My Fitbit Proved I Was a Lair

I think of myself as an exercise conscious person who prioritizes my health. So when I got a fitbit I was curious as to my results, but assumed I would be in pretty good active standing. My fitbit proved I was a lair! After a few weeks of using the fitbit (omitting the week we got the stomach flu) here is the honest truth of my exercise\self care.

The Good:
Sadly, this is the only good news my fitbit had for me! I have the fitbit flex 2 which means I can swim with my fitbit and it keeps the stats of my swimming workout which I love! The fitbit told me I actually swim much further than I was telling myself. When I changed gyms years ago I went from a gym that had an Olympic sized pool to a gym that does not. The drastic size different always made me downplay how much I swim. Not only do I swim a further distance than I thought, but I exercise longer than I thought. I always said I swam for 20 minutes (I never time it and just try to get to the gym, swim, shower, and dress within an hour), but my fitbit let me know I swim continuously for 30 minutes.

The Bad:
I am much less active than I thought! To be fair, it is winter and it has been cold and very rainy. Although we usually still get outside to play and walk despite the rain we just don't last nearly as long as when the weather is nice. Also, my winter garden this year is pretty basic and filled with food that needs almost no care (garlic, lettuce, peas, and perennials) so I am not spending much time out there. However, I was shocked that most days I struggled to get 10,000 steps. And without making too many excuses, swimming doesn't give me step credits (obviously) so despite working out every morning when I get home from the gym I have only logged ~100 steps from the parking lot and changing room.

The Ugly:
I was also curious about my sleep because I know when I wake up early to swim I am probably not getting as much sleep as I should. I had no idea how bad my sleep stats really are. I average around 6 hours a night. I also have a few wakeups (which I knew). I also have a lot of restless sleep, which I can't really help and assume everyone does. I was just shocked at how few hours a night I get. No wonder I feel so tired all the time! Lack of sleep and CF really aren't a great combination so I am now consciously trying to put myself to bed at a more reasonable time for my early wake up time.

Now that I know where I lack when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle (SLEEP and walking) I am hoping to make changes to lead a healthier and more active lifestyle!