Getting Fit With Help From Technology

Thank you Nokia for sponsoring this post. Invest in your health by purchasing a Nokia Steel HR for yourself!

Our lives are an ever-changing landscape. We look forward to each milestone and think how much easier things will be when we reach it.
“Parenting will be so much easier when the babies are out of diapers!”
“Once the kids start school, we’ll have time to get those home projects done.”
“When the kids are older, they’ll be able to help pitch in around the house.”

If you’re a parent, you can stop laughing at me now. I’m sure you can totally relate and recognize that each of those milestones came with another set of time-consuming hurdles. Many times along the way, I’ve said I’ll set aside time to exercise, eat right and take care of myself. In reality, I’ve never gotten a strong handle on any of those things. We’ve changed what we eat and enjoy a cranberry feta salad a couple times a week using spinach as a base. We also have incorporated more fish (sushi counts!) and include a salad, vegetables the kids have learned to like or a salad/vegetable combo in every sit-down dinner. But when it comes to fitness, I have one word: Ugh. Yes, it’s a word. I looked it up to make sure.

There was a time that I looked forward to my workouts at the gym, but then it got more and more crowded and I got less and less tolerant. I cancelled my membership and vowed to run or walk the block around our house. I did until I hurt my knees. So I promised to walk on the treadmill at home. I did for a bit, but it was short-lived. The frustration with putting a strap on my midsection to track my out-of-shape, ramps-up-quickly, heart rate became a nuisance. Long story short(ish), I was out of a routine but now I’m back. This time, I’m more prepared. We started our membership back at the newly renovated Y and show up with tools, tech and a mindset to make the process more enjoyable as well as more productive.

When it comes down to it, technology is what is helping me attain my fitness goals. In addition to downloading shows on Netflix to stream while on a piece of cardio equipment, I also wear a Nokia Steel HR activity watch. The heart rate monitor I used years ago included a sensor strap that transmitted to a special watch. It was an ordeal to use and a stark contrast this new technology. To attain my heart rate on the fly with the Nokia Steel HR, I literally just push a button on the side of the unit.

But there’s a whole lot more to this activity watch than that. There are a couple different sizes (36mm and 40mm) and styles to choose from. The 36mm is available in black and white and the 40mm with countdown bezel, in black only. Silicone, leather, and woven bands are available to fit your personality and comfort. Before I say anything else, I want to acknowledge that I can’t remember the last time I charged my Nokia Steel HR and it’s currently at 68% battery life. With a battery life of up to 25 days, I have to make sure I don’t forget where I put the charging port that came with it!

The process of syncing my new watch to my phone was an indication of what was in store for me once I had it in use. Too often syncing includes registering and getting an email with the code to enter or looking information up in the packaging. With the Nokia Steel HR, my phone sent a code to my new watch and all I had to do was enter it into the app. Oh, and it’s worth noting that when I was too busy taking the photo to get it entered before it timed out, it simply sent me a new code. Then another when I wanted to test if that was a fluke or a feature. It’s a feature in case you’re curious.

So let’s talk about the Nokia Health Mate app (available for iOS and Android) for a minute. It’s an easy way to check my daily progress. Not only can I view activities, but also sleep habits. This has made me realize I need to research whether my sleep habits are normal or not. If I don’t have my app handy or don’t need a high level of detail, I can actually push the button on the watch to scroll through and get stats, such as a spot check of my heart rate, number of steps, distance or calories. There’s even a feature to set an alarm!!

The Nokia Steel HR is water resistant “up to 50M (5ATM)” so it is safe to wear in the pool, shower or while doing dishes. I’ll be honest and say I haven’t tried it in the pool because I don’t swim. But I have used it to wash dishes and it’s nice being able to check to see who is texting or calling me when my phone isn’t anywhere near. It also notifies of calendar appointments so that’s a bonus.

As you can see, this piece of technology that I expected to use solely for working out has become a huge part of my everyday life. But I guess the key to meeting my fitness goals is for it to extend beyond the four walls of the gym… and the Nokia Steel HR activity watch is doing just that.

As an added bonus, I have a promo code to share with you! Use code “NEWYOU-LMR-EEQ” to get 10% off at the Nokia Health store through December 1, 2018.

What technology helps you meet your fitness goals?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.