October 19, 2018
I had been whining on my Facebook Timeline that “my Fitbit has bit the dust.” Then I explained, “Oh, it still works (I think). It’s just gotten to the point where it requires a new battery every few weeks! All I really need is a decent pedometer, just one that shows steps and distance. One that has a battery that is easy to change (the Fitbit is NOT) and that uses so little electricity that a battery will last for several months (meaning only needs a new one once or twice a year). *sigh*”
Then, after I had calmed down, I wrote, “I bought this in May 2016. I don’t know what their lifespan is. I’ve probably complained about how hard it is to change the battery! I think now they make Fitbits that are rechargeable but that’s in the more expensive models.”
Several friends chimed in with their stories and their own fitness trackers. One suggested using a phone app to track steps. But I countered with, “That assumes that you have your phone on your person while you are walking! I have a Samsung Galaxy S5. But I don’t ordinarily carry it while I’m walking.” So that ended that. I wouldn’t carry my phone in a pocket! I carry it a dual compartment phone case that hangs around my neck. But I only carry it like that when I’m away from home.
To affirm that I’m not crazy, one friend did say that she “just got a new [Fitbit] as mine wouldn’t hold a charge for a day any more.” And she replaced it with a rechargeable one.
But one other friend was silently following the conversation and Private Messaged me. My friend had gotten an iWatch and so didn’t need the fitness tracker any more, and would I like to have it, charger and all?!? After some dialog about logistics of getting it to me, it arrived this morning by FedEx.
I knew it was a Garmin but I had no idea what model or how to configure it, so I went to the Garmin website and followed the instructions for registering a new device. When I plugged in the USB to my laptop, it did some whirring and beeping and scanning and located the exact model AND serial number! I created a Garmin Connect account and entered the required information.
October 20, 2018
Time: 8:25 p.m. Both started at 0 at 9:30 a.m. I thought it would be interesting to compare, as long as Linda put a new battery (the last one!) in the aging Fitbit. Still learning how to configure the Garmin. I guess the big difference is that I walked for 45 min. around the mobile home park, pushing Emily’s stroller most of the time, so I was not swinging my arms like you’d do naturally when walking. Still, 1961 steps represents walking in and out of church, walking to the bathroom (at church) and back, and all walking inside the house. I would guess that neither one would register any steps while I ride my old person’s 3-wheeler (adult tricycle). But that’s for another day.
