How to Safely Exercise Outside This Winter

When gyms closed due to COVID-19 last March and continued to be through most of summer, many of us migrated our exercise routines to the outdoors, which wasn’t so bad because the sun was shining and it was warm, right? But now that winter has hit, where do we go? Even the most devoted workout enthusiast can feel discouraged to get their sweat on when it’s cold, dark, and wet outside (not to mention many gyms are either closed or still have restrictions, which can make it especially challenging).

However, just because the temperature drops  doesn’t mean your outdoor work out needs to go into hibernation. In fact, there’s numerous benefits to continuing your exercises outside through the colder months. For example, it helps fight off the winter blues, boosts energy, and gets you out in nature for some Vitamin D, of which supports a variety of systems and functions within the body to keep us healthy.

That said, it’s also important to realize that summer and winter workouts aren’t the same and there’s a few extra safety precautions you should take before heading out in the ice and snow. Read on to learn tips on how to safely navigate your cold weather workouts.

Dress appropriately. Exercising outside in the winter requires a little more preparation than just throwing on shorts and a t-shirt like in the summer or spring. “You should dress in layers to maintain warmth, manage body temperature, and avoid moisture on your skin in an effort to stay dry while you are bustling up a sweat,” says Clinton Maclin, ACSM EPC-EIM2, Exercise Physiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center. 

For the first layer, Maclin suggests wearing a snug fitting, thin synthetic material such as polyester, polypropylene, or silk. These materials draw sweat away from the body as opposed to cotton, which stays wet on your skin and removes heat from the body. On top of that, a fleece or wool layer would work best and promote insulation and keep you warm. Then the exterior layer should be of wind and water-resistant material to protect from any winter weather.

Don’t forget safety gear. Not only does the sun go down earlier, but the winter weather brings in dark clouds, rain, sleet, and snow showers, which can make it difficult for vehicles and other people to see you. It’s important to wear bright colors, or better yet, reflective gear if you’re exercising outside and especially after work or dinner when it’s dark. You can even opt for a headlamp for more visibility. 

Protect your head, hands, feet, and ears. Protecting your extremities against the winter elements is crucial when exercising in cold weather, says Maclin. “As blood flow is most rich in the body’s core causing your head, ears, hands, and feet to be more susceptible to frostbite and the body more vulnerable to hypothermia,” he explains. “Both are harmful conditions which can be fatal in extreme cases.”

So before you leave the house, don’t forget a hat, ear warmer, gloves, or thermal gloves. It’s also important to protect your skin, because yes, you can still get sunburn in the winter—even if it’s cloudy or overcast skies. Wear sunscreen with SPF 30 or more on your face, lips, and other parts of your body that may be exposed. Also realize that snow reflects UV rays, so if you’re out and there’s snow on the ground, it’s even more important to lather up.

Check the weather. Remember to check the weather forecast before heading out so you’re aware of any strong winds, snow, freezing rain, or all of the above. If it’s freezing temps and you’re working out on pavement, you should also be extra cautious of black ice that may have developed. That said, winter exercise can get slippery—consider wearing snow or ice spikes if you’re going on a run or walk to reduce the risk of falls.

Do a warm up. Though you might want to start at a sprint in order to warm up your body more quickly, you should still start slow just like you would with any exercise to acclimate your body for an active environment and lessen your chance of injury. You should remember to stretch, as some people tend to have stiff joints due to the colder months.

Maclin recommends this quick warm up:

• Marches
• Heel Kicks
• Forward Leg Swings
• Lateral Across Leg Swings
• Toe Touches/Sky Touches
• Arm Circles Forwards/Backward

Hydrate. Though you might not feel thirsty because of the cold temps, it’s essential to remember to drink plenty of water. Research shows that proper hydration helps cardiovascular health, ensures proper muscle and joint function, aids in digestion, and increases energy levels. If you’re someone who needs a little nudge to drink up, you’re in luck! Now available on Fitbit.com is the Fitbit branded HidrateSpark STEEL smart water bottle. It makes it easy to remember to drink your H20, and adjusts to your needs no matter what you’re doing. Learn more about the smart water bottle and how it works with your Fitbit device here.

Educate yourself on signs of frostbite and hypothermia. If you’re heading out on a longer exercise, it’s important to be aware of the initial signs of frostbite or hypothermia to self-assess or assist others if needed. According to the CDC, symptoms to look out for include shivering, over exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, and slurred speech. 

Don’t wait until spring to get back outside—with the right preparation and precautions, your outdoor winter exercises outside can be, dare I say, enjoyable!

The post How to Safely Exercise Outside This Winter appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/winter-outdoor-exercise-safety/

A Nutrition Dilemma: Salt vs MSG

Both salt and MSG, or monosodium glutamate, get a pretty bad rap. So, does it actually make a difference which you’re adding to your dishes? Let’s dig in!

First, What is MSG?

MSG, or more famously known as Ajinomoto, is often used in Asian cuisines as a flavor enhancer to deliver an ‘umami’ or savory flavor. Although it sounds like something straight out of a science lab, MSG is actually a compound made up of two naturally occurring substances: sodium and glutamate. Sodium is a mineral that you’re no doubt familiar with. Glutamate is one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids. (Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.) Glutamate can be found naturally in tomatoes, cheese, and meats. On the other hand, salt is a compound made of sodium and chloride.

What’s the Difference Between Salt and MSG?

Similar to MSG, table salt is also used as a flavor enhancer. So, both MSG and salt contain sodium. And although sodium is a mineral the body needs to survive, eating too much sodium can lead to increased blood pressure, putting you at risk of heart disease and stroke. Unfortunately, most people are eating too much sodium without realizing it as it’s hidden in a lot of processed food. You just have to take a look in your pantry and flip over a few condiment bottles to see how salty these are! 

Here’s the good news: MSG contains two-thirds less the amount of sodium compared to table salt, so if you’re looking to lower your sodium intake, reaching for MSG to flavor your food can help you eat less sodium. 

Is MSG Safe to Eat?

There’s a widespread belief that MSG can cause headaches, numbness, tingling, heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea, and facial flushing, plus more. All you have to do is Google “MSG” and you’ll find numerous scary stories. 

However, there appears to be no consistent scientific evidence to support these claims, and the World Health Organization, FDA, and European Union all say MSG is safe. In an attempt to remove the bad stigma associated with MSG, manufacturers are now labeling their MSG-containing products as “natural and safe” and touting it as a lower sodium alternative. You can spot it amongst the ingredients list as E621.

Benefits of Enhancing Food Flavors

As you get older, your sense of taste and smell can decrease, which may lead to reduced appetite and inadequate dietary intake. Several studies have shown that using an ingredient like MSG can help to boost the flavor, improving food palatability, increasing salivary flow, and food intake. In particular, the US Institute of Medicine suggests using MSG as a lower-sodium alternative to salt and as a way to help food taste good.

That being said, you don’t need to rush to the market to stock up on MSG. If you want to add more umami flavor to your meals, you can add it naturally using tomatoes, parmesan cheese, meats, peas, corn, mushrooms, and asparagus, to name just a few options. It’s no wonder that grated parmesan cheese on pizza, salad, or carbonara adds so much deliciousness!

The bottom line? It’s important to keep an eye on your sodium intake. From overly salty sauces and frequent meals eaten out to food delivered to your doorstep—most of us are eating too much sodium. So, before you buy, make it a habit to flip over the package and read the food label. If you’re looking to enhance the flavor of your favorite dish, MSG offers a lower-sodium alternative. But remember, turning to fresh food is always best!

