In today's climate, things are often changing, sometimes it seems within days or even minutes. We are all being given a few extra tasks to handle, probably because we are known to be able to get things done.  I like that. What I also like is keeping myself fit and in the best physical shape that  I can.  In order to do this, it takes commitment to exercise, eating right and a good mindset.  One of the tools that I use to keep myself on track is a fitness watch, tracker, monitor. Whatever you want to call them, you have to agree that these tech watches can provide you with all the data you need to keep you on track to meet your physical goals. They now even let you pay at the WaWa, for that bottle of water after a run, how nice is that?  One brand of watch that I like to keep on my wrist are those made by Garmin.

The name Garmin is well known today as being one of the best providers of “Smart Watch” technology. Implementing its advanced GPS functionality into a watch that can monitor your fitness levels and also keeps you from getting lost is just another reason why a product from Garmin can keep you aware of what’s happening both around you and “YOU” itself. I mean your activity/fitness progress!

And Garmin has you covered as far as pricing to go along with all of that functionality they build into their watches. One of my favorites is the Garmin Vivosmart HR. It's a fitness/activity tracker that also keeps track of your heart rate data points. This device combines all the functionality of a heart rate monitor and activity tracker with a smartwatch. Talk about wearing a lot of hats,,,, The functionality of this tracker is really well thought out!

Since we all know that keeping ourselves moving is one of the best ways to keep ourselves in shape on a daily basis, and the Vivosmart HR  can monitor just about everything we choose to do. Whether you’re going for a jog, playing a pick-up game with friends or trying out a new boot camp class, it quantifies the intensity of your fitness activities using intensity minutes. This feature lets you monitor your progress against activity goals recommended by health organizations such as the American Heart Association.

The Vivosmart is able to track distance, time and pace for indoor or outdoor activities. With it’s GPS, you can get even more accurate distance and pace stats as well as a map of your activity when running or walking outdoors. In addition to tracking your runs, steps, and calories, the Vívosmart HR, measures floors climbed and intensity minutes.

Garmin has been developing cutting-edge GPS technology since its founding in 1989. And since 1991, one of its first large clients has been the U.S. Army. And the technology its been creating since then has only gotten better and more accurate, which is a prime factor amongst long distance runners. After all, who wants to carry a paper map around with them, when you're navigating a long distance run, with little chance on taking the wrong path. And since this watch uses smart technology, you are able to stay connected and upload your data automatically to Garmin Connect, via your smartphone!  This way, your family, and friends have a pretty good idea just where and when you are as your running a race, or just out on a training run.

Keeping your progress stats available is important for getting the most out of your training and this app is universal across all Garmin devices, and can even carry data over from a previous device to a new device. It also syncs with your app in the Google Play Store or iTunes account.

The OLED display will track information about your workout, which will be logged in the Garmin Connect app. The Garmin Connect App includes a daily steps goal, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, and a whole lot more. All of this is visualized in a chart generated by the Connect app.

So, if you're looking for a great smartwatch with just about all the functionality you're going to need to monitor your stats as you work out, train, or just call it plain exercising, the Garmin Vivosmart Activity Tracker is one you need to take a serious look at.

So, who’s up for a little CrossFit??

Than Your Fitness Watch Should Be ON Your Wrist, NOT Left In A Drawer!

I know, most everyone from time to time has tried to get on the fitness treadmill. But there always seems to be something that takes you off that healthy track and into the “Jungle of Guilt” where you’ve labored for a while, even though your intentions were good, you slipped over to the “Dark Side” of eating those “Fatty Foods” again and seeing yourself entering the movie theater instead of going inside your gym.

Some of us have used incentives to motivate ourselves into getting healthy by purchasing the latest and greatest fitness watch, aka… Activity Monitor. Sure, you made sure it has all the bells and whistles, even has a heart rate monitor too, cause you’re gonna make sure you're working out to your fullest.

