"I'm addicted to my Jawbone"

Image: ‘By our powers combined…’ 3 of the 4 Jawbone owners in our office

I’m a sucker for a bandwagon. Especially a bandwagon that involves fashion.

So when one of my colleagues walked in wearing a funky black and silver bracelet, I immediately asked her where it was from. Turns out it’s not jewellery but a magical mystical fitness device that is akin to an adult Tamagotchi.

She was wearing an UP by Jawbone. Now, if you’re worried that sounds like some short of shark’s mouth skeleton then don’t panic. A Jawbone is a wristband that tracks your movement, your sleep and if you want it to, your calorie intake.

I've had mine for the sum total of three days and I am thoroughly addicted.

Each night before bed, I set my alarm. I tell my Jawbone (via a free app that links to my phone) that I am headed to bed and what time I want to wake up; let's say it's 6.30am. Then my jawbone will track my sleep overnight and wake me up at the least jolt-worthy point in my sleep cycle, within 20 minutes of that 6.30am deadline. This means I sometimes wake up 5 or 10 minutes earlier but because I've been interrupted during the lightest stage of my sleep, I don't face the irresistible temptation of snoozing.

When I do get up in the morning, I simply tell my Jawbone I'm about to start the day and it switches from tracking my sleep to my steps. It works pretty much like a pedometer, counting how far I move each day. I set a goal of 12,000 steps per day and my inner competitive streak means that I never miss it. (I even paced up and down my living room one night because I was a few hundred short at 11.30pm).

For someone who works in an office, this little step tracker is truly the greatest. I have mine set to vibrate every 45 minutes if I haven't stood up. It's an excellent reminder to move around and stretch my legs. The hilarious thing about so many people in our office buying the same device, is that we're all bounding out of our seats at the same time in meetings.

The lower back of Future Me is super grateful and I also use the 45 minute 'walk around' vibrate as a reminder to fill up my water bottle because I'm a shocker for not staying properly hydrated.

Jawbones aren't the only fitness trackers on the market - here are some of the most popular models:

I haven't tried inputing calorie counting and weight loss goals because that's not my thing, but the option is there for those who want it. My favourite function is being able to examine how much deep sleep versus how much light sleep I got each night (I'm averaging a 1:3 ratio, which ain't the best). I also love seeing how long it takes me to fall asleep after lying down (generally about 6 minutes, I love to sleep).

I am a genuine convert. I rarely gush about a piece of technology that isn't my iPhone but I am really getting into the UP. It's encouraging me to go for more walks, stay hydrated and make a deliberate effort to sleep a full eight hours every night.

Winning on all fronts.

Now I just need one in every colour. I might start with pink...

Do you have a fitness tracker?

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