The post A Nutrition Dilemma: Salt vs MSG appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/salt-vs-msg/

The Proven Coping Technique We’ve Never Heard of

More than nine months after the first US cities implemented shutdowns to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus, most of us are now familiar with the common recommendations for how to cope with the variety of emotions we have. You may have used breathwork to calm your anxiety, FaceTimed with loved ones to counterbalance loneliness, and created a new routine to help give you a sense of stability.

Without realizing it, you’ve been using an intervention you’ve probably never heard of. It’s called skills for psychological recovery (or psychological “first aid”), and it includes things like social support and mindfulness. The goal is to help people learn to cope with stress in the weeks or months after a traumatic event or disaster.

“The pandemic has been a lasting trauma and stressor on people. It’s still ongoing,” says Alyssa Rheingold, PhD, clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina. During this time, “we can build on the skills for psychological recovery to help people develop techniques to better manage stress, foster their own resiliency, and help with depression and trauma.”

Here’s how.

Why Use Skills for Psychological Recovery?

“When people go through hard, stressful events, most of them bounce back, even with truly awful events like sexual assault,” says Debra Kaysen, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University. “However, there is a subset of people who don’t.”

Forty percent of adults reported struggling with mental health (including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts) or substance use in late June, according to CDC research. “This is all the more reason why, for some folks, doing things to help manage stress and anxiety may be an intervention. That way, they don’t continue to have ongoing distress,” Rheingold says.

And it’s more than simply coping with stress. Building resiliency can reduce the chances of developing a more serious mental health problem. Plus, it’ll make you better able to deal with future challenges, even those not at the level of a pandemic.

Keep in mind that developing skills for psychological recovery is not a mental health intervention. If you’re struggling and/or have a history of trauma, loss, or diagnosed anxiety, depression, PTSD, or substance abuse, it’s best to seek the help of a professional, such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist.

6 Skills for Psychological Recovery to Try

When you consider the below strategies, go with what feels right to you. Skills for psychological recovery are designed to build on each person’s individual strengths, Rheingold says. So what works for one person may not work for another. “Something has to be a congruent fit for the person you’re trying to help. It doesn’t help if you’re suggesting a coping skill that doesn’t resonate with them,” Kaysen says.

ID your reactions and triggers. What emotions and physical sensations are you experiencing that distress you? This could be worry, anger, an upset stomach, a headache, or anything else. Once you name these, identify what activities lead to these reactions. Is it watching the news, talking to a certain relative, or seeing your inbox hit more than 50 unread messages? Consider journaling for a few days to note everything.

Once you know what triggers you, then you can plan around those things. Consider limiting your news to a set amount of time daily, deep breathing before making the phone call, or taking a walk (even a loop or two around your apartment) when you see your inbox count. Making sure to work out in the morning or evening may also help. These are just examples; choose simple, easy activities that help ease your distress and plan to do those before or after the upsetting things on your schedule.

Normalize your reactions. “One of the places we get hooked is, we have these responses to hard things, and then sometimes we get really judgmental about the fact we’re having these reactions,” Kaysen says. “’Why is it that I can’t do my job as well as normal? Why can’t I parent as well?’” She encourages realizing and accepting that these responses are completely common. “Feelings like anxiety, sadness, and grief are normal responses to going through an event that is really unprecedented,” Kaysen says.

If you want to learn more about how the pandemic impacts our emotions so you can validate those feelings, check out these resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, which are helpful for all ages, Rheingold suggests. However, if your reactions get to a level where they keep you from functioning, then reach out for professional support.

Shift to helpful thinking. You may have heard that thoughts influence our feelings. So learning how to change unhelpful thoughts can help decrease negative emotions.

First, write down any unhelpful thoughts you’re having. Some common ones about the pandemic are:

• Things will never be the same again.
• I have no control over anything.
• I should be coping better.

Then name what emotions you’re feeling with those thoughts. Once you do that, come up with alternative—yet accurate—helpful thoughts to replace the unhelpful ones. You may want to draft a few to see which feel strongest with you. This could be:

• Not everything will be like it was before. But some things are the same now.
• Doing things gives me more control.
• I can use this time to strengthen my skills / faith / values / practice.

Now, when you find yourself having any unhelpful thought, pause, identify your feelings, and come up with a helpful thought to focus on.

Plan value-based activities. This practice can help provide a sense of focus and purpose, Rheingold says. Think about what you value, what gives you a sense of meaning or purpose. You may value supporting local businesses or the social justice movement, or your physical health. Once you have your values, then plan things every week that align with your values. Buy from a local restaurant or boutique at least once a week, email or call representatives to ask that they make specific changes to combat inequality, or schedule in two weight sessions and two yoga sessions a week.

“Be more plan-ful about activities. Don’t just wait for your mood to change,” Rheingold adds. “When someone has anxiety or depression, they tend to not to do things because of their emotions. But doing things can shift those emotions” in a positive way.

Practice self-care. “When we have stressors in life, our demands build up,” Rheingold says. There are two ways to handle that: The first is to decrease the demands. But often we don’t have control over that. Luckily we can control the second: “We need to fill up our reservoir of personal resources with coping strategies and self-care,” she says.

The above skills add to your coping strategies. In terms of self-care, do all those things that help you feel at ease, whether that’s mindfulness-based practices or an online boxing class. Also have compassion for yourself, knowing that what constitutes a “good day” these days looks very different from a “good day” back in 2019.

The post The Proven Coping Technique We’ve Never Heard of appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/proven-coping-technique/

Fitbit’s Year In Review: Who Took 2020 to the Next Level?

2020 was a series of roller coasters that reshaped everyday life, including how we view and treat our overall health and mental wellness. If it has taught us anything, it’s that when faced with challenges beyond our control we can adapt and find new forms of self care—including ways to connect and be there for one another. 

Now more than ever it’s important to reflect and celebrate how far we’ve come. So here at Fitbit, our researchers analyzed data from Fitbit users around the world and found some of our most impressive stats to date. Read on to learn which places won the most steps, slept the longest nights, had the healthiest hearts, and more below.

Who Stepped It Up in 2020?

Although most of our routines changed in 2020, our goals to keep our steps on the rise did not. Ranking in at number one with the most steps was Hong Kong, followed close behind by Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, then Spain, respectively. Way to go! 

Who Got the Best Rest in 2020?

We all know that the number of Zzz’s we get is the pivotal piece to a healthy lifestyle. According to our data, no one remembered to hit the lights more than our users in Belgium this year. Our other top snoozers of 2020 include Switzerland, France, Italy,  and Germany. 

U.S. Cities with the Healthiest Hearts in 2020 

The most common sign of good cardio fitness? A low resting heart rate. If you have a low resting heart rate this most likely means you have a healthy heart. 

The U.S. city that championed the healthiest hearts this year was Honolulu, Hawaii, with San Diego, California, right behind, followed by Salt Lake City, Utah, then Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Oregon. 

The Best Days of 2020 in the U.S. 

In 2020 there were some days where Fitbitters truly aced their health and wellness goals—for example, starting off the year strong with maximal shut eye on January 18. The best day for steps happened just before the start of spring on May 30, and not soon after the highest Active Zone Minutes record was reached on February 2. Lastly, U.S. users remembered to stay hydrated in the peak of the summer heat with the most water consumed on July 8. 

Top 5 Countries with the Highest Active Zone Minutes “AZM” (+ Total AZM of Fitbit community in 2020) 

This year, Fitbit users in Spain spent the most time in Active Zone Minutes, the heart rate-based metric that tracks the amount of time a user spends in heart-pumping activity. Other countries that got their sweat on include Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 

Top Premium content

If you’re a Fitbit user living that Premium life, then you know just how well a good sweat or mindfulness session can set your day (or night) up for success. Fitbitters got their sweat on the most to The 15-Minute At-Home Cardio Workout with No Running video and unplugged before bed with the Bedtime Body Scan mindfulness session. 

