A tachometer for the heart
A fitness gizmo can be a great tool if chosen for the right reasons and for meaningful data.
I would never, ever buy a car without a tachometer. I’m a gearhead, and I totally grok why RPM is an essential measurement of engine performance and health.
So it was easy to get behind the idea of a heart rate monitor (HRM), essentially a tachometer for the heart! How hard I’m working my heart is a meaningful statistic.
Despite my values, I’ve thrashed around in my choice of fitness gizmos, not always choosing for the right reasons. Perhaps my experiences can help others make wiser decisions.
The pedometer
My first, modest pedometer came to me courtesy of my former employer’s Virgin Health Miles (VHM) program. Steps uploaded to the website added up to miles which added up to rewards such as gift certificates. Using the pedometer helped me clarify other values (such as efficiency), raised my awareness, helped me realize my goals are very different than others’, and motivated me to make smart decisions about what data would best inform my fitness efforts.
I never cared about fitness goals until I calculated that meeting my daily step goal earned me 60 health miles versus 20 health miles. It was much more EFFICIENT to meet my goal — so I tried harder.
