Stepping Up

For most of my life, I have searched in vain for a working and durable pedometer. I have always loved to walk, and being able to know the distance of your trek helps with motivation.

This old-timey walker from way back in the 20th Century has to give props to 21st Century technology. These activity trackers that you wear like a wristwatch and synchronize with your mobile device and/or computer are the bee's knees. They keeps tabs on everything from steps taken to mileage covered and calories burned -- even, somehow, your sleep patterns.

They also can set goals for you. How they determine a suitable one for each person, I have no clue.

Anyway, big news: Today I met the goal for the first time. When I hit 6,227 steps, I achieved 100% of the daily goal set for me. My average steps per day had been 4,626 since acquiring my tracker last Thursday.

 I suppose the difference today was that I took one of the old routes Sadiedawg and I used to handle together. I stopped occasionally and did some stretching exercises to keep my stenotic back from acting up. And all was good (except for missing sweet Sadie) -- I felt great coming down the home stretch. After that, I only needed to get up from the computer and walk inside a bit when my fitness companion signaled that I really should.

My sleep pattern is a mess -- the sleep graph resembles the ups and downs of the stock market -- but I knew that already.

Toward the end of the week, we are forecast to have a low pressure system right off the coast pumping a lot of moisture in here, with heavy rains possible. I wouldn't mind walking in a warm rain, but even though my device is "water-resistant," I fear I would damage it. So to keep stepping up, I may actually go to the recreation center and walk the track above the gym. That is how addicted I am becoming to this gizmo. However, I would say it is a positive addiction.

This is not meant as a commercial. There are several brands on the market -- Fitbit is a well-known one, and I have friends who are happy with theirs. But mine (as I wrote in a previous blogpost) is Vivofit2 by Garmin. I had a minor question about set-up and promptly received help from customer service. I am a happy camper -- well, actually, not camper but hiker.

                          © Robert G. Holland  2015