Our users inspire us every day here at Fitbit, so cheers to you and your triumphs this year, and here’s to continued success in 2021!

The post Fitbit’s Year In Review: Who Took 2020 to the Next Level? appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/2020-year-in-review/

Use These Simple Tools for a Killer At-Home Workout

When you work out in a group fitness class or with a trainer, you typically don’t have to worry about boredom. Your instructor presents new challenges to keep your mind interested and your body progressing. It can be harder to maintain that excitement and ability to keep moving forward at home. But it isn’t impossible—or expensive. And you don’t need to spend hours searching for new workouts online.

Enter exercise gliders (also called gliders, sliders, and exercise discs). Simply round discs that you put your feet or hands on while performing movements, gliders present a new level of difficulty to exercises you already know, and you can perform a ton of moves with them.

Here’s everything you need to know about gliders, including how to use them for a killer at-home workout.

Benefits of Gliding Discs

No matter your workout goals or whether you’re new to working out or every trainer in your pre-COVID gym knew your name, you should consider adding gliding discs to your home gym. “Pick up an American College of Sports Medicine textbook, and you’ll see that it rates gliders excellent compared to other pieces of exercise equipment for affordability, portability, functionality, and exercise variety. And I completely agree,” says NYC personal trainer John Ford. Here’s why.

1. Gliders make exercises more challenging

“They are the ideal tools to enhance the difficulty of multiple-joint resistance training exercises,” Ford says. Multiple-joint moves like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and pushups give you more bang for your buck, because they’re more effective at developing muscle strength and they burn more calories. And doing these exercises with good form and gliding discs only boosts your results. 

2. Exercise sliders boost proprioception

Proprio-wha? Although it’s not discussed as much as the muscle-building benefits of exercise, it’s key to work on our proprioception. “This is how well your sensory system and the motor control system, collectively known as the sensorimotor system, work together to control movement, balance, posture, and joint stability,” Ford explains. “When this system is operating, you’ll have precise body awareness and well-adapted motor actions.” 

Increasing proprioception can help boost athletic performance, reduce the risk of falls, and help make everyday tasks, like walking up stairs, easier. (That matters more as you get older, but working on it now puts you ahead of the game.)

3. Gliding discs work your stabilizer muscles

“Your stabilizer muscles play an important role in controlling your joints through movements, maintaining your posture and balance, and reacting to outside stimulus,” Ford says. The last of these is especially important if you play sports. But even if you don’t, you want strong stabilizers, and not only to help you balance. 

When working correctly, these muscles should actually fire before you think about moving. That helps you target the correct muscles during an exercise. Stabilizer muscles also help your body intuitively modify movement if something changes, such as your opponent zigging when you expected them to zag. 

4. Sliders are easy to use

Dumbbells and kettlebells can be intimidating, and resistance bands take some time to learn exactly how to position them and your body. Sliders do too. “They definitely take practice,” says Sydney Miller, founder of HOUSEWORK, an on-demand and live streaming workout app. “Don’t be discouraged by losing a slider a few times. It’s just like anything else where there is a learning curve and, through consistency, you’ll improve.” 

However, these discs are also more user-friendly than other gym equipment. You simply put your foot or hand on one, and off you go! 

5. Gliders are fairly inexpensive 

You can find a pair of discs for less than $10 on Amazon. That’s hard to beat! 

6. You can work your entire body with exercise sliders

Naturally, you need to recruit your core muscles to stay stable when using gliding discs. But you don’t have to stay upright the entire workout. You can do various types of pushups with sliders under your hands or feet, pikes, and all kinds of plank variations.

The Best Way to Use Gliding Discs

Now that you know the benefits, it’s time to learn how to use exercise sliders. While they’re straightforward, a few pro tips can help you avoid common rookie mistakes.

1. Use the appropriate side

Dual-sided sliders can be used on carpet or hard floors. (You could also use a towel on hard surfaces or paper plates on carpet, Miller says.) But you want to use the soft fabric side down on hard surfaces like hardwood, linoleum, and tile, and the hard, plastic side down on soft surfaces like carpet or field turf, Ford explains.

2. Keep them in place

Many people who’ve used exercise gliders have been there. You’re in the middle of a group fitness class, sweating hard, and you accidentally kick your slider all the way across the room. Whoops. To prevent this from happening, first, slow down. “Really focus on controlling the right muscles at the right time,” Ford says. “For example, I find I slip when doing lunges if I try to go too fast. By focusing on keeping the right amount of tension in my foot on the glider from the start to the end of the movement, I can make sure that my foot doesn’t get displaced.” 

Miller also recommends keeping your standing leg super strong and using just the ball of your foot on the slider. “And especially during a sweaty workout, make sure you’re drying [the slider] off so you don’t lose it,” she adds.

3. Choose the right rep scheme

Gliding discs can be used for both strength and cardio gains. If you’re looking to add strength, Ford recommends performing 4 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps of exercises. If you’re interested in endurance or cardiovascular results, he recommends 2 sets of 20 reps with minimal rest time in between sets. “You can also perform intervals of the exercise,” he adds. “For example, perform the move for one minute and then rest 45 seconds to a minute, and repeat this about five times.”

The post Use These Simple Tools for a Killer At-Home Workout appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/gliders-exercise/

Harley Pasternak’s Virtual School Tips and Tricks

On one hand, I love the fact that I get to hug my kids throughout the day. On the other hand, Zoom schooling is definitely challenging. Rather than focus on the challenges, I’d like to discuss the opportunities and upside of having the kids at home all day. First of all, you can use their breaks throughout the day to get them physically active in fun ways. GoNoodle has been a blessing. My daughter uses the app to dance herself silly multiple times throughout the day. She even makes me join her, and I look completely ridiculous.

Having them at home all day also means they get to have fun and nutritious meals, and not live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a lunchbox. Once a day we like to have smoothie parties. I lay out 6 to 10 ingredients on the counter, and the kids can choose whichever fruits, yogurt, nut butters, or any other healthy fun ingredients we can think of, to the smoothie jar. I then let them turn the blender on (under my supervision). They get to name their smoothie with some fun and original title. For example, last Monday my daughter made a chunky monkey smoothie with peanut butter, banana, zucchini, blueberries, milk, and strained yogurt. I even let her throw a few chocolate chips in because she was doing so well in her studies.

My son loves to “wrestle daddy” as his physical activity. He literally chases me around the house, then we wrestle for a few minutes, until daddy yells “time out” (so I can catch my breath). This goes on for about 15 minutes until it’s time for him to go back to his next class. Because they’re done with their day a little earlier than they would have been going to school, they sometimes come visit me at my office, and we play basketball, ball hockey, or badminton.

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I must admit that while COVID is nothing any of us ever wanted, I secretly love this quality time I’m able to spend with my kids.

The post Harley Pasternak’s Virtual School Tips and Tricks appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/harleys-virtual-school-tips/

Healthy Recipe: Turkey Bacon Cobb Salad

This salad is a perfect way to use up any leftover turkey ​and​ get a good dose of hunger-busting protein at the same time. With a combination of shredded turkey, crisp turkey bacon, soft boiled eggs, and tons of herbs, this take on the classic cobb has similar qualities to a lyonnaise salad but packed with even more flavor. 