But you soon find out that even the best fitness monitors are like gym memberships. In the beginning, their shiny, new and you like showing it off as you work out, especially when you're amongst your fellow “Grunters and Sweaters” at the gym. Then, three months later you find that the novelty wears off and you realize that you haven't developed the body of a chiseled athlete and bit by bit you're visits to the gym are getting less frequent.

Well, you’re not alone, there are stats out there that show that most people, who make the purchase of an activity monitor whether it be a Gamin, or a Fitbit,  or some other popular fitness device, actually stop using them within the first 6 months!

So, how do you fix it so that you’re not one of the fitness wannabe’s out there that has their fitness watch laying alongside their old Timex? The answer is really simple. It’s all about what you want and your commitment to getting there. You need to approach your new fitness tracker, no matter the brand, (Naturally we like the two Brands we’ve spotlighted named above) with the right mindset!

Remember, just because you've strapped a tracker onto your wrist, doesn't mean you're going to get fit. What you've got here is a tool, and if used correctly, it can be a great, even life changing tool to aid you in staying motivated.

But if you asked us for our own personal favorite, we think the Garmin Forerunner 920XT Multisport GPS Watch  fits our purpose, quite nicely. It’s a multi-function activity tracker, so whether you run, bike, walk, jog or even swim laps or take a dive out in the ocean. This activity tracker does just what it says it will do. Track your Activity, period! It also monitors your running dynamics, which includes tracking your cadence, vertical oscillation and ground contact time. Yep, we are talking an advance tool but also one that can easily be worn during your workday, or social outing because it looks great on your wrist!

But this activity watch, like any other tracking device, Is NOT a replacement for your own desire to succeed. You may have been thinking about getting in shape for months or even years but you simply did nothing about it. You may have even made multiple attempts before this to get in shape, even purchasing other exercise devices to help get you there. Just like the rowing machine, set of free weights or that yoga mat you bought, but the reality is, if you don't interact with it and use it, it won't help! If you accept from the outset that the hard work and a lifestyle change is still down to you, you'll have more success.

Most fitness trackers come with preset step goals. Your current lifestyle might mean you can hit these targets with ease. But we all know doing what you've always done isn't going to bring about the change you're looking for. Use the tracker for a week and see how you compare and then change the targets to be more demanding.

At the same time make a list of the times during your day when you realistically have the opportunity to add in more steps. This will help you understand where you might need to make bigger changes for greater impact.

Challenge yourself or Ramp up your daily activities. Once you've made your list, it's time to work out how to change your behavior. One big problem with fitness trackers is that they'll sit there recording what you do all day but won't actually have any effect on your daily habits. One way to change that is to create micro targets during the day. Walk more steps on the way to work or at lunch.
Challenge yourself to walk at least 100 steps per hour. These small targets and goals help you focus during the day rather than just drifting to the an-end-of-day total.
In order to boost fitness and stay healthy, it's important to avoid being sedentary for long periods of time. Worse than that, sitting for long periods of time can actually increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. So if you’re like a lot of us, you spend your days sitting at a desk only getting up for lunch and the occasional coffee or heaven forbid a soda, diet or regular,  please note, both are NOT good for you, so, this is one habit to change.

Moving for five minutes every hour has been proven to aid overall wellbeing and fend off some of the bad habits mentioned above. Many of the latest fitness trackers including those from Garmin and Fitbit come with handy reminders. Make sure these are set to on and don't ignore them. Use your hourly strolls away from your desk as an excuse to go get a drink of water for a healthy double dose of good.

The bottom line on all of this is, the activity monitor of your choice, (we’ve picked our favorite lines above) are meant to make you aware of your progress, or lack thereof, in order for you to improve your health. But you need to accept the fact that you are responsible for YOU.

At HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, we are here for you to help you achieve a life goal of being healthy. Feel free to send us an email, to let us know we are helping you in changing up your lifestyle habits. We hope WE ARE!

Your friends in attaining good health. The staff here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.