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My Walk Around the World with Fitbit | happyliving.com - image via Death to the Stock Photo

“Wake up in the morning and go for a walk at sunrise.”
(Charaka, the father of Ayurveda)

Wearing a Fitbit tracker helps me lead a healthier, more active life. I started wearing mine in October 2013 and I have logged over 5.8 million steps (more than 2,500 miles).

I exercise almost every day and plan to for the rest of my life. I really like wearing my Fitbit because it encourages me to walk more.

Walking is the centerpiece of my exercise program for three reasons:

  1. Walking fits my philosophy of lifelong exercise to do what I enjoy, do it regularly, don’t give it back, and do it slowly.
  2. Walking is the best exercise I can do for my health.
  3. Walking is a low intensity exercise that reduces the likelihood of injury from overwork.

Measurement is a powerful motivator.

When we measure something, we focus our attention on it. This shift creates an effortless inner-selection process that prioritizes the measured activity ahead of others.

Wearing a Fitbit makes walking a priority. My daily goal is to average at least 10,000 steps (about five miles). Since my Fitbit tracks the steps I take, I can easily check my progress on my smartphone. The Fitbit helps me focus on my goal to stay active throughout the day and to select walking over other activities (like sitting around).

Because of this, I am more helpful around the house. I volunteer to take the garbage and recycling bin up to the street, to take the dog for a walk, or to go the grocery store (and I park in a space further away from the store).

fitbit-options

I make different decisions because I am measuring steps.

As I explained in my article, You Have Permission to Stop Running, “When I spoke at a conference last year, the hotel had five disconnected clusters of rooms that circled a large lake with a nice trail around it. For my exercise, I decided to walk the long way around the lake anytime I went to eat, join the conference, or return to my room.”

I also spend a little extra time on the treadmill or when hiking because I’m getting credit for each step!

Wearing a Fitbit has a some unexpected benefits.

Fitbit makes it easy to form a walking group, which adds the fun and encouragement of community. My group includes my mother (age 77, Arizona), my sister (age 50, Washington) and my daughter (29, Texas). The Fitbit website and and app share steps amongst friends so we can encourage, compete with, and celebrate each other.

Recently, my mother earned her New Zealand badge from Fitbit because she’s walked 990 miles… the entire length of New Zealand. How fun is that!?

I have 22,401 miles to go before I earn my “around the world” badge. If I keep averaging 5 miles every day, I will get there by my 66th birthday on June 4, 2027 – and we’ll have a grand celebration!!

I hope to walk with you and others from the Happy Living community. Please invite me to be your friend by adding me from your FitBit dashboard – my email is [email protected]. I look forward to walking with you!

Image via Death to the Stock Photo | This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click and then purchase we will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). I purchased my Fitbit Flex through Amazon and encourage you to do the same! Thank you for reading & supporting Happy Living!