Feel free to use this salad as a fridge dump and add in any veggies that are hogging space in your produce drawer. However you choose to dress up this recipe, it will surely snag a top spot in your go-to recipe rotation!

INGREDIENTS:

For the dressing: 

1⁄2 cup olive oil

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard 

1⁄2 finely chopped shallot, finely chopped 

1 teaspoon fresh thyme 

Salt and pepper

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

3 eggs

4 strips (2 oz/60 g) turkey bacon (cooked)

1 cup (2½ oz/70 g) cooked and shredded turkey

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 cup arugula (or other mixed greens) 

3 cups butter lettuce

1⁄4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1⁄2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1⁄2 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cubed

1⁄2 shallot, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cover eggs with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat and cover for 7 minutes. Place eggs in a bowl of ice and cold water and allow to cool. 

Add all ingredients for the dressing to a bowl, except for oil, and whisk together. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking until combined.

Crumble bacon and add to a large serving bowl with shredded turkey, herbs, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and shallot. Add the dressing, a few tablespoons at a time, and toss so all of the leaves are well dressed (Note: you will not use all of the dressing.)

Peel eggs and slice in quarters. Place them on top of dressed salad and serve. 

Makes 4 servings.

NUTRITION FACTS (PER SERVING): 

Calories 320

Protein 22 g

Total fat 23 g

Saturated fat 6 g

Cholesterol 185 mg

Carbs 5 g

Fiber 2 g

Total sugars 2 g

Added sugars 0 g

Sodium 680 mg

Powered by ESHA Nutrient Data, © 2020 ESHA Research, Inc. 

The post Healthy Recipe: Turkey Bacon Cobb Salad appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/turkey-bacon-cobb-recipe/

How to Deal with Cold Weather Joint Pain

If you love getting sweaty outdoors from spring through fall but lose your passion once sweater weather is in full force, you’re not alone. It can be challenging to find the motivation to keep working out outside when the days are not only shorter but also colder. Suddenly, you’re hitting the snooze button rather than jumping up in the morning to hop on your bike, and midday runs might become teatime to help warm you up in your chilly home office. 

Add in joint pain, and you may vow to not exercise outside the house until the frost fully disappears. Anecdotal evidence shows that people who have osteoarthritis believe the weather impacts their pain. Also, colder temperatures can trigger joint pain, swelling, and discomfort, particularly in the knees and hips, for people without arthritis.

You can learn to manage and even prevent cold weather joint pain so that you can keep racking up your running, walking, and biking miles or doing whatever type of outdoor activity you love.

Why Do My Joints Hurt in the Winter?

There’s a clear connection between colder weather and increased joint pain and stiffness. For example, in a 2007 study of people with osteoarthritis published in The American Journal of Medicine, every 10-degree decrease in temperature was linked with an increase in knee pain. 

Why this occurs, though, isn’t so clear. One theory is decreased circulation—when it’s cold, “our blood moves from the periphery to important organs like the heart and lungs,” explains Chris Tutt, PT, MS, MBA CEO of ProActive Physical Therapy Specialists. This takes some warmth away from the joints, causing them to feel stiffer.

Another theory is about barometric pressure. “In people with osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joint is worn away, exposing the nerves underneath,” Tutt explains. Those nerves may pick up on changes in the pressure, and at the same time, inflamed areas of the body—such as the joints for those who have rheumatoid arthritis—swell more when the barometric pressure is low, Tutt adds. It all adds up to pain and discomfort.

Or it may be that we simply tend to be less active in the winter—we don’t need to mow the lawn, and the cold and inclement weather often keeps us inside on the couch. And, even though we may not realize it, any movement in general helps reduce joint stiffness and pain. “A lot of times, those activities we do that help joints and stiffness, we do less of in the winter,” says Jennifer Baima, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at UMass Memorial Medical Center. 

Although this joint discomfort can happen to anyone, those who are more sensitive to pain, who have osteoarthritis, or who have conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma—which often make you less active—may be more susceptible to cold weather joint pain, Tutt says.

How to Prevent Joint Pain

Don’t let the fear of joint pain keep you from being active when it’s cold outside. “Even low-impact activities like walking or riding a stationary bike can increase blood flow and the warmth of joints and reduce stiffness,” Tutt says. If you’re concerned about aches, a few things may help head off joint pain or reduce its severity. 

Naturally, you could work out indoors. You can find an endless number of free home workouts online if you need inspiration. 

But if you want to get out of the house, first up, layer up. Pay particular attention to your extremities, Baima says. Use these tips to winterproof your workouts.

Next, if you have arthritis, consider using a heat pad on your affected joint for no more than 20 minutes before you exercise. “When you are warm, there’s more blood flow to the area, making the joints more extensible and able to move a lot freer and better,” Tutt says.

Then, whether or not you have arthritis, warm up outside for at least five minutes so your body literally warms up. Baima recommends dynamic stretching (such as swinging your leg back and forth and side to side and marching in place while bringing your knee forward and then back as if you are kicking your butt). This will help your body adjust to the temperature.

Also try to pay attention to the weather. “Some people who study this topic think it’s not the temperature but the change in temperature” that increases the risk of joint pain, Baima says. If you notice a big change in the forecast, consider adding or removing a layer, or maybe wearing pants even though you typically run in shorts year-round.

Lastly, don’t neglect your cooldown. “It can make a huge difference in pain,” Baima says. “We are more likely to get injured when we’ve pushed ourselves to the limit. If you go, go, go hard and just stop, it’s harder for your body to transition.” She recommends movements specific to your activity: If you run, jog and then walk for a few minutes, or after a bike ride, cycle at a low speed. (You could also hop on an elliptical or other machine inside if it’s super cold.) After doing that for three to five minutes, try the following sequence from Tutt. 

Calf stretch. Stand about 18 inches from a wall. Facing the wall and keeping your back straight, place both hands on the wall and step one foot back in a staggered stance with all toes facing the wall. Keeping your back heel on the ground, bend your front knee until you feel a stretch in your back calf. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. Then, keeping your heel on the ground, straighten the front leg and bend the back knee until you feel a stretch in your lower calf. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds. That’s one rep. Repeat for a total of 2 to 5 reps on each leg.

Hamstring stretch. Stand about two feet away from a surface that is about a foot to 18 inches tall. Lift one leg and place your heel on the elevated surface. Keep that leg straight, with the toes pointed toward the ceiling, the foot flexed, and your back straight. Lean forward at the hips with your upper body. You should feel this in the back of your leg. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 to 5 reps on each leg.

Hip flexor stretch. Stand tall and take a generous step forward with one foot. Bend that knee and transfer your weight onto the front right leg. Continue to lower yourself slowly into a lunge until your back knee is resting on the ground. Staying tall through your back, without bending forward, move forward at your hips. You should feel the stretch in the front of your back leg. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 to 5 reps on each leg.

Quadriceps stretch. Stand tall. Bend one knee, bringing your heel to your buttocks. Hold it there with your hand. Place your other hand against a wall for balance. Gently pull up with the hand on your heel. You should feel a stretch in the front of the leg with the bent knee. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 to 5 reps on each leg.

How to Manage Joint Pain

If you do everything above and still experience joint pain, there are ways to manage the discomfort, in addition to following your doctor’s advice and recommendation. If you choose to use medication, talk to your doctor about what dosage is best, Tutt says.

While heat is best for stiffness, you want ice for inflammation, Baima says. “Cold also numbs the nerves, helping to reduce pain,” Tutt adds. Apply an ice pack for up to 20 minutes at a time. 

