Fitness bands seem all the rage these days. There are models from Fitbit, Nike and even Samsung has entered the fray. I have been using one for almost a year and it’s the UP from Jawbone.
The Jawbone UP as well as these other products are much more than just glorified pedometers; it’s a complete fitness accessory. The UP tracks not only my steps; zero set up required, but it tracks my sleep patterns as well. I tell it when I’m sleeping soundly and when I’m not. UP tracks how long it took me to fall asleep and how many times I wake up in the middle of the night. I have a sleep goal of 8 hours and its not that tough to attain.
I love that fact that the UP only needs to be charged about once ever 10 days. It’s waterproof for showering and doing the dishes. Not recommended for swimming or being submerged in the tub. The UP syncs to your iPhone or Android device via the 3.5″ headphone jack. I sync it once a day and while plugged in you can play with other settings like Smart Alarm and Idle Alert.
The UP Smart Alarm analyses your sleep patterns and wakes you via a gentle vibration when you are the most refreshed, within a 10-20 min wakeup window you set. The Idle Alert keeps you from sitting your day away. I have mine set to remind me when I have set for more than an hour at a time. A vibration reminds me to get up and take a walk around the plant. Love that feature!
One of my goals as I get more active was to participate in a 5K. Last month I took part in the Fox Cities Glow Run/Walk. The even was my first sanctioned 5K EVER! I did the event along with my long time buddy John and it was a blast!
Can you believe that I walked well over 13,000 steps for the event, 19,000 overall for that Saturday? A personal all time best! What an amazing feeling to know that not only did I smash my personal daily goal, but darn near doubled it, WOW!
The Jawbone Up is totally 100% “Tommy Approved”!!
For more information on how to get your very own Jawbone UP from Verizon, Here’s a link http://www.verizonwireless.com/accessories/sports-and-fitness/jawbone/
[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]