Friday, April 08, 2016

Five Things I Learned When My Son Wore a Fitbit

It's no secret that I love my Fitbit. I'm the kind of person who loves to quantify most things and enjoys a goal for each and every day. I always try to get 10,000 steps per day and I usually end up with about 13,000. I was curious just how active Kai (age 9) was as he always seems to be moving at home – did going to school prevent him from getting enough activity each day? I had an old Fitbit Charge and put it on him out of curiosity.

What did we learn after one month?

What I learned when my son wore a Fitbit.


1 He averages 21,000 steps per day.

I average 13,000 and I'm a pretty active adult. I am no longer concerned that he doesn't get enough activity! With PE and recess, along with other extra curricular activities, he gets more than enough.

What I learned when my son wore a Fitbit.

2.  He love the challenges.

With a Fitbit you can do Weekend Warrior or Workweek Hustle challenges. I always accept his challenge but expect to lose. Poor uncle Todd is the only other person Kai has as a Fitbit friend so he keeps getting asked to join challenges too.

3. It's a great way to encourage activity.

He was 18,000 a day but now tries for that extra 3,000. After he finishes his reading for school, he will often spend time shooting hoops and practicing for hockey. When I suggest a family walk, he's less likely to complain about it.

What I learned when my son wore a Fitbit.

4. It is a great watch for him.

I was looking for one for Christmas and never even considered this one. It's simple and all he wants to know is the time and how many steps he has.

5. It is okay to play video games for an hour a day because I know he's active enough each day. 

I do feel he needs at least 15,000 steps to be happiest and expend that energy.  His younger sister is probably good with just 5,000 (although who knows how many she actually gets with those little legs!) I used to feel guilty that he would spend up to an hour playing but now I can see that it doesn't hurt to just rest a bit and play with his brother or a friend.

What I learned when my son wore a Fitbit.


It takes a certain personality to have a Fitbit motivate you and it works so well with mine...and Kai's.

Do you record how many steps you get per day?

Love,
Louise

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I put a Fitbit on my 9 year old son to see just how much activity he was getting. I was very surprised by the results.



12 comments:

  1. Been thinking of getting one as we are adding a dog to our family this week which we know will increase our activity. Where would you say is the best place to buy them?

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    1. I would say Costco because their return policy is amazing and they sometimes have sales!! Do you have a membership? Otherwise, they're pretty much the same everywhere.

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  2. Brayden got one for his birthday and really likes it. He had been wanting a watch for a long time and loves the simplicity of this. I wonder how many "steps" a crawling baby would average a day...

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    1. Yay, glad he likes it! Ha, strap it on Henry's foot ;) Is he seriously crawling already?! I missed that!

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    2. He is moving everywhere!! I predict first steps by end of this month...

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  3. I've had mine for a year and I still love mine. I've lost 17lbs (1 lb away from my goal), and continue to be amazed at what a motivation it is. Fitbit customer service is amazing; my strap started to "peel away" and I had a new one, free of charge within a week. I bought mine online through Chapters Indigo since I live in a small town and wanted a small burgundy one.

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    1. So glad to hear you love it so much. I agree that their customer service is amazing and that it is such a motivator!

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  4. Kai in Maori means Food :3

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    1. Awesome :) We named him Kai because it means "ocean" too!

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  5. Anonymous6:41 AM

    Kai sounds like "open" in Mandarin

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  6. Anonymous9:36 AM

    What kind do you get for a 10 year old? Is there one better than the other. What brand did Kai have?

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    1. I let him have my old Fitbit Charge and that worked well.

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