In between icing, don’t just sit there. “Any time you are static, that’s when pain and stiffness will start to set in,” Tutt says. He recommends getting up from your desk or couch every 15 to 20 minutes and walking around for a minute or two. (If you’re working from home, consider tackling a quick chore while you’re at it. That will keep you from making one too many stops to the kitchen.) 

However, if your pain prevents you from doing everyday activities (such as climbing stairs or getting into and out of your car), wakes you up at night, or does not improve with gentle movement, seek out a physician. There may be an underlying health condition that needs attention.

The post How to Deal with Cold Weather Joint Pain appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/cold-weather-joint-pain/

Everything You Need to Know about Vitamin D in the Winter

Winter is upon us. And while the risk of vitamin D deficiency is always high in the winter (less sun equals less vitamin D), you could argue it’s even higher this winter—when COVID-19 has many of us spending the majority of our time indoors.

But COVID-19 also means that staying healthy and supporting our immune systems is more important than any winter in recent memory—and that means ensuring that we’re getting enough vitamin D.

So, the question is, with COVID-19 keeping so many of us indoors—while also making it more important to maintain adequate vitamin D levels now more than ever—how can we ensure we’re getting the vitamin D we need to stay healthy this winter?

What is Vitamin D—and why is it so important?

Before we jump into how to ensure we’re getting enough vitamin D this winter, let’s quickly cover what, exactly, vitamin D is, and why it’s such an important part of staying healthy.

“Vitamin D is often called the ‘sunshine’ vitamin,” says Nicole Avena, PhD, health and nutrition author, assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and visiting professor of health psychology at Princeton University. 

And for good reason! “Instead of being a vitamin obtained from diet and ingested, like most others, the human body actually synthesizes vitamin D in response to UV rays from the sun, specifically UVB,” says Avena. “The processes that our cells undergo to synthesize vitamin D are complex and require modifications to the vitamin’s molecular structure. These modifications occur in the liver and then in the kidneys.”

So, your body synthesizes vitamin D when you expose yourself to sunlight. And, from there, the vitamin goes on to support a variety of systems and functions within the body—all of which play a critical role in keeping you strong, fit, and healthy.

“Vitamin D actually aids in the precipitation and homeostasis of calcium and phosphorous in the bones which maintains bone density and keeps them strong,” says Avena. “Vitamin D is also involved in cell proliferation and differentiation by influencing gene expression…and supports the immune system by suppressing inflammatory immune cells.”

Vitamin D deficiency in the winter

Clearly, getting plenty of vitamin D is an important part of maintaining your health. But it can be challenging to get the healthy dose of sunshine you need to keep vitamin D levels high in the winter, when the days are cold and sunshine is in short order.

“Vitamin D is produced by the sun, and during the winter, days are cloudy and the sun sets early,” says Avena. “Cold weather also pushes people indoors and forces them to wear high-coverage clothing that does not expose their skin to the sun.”

That lack of sun exposure can lead to vitamin D deficiency—which is shockingly common and can carry some serious consequences. “Over one billion people on the planet are vitamin D deficient, qualifying it as an epidemic,” says Avena. “Prevalence of serious diseases like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes can be associated with long-term and severe vitamin D deficiency, but more mild cases can still result in higher infection risk and a depressed mood.”

How to get the Vitamin D your body needs this winter

It’s a bit of a conundrum; getting enough vitamin D is a must in the winter—but getting enough vitamin D is more challenging in the winter because of the lack of sunshine. “If you are between the ages of 1-70, you should be getting about 15 mcg of vitamin D a day,” says Avena.

So, the question is, how can you make sure you’re getting the vitamin D your body needs this winter—even on the cloudiest, coldest, and most overcast day? Luckily, sunshine isn’t the only way to get vitamin D—you can also get your daily dose of vitamin D from your diet.

“Besides sunlight, vitamin D can also be found in some foods,” says Avena. “A great source of vitamin D is Chilean-farmed salmon, as in addition to having vitamin D, it contains omega-3 fatty acids, and doesn’t contain mercury. Other options include cod liver oil, trout, and some fortified milks and cereals.”

It can be challenging to get enough vitamin D from diet alone (particularly if you’re a vegetarian)—so if you’re having trouble hitting your 15mcg a day, you should also consider adding a vitamin D supplement to your regimen. (Vitamin D supplements come in a variety of forms and concentrations, so talk to your doctor to figure out the best supplement for you.)

And, if you can, get outside! While it won’t give you all the vitamin D you need to stay healthy until spring, it’s certainly not going to hurt. “Of course, it isn’t a bad idea to spend a little time outdoors getting some fresh air and sun exposure during winter months,” says Avena. “But you shouldn’t rely too heavily on getting vitamin D from the sun.”

The post Everything You Need to Know about Vitamin D in the Winter appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/winter-vitamin-d/

8 Steps to Reaching Your Wellness Potential

Have you experienced a change—the birth of a child, or start of a new job or relationship—and noticed how this affected your wellness?  Everything we do, feel, and think relates to our well-being. Wellness is a way of living, an integration of the body, mind, and soul.   

Think of your wellness as a lifelong dynamic journey. The road map of your journey is unique to you. It is a conscious choice; it does not happen accidentally. Cultivating, growing, and maintaining wellness habits that work for you is key. 

Cultivating and growing your overall wellness builds resilience, reduces the risk of illness, and ensures positive interactions. Your well-being not only affects your life, it also influences others you are closely connected to.

Wellness is multi-dimensional. The 8 wellness dimensions are interdependent, interacting and overlapping, and contribute to overall wellness.  The four pillars of health, or physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness can have a positive or negative impact on each dimension of wellness. For example, when you are well rested you are more productive at work and better equipped to handle work stresses.

Each of the dimensions is a different account in your bank of wellness. Thinking about these individually helps us see where we are investing the most energy and discover others where we might want to deposit more energy.

Let’s take a look at proactive strategies to reach your potential.

PHYSICAL. Lifestyle choices that can maintain or improve health and functional ability include engaging in physical activity, eating nutritious foods, getting adequate sleep, managing stress, limiting alcohol, avoiding nicotine, getting check-ups, and following medical recommendations.  Connect with a Fitbit Coach to help support your health goals.  

EMOTIONAL. Improving our emotional wellness allows us to become more resilient, content, and self-assured. We develop ourselves emotionally through meditation and mindfulness, emotional awareness and regulation, stress management, self-compassion, humor, and gratitude. 

INTELLECTUAL. We expand our capacities by taking a class, reading a book, learning to play an instrument, or solving a crossword puzzle. Continuing to stimulate ourselves intellectually can promote a growth mindset, encourage curiosity and creativity, and may slow cognitive decline and memory loss as we age. 

SOCIAL. Relationships with intimate partners, family members, friends, and colleagues satisfy needs for connection and belonging. Developing social skills—like asserting ourselves, extending support and compassion, apologizing, resolving conflicts, and listening intently—can improve our ability to connect authentically and strengthen social ties. 

SPIRITUAL. Living with meaning and purpose in life, guided by personal values, is key to well-being and connection to the larger world. Faith-based activities, personal meditation, mindful exercise (examples include yoga and tai chi), and experiencing nature can create the opportunity for spiritual growth.   

ENVIRONMENTAL.  This involves understanding how we influence and are influenced by the natural world. Spend time enjoying and appreciating  the outdoors, put efforts into decluttering and simplifying your life.

FINANCIAL. Tracking expenses, creating a budget, living within one’s means, eliminating debt, becoming financially autonomous and independent, and saving for retirement increases financial literacy and well-being. 

