 50 days straight going so I thought screw it, I want to get that thing up to triple digits so I'm going to.
The result is I've lost 133lbs in just under 7 months (90.6lbs since I switched from Fitbit to the Band).
It's been a great tool to keep me motivated and to help make my workouts fun, safe and effective. I'm pretty dang happy with it.- Share
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03-20-2015 02:31 AMLike 9 - Share
- For me, actual smartwatch functions are notifications, possibility to recieve or decline phone calls, reading mails, etc.
You can't improve what you can't measure. These devices are largely targeted at the average Joe and Jane who want to be more fit but either don't know how or don't know how to honestly measure their activity. Or both. Measuring your mileage if you run for 60 minutes is easy; measuring your mileage if incidental walking is your primary activity is really hard -- these devices make that possible.
By creating continuous feedback on their actual rate of activity and calorie burn, the user can make improvements and KNOW they have made improvements. Also, the social features in many of these devices gamify the activity and create competition among friends which further encourages increased activity.
Wow, so insightful! *THUMBS UP*
For me, I guess I would say accountability... taking responsibility for my health on a daily basis. My father-in-law died of a massive heart attack on Christmas Eve 2005, so unfortunately that event made me look twice about my own health. After struggling for a while with my weight and fitness, I finally decided to take a stand, if not for me, for my wife and son. So it started with MyFitnessPal, and I can say that I have been continuously logging my food there for about 1070 days straight, and that, along with regular exercise, helped me keep 35 pounds off for almost 3 years.
I track all of my exercise religiously, as well as my general daily activity, and the Band helps me with that. It's the first "real" fitness band I've ever owned, but I also did about 3-4 months of research to see which band was right for me, and if I really wanted one at all.
It's all about the person, and what they want to achieve. I don't care if you have a Band, a Surge, Jawbone, whatever... but if you're asking what the point of fitness bands are, then you probably don't need one. And being that the fitness band market has been on fire for the past year, I think you'd know what they are for...
First of all congratz, man! That is really awesome!! But I guess I have to ask... why couldn't you start working out without fitness band? It seems to me that you only have it to remind you that you should be working out.03-20-2015 04:05 AMLike 0 - Well, that's the thing, I guess. I run, do different sports... all just beacuse I want to be active. So I'm doing it because I like it, not because I need to achieve some goal set by my fitness band. So, the silver lining here is that I don't get why someone needs to have this kind of device to actual do something. But that's for different discussion, I guess :D
But let's pretend for the moment that you and I are near the same part of the spectrum, health-wise. What the Band's given me, over and above the benefits I already have from an active lifestyle, are answers to things I was curious about: do I get reasonably good sleep? Is my sleep quality related to my perceived stress level? Why is my weight hovering +/- 2 pounds within the same range, though I work out several times a week (duh, maybe because my calorie level matches what I burn?!?!)? How does running for 30 minutes compare to brisk walking for 60 minutes? You get the idea.
So maybe another answer to your original question is: you don't NEED the Band (or any activity tracker for that matter) if you're happy with the way things are. It's probably better suited to people who like to tinker with their routine, and want some data to help guide the decision-making.
-Matt- Share
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r0st4 likes this.03-20-2015 07:13 AMLike 1 - Share
- That's awesome, man! Good for you! And I really mean it! I'm not trying to mock users of fitness bands! I'm just trying to understand why someone needs this "useless" device to be active and can't just BE active, you know?
Well, that's the thing, I guess. I run, do different sports... all just beacuse I want to be active. So I'm doing it because I like it, not because I need to achieve some goal set by my fitness band. So, the silver lining here is that I don't get why someone needs to have this kind of device to actual do something. But that's for different discussion, I guess :D
First of all congratz, man! That is really awesome!! But I guess I have to ask... why couldn't you start working out without fitness band? It seems to me that you only have it to remind you that you should be working out.
Also, for me, having the little graphs makes all the difference. It may be silly, but I want to fill up the meters. One of the biggest problems with getting fit for health or weight loss is becoming discouraged at a lack of progress. With the apps that go with the devices, you see how well you've done and by inputting weight and measurements, etc, you can see that those 5 days in a row that you met your goal resulted in a loss, and that is very encouraging.
There is also a social aspect with challenges. I know you can discuss fitness without a device, but when everyone is using the same method to compete, it helps.- Share
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gadgetrants and r0st4 like this.03-20-2015 07:26 AMLike 2 - Share
- Different strokes for different folks. But I know you not trying to come off as a jerk, r0st4 . From your first post was already down playing a product you knew very little about "all it does is counting steps, calories and monitoring heart rate. That's pretty much it"
" So? Should I be impressed? Should I be wanting it? Needing it?" Those are answer ONLY you can know, but because you already said "For me it seems like completely useless information that doesnt help you with basically anything" you already knew it was for you. So asking these questions to the community was POINT LESS when you already came to your conclusion.
