Students Weight in on the FitBit Fad

Story By Ally Streich
Feature Photo via Flickr

It seems like everyone’s got a Fitbit, Apple Watch or other gadgets along those lines that they wear to help them get in shape and reach their goals. The devices are handy if you’re all about it and use it like it’s supposed to be used, but sometimes people fall short of that.

There are many benefits of owning a device like these if you enjoy knowing the progresses you’re making to better your health.

Freshman Kyleigh Gordon swears by her Fitbit.

“I use mine everyday,” Gordon said. “I use it to check the time, examine my sleep patterns, see how many calories I’ve been burning throughout the day and most importantly to see how close I am to reaching my daily step goal.”

She, like many others, uses the device to its fullest potential. She even tracks her progress online, where more options are available to view.

Others, not so much.

Sophomore Paige Patterson was stoked about the rise of the health devices. She went out and bought a Fitbit right when a new model was released. She claims she used it religiously for about a week and a half and then put it down for good.

“It got to be pretty inconvenient. It didn’t have a lot of battery life, was bulky on my wrist and I started to slip away from my goals and not pay attention to it anyway,” Patterson said.

She also included the fact that the Health app on her iPhone tracked the same statistics about her day and suggests to others that if you already have an iPhone, to utilize its amenities instead of buying an expensive Fitbit.

The health band business is booming, but it’s important to note your reason for purchasing the device if you’re considering it.

If you are serious about your health and often wonder about the distance you’ve traveled or how many calories you’ve burned during your workout, it would be a good idea to purchase the amazing Fitbit. It’s also important to understand the numbers it gives you in your stats, so you understand the process.

If you’re someone who thinks it would just be nice to know some stats about your daily cycle, but don’t think you’d get much use out of it, utilizing your phone and different apps to get similar results.

Like many things in this world, purchases can be very beneficial, if used correctly. Health bracelets are an amazing invention and Gordon would suggest purchasing one in an instant.

But, you’re in college. If you’re iffy about the purchase, wait it out. If you can survive without thinking about what it would be like to buy a Fitbit every day, you should be just fine.