OCCUPATIONAL. This involves preparing for and participating in work that provides personal satisfaction and life enrichment consistent with your values, goals, and lifestyle. It’s important to contribute your unique gifts, skills, and talents to work that is personally meaningful and rewarding. 

Investing in your health and wellness can start at any age and is a lifelong process. If you’re ready to learn how these all connect, and to chat with a certified Fitbit health coach, click here and get working towards your best self today.

The post 8 Steps to Reaching Your Wellness Potential appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/reach-your-wellness-potential/

5 Powerful Reasons to Make “Get Stronger” a New Year’s Resolution

When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, losing weight is always one of the most popular. But like 80 percent of resolutions, it’s also likely to fail. One reason why: Many people focus on dieting as a path to dropping pounds—a strategy that isn’t the easiest to stick to week in and week out (you just get sick of all that deprivation!). 

So, in 2021, instead of focusing on cutting calories and dropping pounds, why not switch your focus to adding something into your life: Strength training. Getting stronger comes with lots of important health benefits, only requires a little adjustment to your routine without too much of a time commitment, and, yes, can also help you lose weight. Here’s why it’s so important and how to go about doing it:

You’ll help your heart. One of the biggest benefits of any kind of exercise is the boost you give to your heart health—and this is especially true for resistance training. “The muscular system and cardiovascular system are related—you work both when you’re lifting weights because you need to get oxygen to your muscles,” says Westcott. “Over time, you end up strengthening your heart, so it pumps more blood with each beat.” The result: A lower resting heart rate and blood pressure.

You’ll have stronger bones. Muscles aren’t the only things that get weaker as you age—so do your bones. And that’s something lifting weights can actually reverse. “Many studies show strength training increases bone density better than high-impact activities, like running,” says Westcott. “A year of strength training increases bone density by one percent in post-menopausal women while those who didn’t strength train lost two to three percent of their bone density.” 

What’s the connection? “As you contract a muscle during strength training, it pulls on the bones it’s connected to,” says Westcott. “That pulling is a safer and more effective way of strengthening your bones and increasing their density than jumping rope or pounding the pavement with running.”

You’ll slim down while adding muscle mass. Your main motivation for starting to strength train may be to slim down, and that’s okay! The reason there’s such a link between getting stronger and slimming down is that after you turn 30, you start to lose 3 to 8 percent of your total muscle mass every decade—a rate that speeds up even more when you hit 60. “This reduces your resting metabolic rate, which accounts for more than half of the calories you burn in a day,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, professor of exercise science at Quincy College. 

The result: weight gain. But start lifting weights and you can not only avoid that pound creepage but also start to see the scale move in the opposite direction—especially if you combine it with healthy eating. Westcott has done research on how people lose weight with diet (a modest reduction in calories and higher intake of protein) plus cardio compared to diet plus cardio and strength training. He found that when lifting weights was added to the equation, participants lost an average of seven pounds of fat and gained two pounds of muscle in 10 weeks (for the group that didn’t do strength training, 25 percent of the weight they lost was muscle). 

This is a win-win for making your clothes fit better. “Muscle has a greater density than fat, so it takes up significantly less space,” says Westcott.

You’ll maintain your weight more easily. Even better than helping with initial weight loss, if that is what you’re looking to achieve, is the fact that strength training helps you maintain your weight.

Westcott checked back in with the participants from the study mentioned above six to nine months after they stopped dieting, and if they continued strength training, they had no significant weight regain. “This is an area where almost every successful diet fails,” says Westcott. “But we found that you actually continue to reduce fat and increase muscle mass even if you stop restricting calories.”

You’ll feel less anxious. Who isn’t feeling a little on edge right now? Strength training can help with that too. A new small study found that eight weeks of resistance training reduced anxiety in college students. Other research shows it can also help reduce your risk of developing depression.

Ready to start experiencing all those benefits yourself? The good news is you don’t need to spend an hour pumping iron every day. In Westcott’s research, participants lifted weights two or three days a week for 20 to 25 minutes. 

The key: For each move you do, make sure you keep going until you absolutely can’t do another rep. “You want to make the weight heavy enough that you have to stop after about 10 reps,” says Westcott. If you can keep going, add a few more pounds to whatever you’re lifting. 

For inspiration on moves to try, visit these blogs:

• 3 Strength Moves to Improve Your Power and Performance
• 6 Resistance Band Moves that Take Bodyweight Training to the Next Leve
• Get More from Your Strength Workouts 

The post 5 Powerful Reasons to Make “Get Stronger” a New Year’s Resolution appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/get-stronger-new-years-resolution/

Discouraged? Make the Most Out of Your False Start

You start with the best of intentions, determined to reach that goal once and for all. You’re ready for change! But once you get started, you may feel like it’s too much to handle, or that maybe you have set overly aggressive goals. The unexpected comes up. Then you give up. Again.    

Sometimes when we have a goal, we are so excited that we move quickly into action and forget to prepare for setbacks, which is why a lot of people feel discouraged and fall back into old habits. Developing a plan for change may reduce the possibility of false starts that undermine motivation and success. Taking small, bite-sized steps and identifying possible unexpected events that may interfere with the new healthy habit can help you stick to your goals. 

When we consider doing something different in order to achieve a goal, we tend to focus on behaviors we should limit or stop. We question how much we will be willing to give up or how strong our willpower will be.

It’s time to look through a different lens. Focus on what you are managing well and create an approach to tie together your values of eating healthy, exercising, and having fun. If you try something this week and it helps you, that’s wonderful. And if it didn’t, that’s wonderful too because then you can explore why it didn’t help you—from a learning perspective—not from blame. Results are about feedback, not failure. 

Here are several questions to help you prepare for a real lifestyle change. 

To create a new behavior that satisfies the benefit, observe both the old and new behavior and review what resources you need.  

Goals are achieved by repeating a behavior, but if that new behavior does not reap the same benefit as the old behavior, then lasting change is less likely. Talk to any smoker who quit then started again and ask why. Often the person could not produce the benefits of smoking in another way. Without the reward such as relaxation, a sense of wellbeing or pleasure or even a feeling of confidence, changing for good is unlikely.  (Bark et al. 152)

Ask yourself: What challenges have I run into? Setting up environmental controls to help you avoid triggers of the old behavior are important, especially in the beginning. However, it’s also important to be exposed to cues or triggers little by little without responding with the old behavior as the weeks go by. Approaches to stress management come in handy here in order to figure out how the steps can be changed before or after to alter the behavior. 

What kind of support do I need to meet my goal?  Think of the effort it would take to move your belongings by yourself across town versus moving with seven people helping you. When a variety of resources are appropriately used together, they “potentiate” each other. Our Fitbit app has great tools to help keep your motivation up.

Surround yourself with people that understand the path that you are trying to go and support your drive to better yourself. You need people in your life who will help push you towards your goals instead of trying to bring you down. Our Fitbit health coaches and the features included with Premium are great resources. 

In what ways can I plan for rewards? Under-promise when you set weekly objectives to prevent feeling overwhelmed. Frequently remind yourself  and celebrate your progress, no matter how big or small, by setting a reward system to help you experience positive emotions and keep your motivation high. A reward is anything that brings you joy but that won’t interfere with your goal, like dancing in your kitchen, buying new workout gear, or sitting down to read a book. 

Remember, it’s okay to feel discouraged at times. It’s human to want to get to the finish line as soon as possible. But the people who are successful in making lasting changes decide on a goal, make a plan, and move little by little. They see their setbacks as a way to learn how they limit themselves and to think of them as things that come up to be healed. Acknowledge and reward yourself with awareness, and step forward. Remember that the turtle won the race.

