Product Review: Fitbit Ultra

If you are interested in losing weight or improving your health, cardiovascular exercise is extremely important.  Most people are really busy, and I’ve found over the years that an inadequate level of cardio is one of the biggest obstacles to weight loss success.  Any tool that can help in this area is worth its weight in gold.  The Fitbit Ultra is one such tool.

The Fitbit is like a pedometer on steroids.  It’s a tiny gadget that you can put in your pocket or clip on your waist.  It contains a 3D motion sensor that allows you to record every aspect of your daily physical activity, including:

1) Step taken

2) Miles walked
3) Stairs climbed
4) Hours slept

You can cycle through all of these measurements on the Fitbit itself.  It also wirelessly loads them onto your computer, so you can graph and keep track of all of your activities. 

The Fitbit is a great tool to keep you aware of your physical activity and has a lot of great features. I picked one of these up a few months ago and have used it a ton. 

Fitbit Pro’s

1) Small and easy to wear, you don’t even notice it’s on you.

2) Great features: including measurement of steps, miles, stairs climbed, and sleep.

3) Free access to the Fitbit website where you can keep track of your activity, set up goals, and much more.  Many other lifestyle monitors charge you a monthly fee for access to such a site.

4) Helps you accurately gauge your level of physical activity.  I was amazed at how much my level of activity varied from day to day, depending on my schedule.

5) Provides accountability.

6) Motivates you to become more active.

Con’s
1) The only con I can come up with is that compared to other pedometers it is a bit pricey at $99.  However, this is a one time outlay with no other fees to use the website.  You also get a bunch more features than you do with everyday pedometers.

Would I recommend the Fitbit Ultra?

Absolutely.  The Fitbit Ultra is a great tool to help you assess your activity levels.  You’ll actually become competitive with yourself.  If you set a goal of 10,000 steps and your looking short one day, you may find yourself looking for excuses to walk a bit more.  It is also great for when you travel and are not sure of your physical activity levels.

Monitoring your diet and exercise is a huge part of making lifestyle changes stick.  Fitbit allows you keep track of your physical activity in a simple and highly motivating way.  

The Fitbit retails for $99 and is shipped for free.  For more information or to pick one up, check out their website at www.fitbit.com