"So... what's the point of fitness bands?" What a stupid title.
"Is it just for rubbing how many miles I ran in someone's face? I honestly don't know." Not even going comment on this, but Damn.
From your title and post I knew you was just being a jerk in a roundabout way. With no REAL intentions just the undermine why people who choose to have fitness bands are stupid, have no motivations, or as you would say like to rub numbers in people face, lol.- Share
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NBrookus likes this.03-20-2015 10:00 AMLike 1 - Share
- Personally, I have a 2nd job that has me on my feet, walking all day. I would find the information, interesting, as I'm also heavily into fitness/bodybuilding. I do like knowing how many steps I take. Beyond that, I have to log my whereabouts' all day. Looking at a band is much easier and more appropriate than pulling out my phone 50 times a day.
I haven't made the leap, yet, but soon... I hate buying Gen 1 devices, though. Always a risk they'll "get it right" with a new model just after you bought one. But, it could also cost more, which I wouldn't want...03-20-2015 10:12 AMLike 0 - Yea... I was going to go there... but glad you did.... :)
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gadgetrants likes this.03-20-2015 10:20 AMLike 1 - Share
- Personally, I have a 2nd job that has me on my feet, walking all day. I would find the information, interesting, as I'm also heavily into fitness/bodybuilding. I do like knowing how many steps I take. Beyond that, I have to log my whereabouts' all day. Looking at a band is much easier and more appropriate than pulling out my phone 50 times a day.
I haven't made the leap, yet, but soon... I hate buying Gen 1 devices, though. Always a risk they'll "get it right" with a new model just after you bought one. But, it could also cost more, which I wouldn't want...03-20-2015 10:26 AMLike 0 - For all of the bands out there, it takes a while to find out which one is right for you. Like I had said, I researched for 3-4 months before deciding on the Band. I think it was a combination of the sensors, HR monitor and GPS that brought me to the Band. And you're going to hear the good AND the bad about each band, but in the end, it comes down to what fits your lifestyle.
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Kronus24 likes this.03-20-2015 10:36 AMLike 1 - Share
- My Band is scheduled for delivery today. I started working out and running regularly with no fitness tracker about 8 months ago in addition to training for a 1/2 marathon that's about 5 weeks away.
I want the band to not only have a way to gauge my calorie burn and log my mileage (the gps on my current phone is terrible), but I'm also interested in things like tracking the quality of my sleep and trying out the other sensors that are built into this device.03-20-2015 11:14 AMLike 0 -
Besides, I find all the aggregated data interesting and useful. It's fun to make progress like I have and see how it impacts things along the way.- Share
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r0st4 likes this.03-20-2015 11:27 AMLike 1 - Share
- Well, that's the thing, I guess. I run, do different sports... all just beacuse I want to be active. So I'm doing it because I like it, not because I need to achieve some goal set by my fitness band. So, the silver lining here is that I don't get why someone needs to have this kind of device to actual do something. But that's for different discussion, I guess :D
Now, if you were planning on running an Ironman, you might consider a fitness device to track your training to that goal. But if you're not in training for a major goal, and you don't need anything else to motivate you to activity, then there is no point in a fitness device.- Share
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James8561 likes this.03-20-2015 03:26 PMLike 1 - Share
- Yeah, I got that. I just find it funny. Either I wanna be active and then I do sports or whatever and don't need to be constantly reminded that "wow, you are active! you are so cool!", or I don't want to be active and then not even fitness band can't change that. But maybe I'm just not seeing the bigger picture.
- Chronic pain
- Chronic injury
- Serious disease
- Disabilities
- Clinical Depression
- Caring for young children 24/7/365
- Caring for elderly parents
- Peri-menopause, menopause, or metabolic disorders
- Middle-age spread
- Pregnancy weight gain and post-pregnancy hormonal rollercoaster
- Dealing with a wife with ^
- A 50-60 hour a week desk job on top of home responsibilities
- Old age
- etc.
Most people use them as a tool to increase fitness and/or lose weight, but I've met a couple of people who have used fitness trackers to limit their activity to keep them from being in too much pain the next day. Personally, I cherish the one day a week I get to spend hiking in the woods; the rest of the week it's a challenge to find time to get the daily activity I need to stay healthy. With a fitness tracker I can make sure I'm doing it while spending less time and brain sweat trying to keep track.
Different people have different lives and challenges than you; try not to be a jerk about the tools they use to be healthy. Don't see the use in a fitness tracker? Don't get one.- Share
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03-20-2015 04:18 PMLike 4
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So... what's the point of fitness bands?
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