Need to talk through strategies? Get guidance from a certified Fitbit health coach. Click here and get working towards a balanced life today. 

The post Discouraged? Make the Most Out of Your False Start appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/normalize-discouragement/

New Study Demonstrates that Engaging in Fitbit Premium + Health Coaching Leads to Better Health Outcomes

Improving your health through behavior change is important to your overall well being, but changing your behavior is not an easy task. Finding the right balance of activity, sleep, stress management, and nutrition that can help you be at your best, while balancing all that life brings is difficult. There’s no silver bullet. This also makes health behavior change typically hard to measure, difficult to track, and easy to ignore. All of these factors can make it difficult for people to maintain the energy and enthusiasm to get started and keep their momentum.  

But hope is not lost! A recent analysis of over 37 different studies found that the use of a Fitbit device in programs designed to aid healthy behavior change resulted in a statistically significant increase in daily steps and moderate physical activity (as well as a decrease in weight) compared to programs that did not include Fitbit. 

This study highlights what we have long known at Fitbit—that our devices and services (including our Fitbit Premium paid membership program) help users work towards their health goals. For example, 73 percent of users who had a weight loss goal on Fitbit, lost weight within the first six months of weight tracking. That’s because we make it easier to measure your behaviors, reward you for your progress, and give you social support and motivation to reach your goals—all of which can contribute to your success. 

Here at Fitbit, we are dedicated to helping you overcome challenges and help you change your behavior. Enter our newest service, Fitbit Premium + Health Coaching. If simply using a Fitbit helps improve health outcomes, imagine what you can achieve when that health and wellness data is shared with someone dedicated to helping you achieve your goals. 

Offering even more support for healthy behavior change, Premium + Health Coaching participants receive seamless support from a human health coach, right in the Fitbit app. Coaches help individuals understand their current behaviors and motivations for change as well as their barriers to success. Coaches work with users to set achievable goals that are customized to the individual—focusing on small, step-wise, measurable goals with specific time expectations. 

Coaches also support users in sticking with their plan through the everyday challenges they face—from finding time during a busy work week to fit in activity or eating healthy in a family full of picky eaters or even finding ways to reduce stress during a global pandemic. Coaches can also see participant data from the Fitbit app and communicate through secure text messages all in the Fitbit app to help them stay or get back on track. Throughout their journey, coaches help users to reflect on their progress, working together to make adjustments to their shared plan. Reaching health behavior change goals requires persistence and iteration, and coaches provide the expertise, accountability and empathy that participants need to navigate this journey.

To measure the impact of the Premium + Health Coaching service, we recently conducted a 6-month, randomized controlled trial. The study compared outcomes between participants in a group that had access to the Premium + Health Coaching and a group that did not. (Participants in both groups had a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch, and a Fitbit scale.)  The assignment of participants to the two groups was random (like flipping a coin) in order to avoid any bias in the results. 

Throughout the course of 6 months, the results are clear. The group that had access to and used the Premium + Health Coaching service:

• Increased their activity (an average of 470 more steps per day than the standard group and 1.6 more active minutes per day)
• Decreased their resting heart rate (an average of 0.82 more beats per minute reduction)
• Decreased their weight (an average of more than twice as much weight as the standard group)

In addition to measuring positive, physical changes, participants were also asked about their perceptions of their success, their motivations to change, and their confidence. More than those in the standard Fitbit app, participants using Premium + Health Coaching recognized that they improved their health behaviors across activity, nutrition, and stress management, as well as their health outcomes of weight, body shape and size, and overall health. 

They also had greater levels of motivation and confidence in improving all of these health behaviors and outcomes. Recognition of benefits that can’t be directly measured are another important factor in a user’s motivation and confidence, which are also important to continued success. 

Less than 4 weeks into this study, the COVID-19 pandemic sent most of the United States into lockdown. At the beginning of the lockdown, Fitbit users on average took 1,500 steps/day less than they did in January 2020. Throughout the lockdown, users from all age gender groups managed to increase their step counts from that drastic dip and closed the gap between their step counts and seasonal normal values. By June, users 65 and older are back to the expected levels of activity. However, the younger users still had a gap (almost 1000 steps/day for 18-29 Female users and less dramatic for other age gender groups). When this study concluded in August, Coronavirus was still ebbing and flowing throughout the U.S. yet participants who had worked with a coach still reported feeling confident to manage their stress. That coupled with an overall increase in steps above the standard group, says volumes about the health impact of having a coach.

With the addition of Premium + Health Coaching, Fitbit users now have multiple paths to succeed in reaching their goals. They can use the free Fitbit app with a Fitbit device, which provides a critical foundation for success, all while making the process fun and engaging. Or they can add on the Premium + Health Coaching service to receive additional support and accountability, which helps boost improvements while helping build confidence and motivation. 

As we continue to build services for our users to help them be healthier, Fitbit will continue to measure the impact of its solutions so that it can continue to enhance their effectiveness.

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¹ Based on aggregated and anonymized Fitbit user data between Jan 1, 2014 – Oct 15, 2018 for all Fitbit users who tracked their weight at least once a week.

The post New Study Demonstrates that Engaging in Fitbit Premium + Health Coaching Leads to Better Health Outcomes appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/study-engaging-fitbit-premium-health-coaching/

Fitbit Joins Google

I’m writing today to let you know that Fitbit is now officially part of Google. It’s an incredibly exciting moment for us as a company and for our Fitbit community of users around the globe. 

When Eric and I founded Fitbit 13 years ago, we did so with a simple, but bold idea: to make everyone in the world healthier. Since shipping the original Fitbit tracker in 2009 to now having sold more than 120 million devices in over 100 countries, this mission has never wavered. Instead, millions of you joined that mission, and made Fitbit a movement that transformed lives. In some cases, we heard from our users that we even helped save lives. Together, we’ve taken 275 trillion steps and logged over 15 billion hours of sleep.

This is just the beginning because becoming part of the Google family means we can do even more to inspire and motivate you on your journey to better health. We’ll be able to innovate faster, provide more choices, and make even better products to support your health and wellness needs. On our own, we pushed the bounds of what was possible from the wrist, pioneering step, heart rate, sleep and stress tracking. With access to Google’s incredible resources, knowledge and global platform, the possibilities are truly limitless. 

I have no doubt that this acquisition will create so many opportunities. But I also want you to know that many of the things you know and love about Fitbit will remain the same. We’ll stay committed to doing what’s right, to putting your health and wellness at the center of everything we do and to offering a no-one-size-fits-all approach with choices that work across both Android and iOS. 

The trust of our users will continue to be paramount, and we will maintain strong data privacy and security protections, giving you control of your data and staying transparent about what we collect and why. Google will continue to protect Fitbit users’ privacy and has made a series of binding commitments with global regulators, confirming that Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be kept separate from other Google ad data. Google also affirmed it will continue to allow Fitbit users to choose to connect to third party services. That means you’ll still be able to connect your favorite health and wellness apps to your Fitbit account. These and other commitments by Google reinforce why Google is an ideal partner for Fitbit who will continue to put our users first and help further our mission to make everyone in the world healthier.  

Thank you for letting us be part of your lives and your health journey.

Sincerely,

James Park 

CEO, President & Co-Founder

Visit Fitbit.com

The post Fitbit Joins Google appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/2021-update/

5 Ways to Revive a Workout Routine

Whether you’re watching the sun go down early every day, unable to hit your regular gym, or busy with work or kids, it’s easy to miss a few workouts… and then more than a few. After all, exercise thrives on routine. In a 2019 study, researchers found that people who maintained a weight loss tended to time their workouts similarly each day. 

