Step Countess

Do you use a walking tracker or step counter?

I have been on both sides of the pendulum - for a full year I was "all in" and used it all the time. Then my tracking bracelet broke and I kinda panicked. I looooooved the information I got every day.  But when I didn't have it, I realized I had an unhealthy relationship with it. I had been obsessing over it, and when I didn't have that data there waiting for me anymore, I felt so free! So I ditched it altogether. But now I've settled somewhere in the middle - I use the fitbit app to track the gps of my walks sometimes just for fun, but I still have no idea how many steps I would have taken in a day.

Here are some of the questions I wished I had asked myself when I was using the fitbit:

-Are you able to observe the information passively, or are you obsessing over the data instead of enjoying the walk itself?

-Do you find yourself swinging your arms just a little bit extra, to make sure your tracker picks up the steps?

-Do you pace your bedroom to get that last 300 steps to hit your goal number for the day?

-If you're out for a walk for 26 minutes, do you go for another 4 minutes to make it "count" as a 30-minute walk? Or getting in the last .03 km to get to an even number?

-Does hitting these arbitrary numbers really matter?

-Why does your day feel ruined when you don't hit your goal number?

-If you lose your "daily walk streak" is it really a bad thing?

Using a step counter can be a great way to increase your self-awareness and remind you to walk if you have a hard time remembering. It can definitely help you increase your daily NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) by giving you concrete data to help you set a reasonable goal for yourself.

But I would say that if you find yourself slipping into the mindset above, that it might be time to re-evaluate how you use your tracker. <3
Guilt, shame, and "motivation" are counterproductive to getting solid on habits.

#allorsomething