During the winter especially, it’s common for exercisers to shirk their typical regimen, says Lee Jay a personal trainer, mat Pilates instructor, and nutrition coach, specializing in clients new to fitness. “The days are shorter, meaning if you’re working out before or after work, it’s likely to be in the dark,” she says. 

Couple the short days and increased obligations with the need for tons of layers during outdoor workouts, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for an excuse. “When we are committed to a routine, our minds are physiologically prepared to take on this workload, and our bodies are revved up to go,” Jay says. “Once we break this momentum, it takes immense energy, on the mental and physical front, to get things going again.”

Once you get over the hurdle, motivation tends to skyrocket quickly—but that first barrier is the worst, says Jay. If you’re struggling to find the willpower and need to jumpstart your workout regimen now, here’s how to do it. 

Set the Date with Your Workout

Make a date with yourself, and maybe a treadmill or your outdoor walking shoes? “Keep fixed time and dates on the calendar weekly as set appointments,” says Jay. “Think of them as ‘me time’ rather than hard work.” Also, choose activities you enjoy to stay the course. “If a quick burst of HIIT (or high-intensity interval training) is your thing, but you think you should try Pilates, stick to the HIIT for now,” she says. 

Get It Out of the Way Early

Try to squeeze in a morning workout to “get it out of the way,” says Jay. “The longer you put it off, the less likely you are to do it.” This is especially true as it gets darker and colder, earlier. Beyond this, keep your workouts short and intense. “Four 30-minute workouts a week is less daunting and way more achievable than four one-hour workouts,” says Jay.

Start at Home

You don’t need a fancy gym or the latest equipment. You can revive your tired workout regimen from the comfort of home. “Online classes are the best place to start—especially if you are someone who prefers guidance and motivation from others in your workouts,” says Jay. “There’s a plethora of on-demand services there, everything from HIIT and strength, to yoga, Pilates, and Barre, with many offering free workouts or two-week trials.” To that point, look no further than Fitbit Premium, our paid membership that reveals patterns and delivers actionable insights to help you access deeper health metrics, hundreds of workouts and meditations, new challenges and games, and more.

You don’t need to take a challenging class every day either. Jay suggests dimming the lights, lighting some candles, and going for a gentle, low-impact Pilates or yoga flow. 

Set Concrete Goals

Want to run a half marathon? Get better at weight lifting? “Have a goal in mind, something obtainable and relevant to your fitness aspirations, and write it down,” says Jay. “Take a look at this goal when your motivation has dropped for a pick me up.” 

If you’re still struggling, meet with a friend virtually to hold yourself accountable for that workout, or call your friend to chat as you walk. 

Think Holistically

You don’t work out just to maintain a certain weight. Remind yourself to work out for the positive physical and mental health benefits, from improved sleep to better long-term stamina. “Science has shown the positive effects it has on our mood,” says Jay. “Keep this in mind if your energy or motivation drops.” 

Remember, it takes just 21 days to create a habit, says Jay, so start today and stick with it. Within three weeks, you won’t be able to stand not getting in your daily workout. 

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source https://blog.fitbit.com/revive-workout-routine/

Use This Trick to Form Healthy Habits This Year

In Januaries past, you may have made elaborate New Year’s resolutions—the kind which require more time, effort, and willpower than you’re able to muster right now. Especially during the pandemic, you may be more likely to make healthy habits stick by attempting small changes, rather than dramatic transformation.

“It is now harder to do big things than ever before,” says BJ Fogg, PhD, director of Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. “Given the restrictions of COVID, we’re kind of tapped out emotionally, and when you are distracted, nervous, or upset, the only kinds of changes that are realistic are tiny ones.”

You may want to adopt micro habits because they’re easier to incorporate into your life than a full-fledged habit. Micro habits are helpful because they allow you to incorporate a new behavior into your routine without putting forth much effort. The key is that these small habits are anchored to specific existing daily behaviors. They don’t work unless you anchor them. It isn’t an effective micro habit if you say, “I’m going to be more grateful this year” or even if you say, “I’m going to think of one thing that I’m grateful for every day.” But it can be a micro habit if you say, “I’m going to think of one thing that I’m grateful for every day when I get out of bed… or right after I eat breakfast… or when I brush my teeth for bed.” 

Once you establish the micro habit, and you automatically practice gratitude at a set time every day, then you can work to expand the habit beyond one grateful thought. It’s much easier to do that once the habit is established, which allows people to adopt habits that can eventually have a large impact, even though they start out small.

How to adopt micro habits

In order to succeed, you need to be motivated to work consistently to adopt the change. (Every time you brush your teeth in the morning, for example, you have to do the new behavior afterward.) 

“Don’t entertain thoughts about whether you feel like it or not,” says Pauline Wallin, PhD, a Pennsylvania-based licensed psychologist and expert on New Year’s resolutions. “Think about these rules in the same way that you think about other non-negotiable tasks, such as getting up for work.”

To be effective, the habit also needs to be tiny enough. How small? A micro habit should take seconds to achieve. It could be an introductory step to a positive habit that you want to adopt, like putting a water bottle on your desk if you want to drink more, or putting on your workout clothing if you want to exercise more. Or it could represent a small portion of the habit that you want to incorporate into your life, like drinking a sip of water or doing two pushups.

Fogg’s research has shown that people are more likely to adopt small, healthy habits when they anchor the new habits to existing daily behaviors. You may not always remember to floss or lift weights. But without fail, you wake up every single day. You brush your teeth. You eat meals. You use the bathroom. You get into bed. When you tack a new micro habit onto established behaviors like these, you’ll be more likely to make it a part of your everyday routine.

Once the new micro habit becomes an established part of your routine, you can expand the behavior to help you achieve bigger goals. For example, once it’s second-nature for you to do two pushups after you get out of bed in the morning, you can increase the number of pushups as you see fit.

How to choose three micro habits

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to adopting micro habits, because everyone’s goals are different. If you want to improve your nutrition, for example, you might decide to eat more vegetables or take smaller portions. Your fitness-related goals may include walking more or adding strength training. If you’re hoping to bolster your mental health, you might want to look at your phone less often or find ways to be more grateful. Or you might have different goals in mind. 

Before you decide what small habits to adopt, think about what you hope to accomplish. “Research shows that habit change is more successful when it is motivated by internal reasons, such as wanting to feel healthy and energetic, than by external reasons, such as looking good at your high school reunion,” Wallin says.

If you can’t decide on what micro habits to focus on, that’s okay because you don’t have to choose. It’s possible to adopt three different small habits simultaneously. Select three tiny habits that you’re motivated to adopt, tie each one to an existing daily behavior, and congratulate yourself every time that you follow through until it becomes established.

“Design it into your life, and those habits can wire in quickly and easily,” says Fogg. “The mindset that ‘I have to have one nailed before I go on,’ that’s the old-fashioned way of thinking about habits, when it was ‘Do one habit at a time.’”

If you’re motivated to adopt micro habits but you aren’t sure how to create your own, use Fogg’s new Tiny Habits tool. There are “recipes” for small habits—including nutrition, fitness, and mental health ideas—that are research-proven to work. The tool allows you to choose a desirable habit, then pair it with an established behavior in your life. A great example includes: “I will . . . stretch my body briefly (a new habit you want) after I . . . shut down my computer for the day (a behavior you already do).” Another would be, “I will . . . think of something I’m grateful for after I . . . feel discouraged.” 

“Everything in the recipe maker is habits that have value,” Fogg says. “We’re giving people the habits, and then where to fit it [into their lives], and then telling them how good a match it’s going to be, based on our research and experience.”

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