Old school workout equipment and why I am obsessed with the Apple Watch (mainly for the fitness tracker).

 Bootcamp twice in one week.  It happened.  Thanks Meg for making every muscle in my body sore!

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One of the moves we did reminded me of those old school cross country cardio machines.  Did anyone else ever use those?  My sister had one and I would use it in high school to work up quite a sweat.  

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My other favorite old-school workout pieces of equipment—>  Thigh Master, The Firm (we had a ton of these VHS tapes) and the Ab Roller.    Good memories.  I like my running shoes the most though.  

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Brooke and I hit up a Play Pace last night. 

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And she also beat me in a game of ring toss.  I really need to start practicing.  

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I love it when our mountains look like this.  

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I got an Apple Watch (from myself… completely normal… Target was giving a $100 gift card with the purchase of the watch so it was a no brainer for me;) for Christmas.  I knew that I would like it but I had no idea that I would absolutely love it.  I was going to write a pros and cons list but I only have one con so here is my pros and con list.  

My Favorite Pros:

-I love having fitness information/stats.  It is fun for me to know how many steps I walk, the distance I travel each day, how long I am active each day and my heart rate.  I love that I can set goals and check throughout the day how I am doing on reaching my goals.  I have had different activity trackers in the past and lasted with them for a little while but then got bored wearing them because they weren’t nearly as user friendly, easy to see the info (or I had to connect them to a computer) and they weren’t something I wanted to wear everywhere.  With this one I wear it all day long… working out/running errands/dates/church/being lazy at home.  

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-For running.  I wore my watch and my garmin one day for a 2.5 mile run to see how they compared with tracking distance… they were pretty much RIGHT on.  The Apple Watch is also pretty accurate with distance on the treadmill (more so than my garmin is) and it is a lot less fuss.  You just push a button and go.  BUT when I am training more specifically in the future I will go back to using my garmin for running because the Apple Watch is a lot more basic with the information it tells you—>  i.e. just distance/time/pace/heart rate.  I will need the garmin for more detailed information like my splits, laps and overall average pace.  The Apple Watch tracks outdoor runs, indoor runs, outdoor walks, outdoor cycle, indoor walks, indoor cycle, the elliptical, rower, stair stepper and other (i.e. cross-fit/bootcamp/strength) information! I also love to have it for the timer… makes it easy for planks, core work, plyometrics etc.

-I am on my phone way less now that I have the watch.  I thought I would feel too connected at times by having a smart watch but I actually feel like I am on technology a lot less now.  Before the watch I would check my phone often to see if I had a new text or missed call and then get on and scroll through instagram for 10 minutes before even realizing what I was doing.  Now with the watch I feel a buzz when I get a text or call and so I don’t really get on my phone unless I am responding to something specific.  I feel like my phone is in my purse most of the time now because I have no reason to be checking it.  You can also send short response text messages (i.e. thanks, I’ll call you soon, yes, in a meeting etc) right from the watch and you can also use it to talk call/talk.  

-I take a lot of self timer pictures for the blog.  With this I can take the picture with my watch—>  I set the phone up, walk away to where I want to stand and then use my watch to SEE what the picture will look like and push a button on the watch for it to take the picture 3 seconds later.  

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PS this looks like an Apple commercial but I just have a deep love for Apple… reviewing this on my own.  

-I love having my favorite photos on the watch (and using them as the face of the watch), starting my music on my phone from my watch (I don’t have an explanation of why I like to do this but I just do), the weekly summary, the alerts for events, the Google Maps function (connects to your phone’s directions and it alerts you when to turn etc) and I am a gadget person so I just have fun with the whole thing.   PS the screen is black until you move your arm to look at it and then the screen lights up.  

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Cons:

-The heart rate monitor takes some time to catch up.  It works perfectly when I am doing a consistent workout or intervals that are longer but for short intervals—>  it gets pretty behind.  For example during a bootcamp class when we are doing crazy jump/squats/burpees/whatever for 45 seconds and my heart rate feels like it is 200, the watch takes some time to catch up and then when we are recovering it will jump up to tell me what my heart rate was during the interval… does that make sense?  Not sure if it is possible for it to always be right on but it is just something I noticed.

-This could also be a con (it isn’t for me) but you need to have your phone nearish you for it to track everything/work the apps/etc.  I always run with my phone (I just put it in my fuel belt) so this doesn’t bother me.  

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Do you use any type of fitness tracker?  Anyone have an Apple Watch… what are your thoughts?

What are some of your favorite old school workout tools—>  equipment or videos?

When did you start working out?

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86 comments

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When I was in high school my mom, sister and I would workout to Denise Austin videos – we loved her! My mom is still a workout video fiend and it’s the only way she exercises – infomercial purchases and all :)

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The Apple Watch sounds great! I especially love the camera function..really useful. I recently got a Garmin Vivo Active (or the fapple as I call it…”fake apple” because it looks similar to the apple watch). It works really well for runs and swims and I love the pedometer.

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Uh oh don’t tell me this!! I’ve been waiting for a review of the apple watch from a runner’s perspective and all these facts make me want one! Especially the target gift card part. I didn’t realize that you can take pictures with it! That might be the game changer especially because I hate taking my phone on runs and I gotta document for the blog!

I worked out in high school at the gym a lot especially when I was playing volleyball too. I might have been even better about going to the gym then than I am now! Oops!

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I also have an Apple Watch and hate bringing my phone for runs. I have found that without the phone, the distance on the Apple Watch is not accurate! The other day I ran 9 miles according to my Garmin, 10.3 miles according to my Apple Watch! Just a heads up if you are seriously thinking about getting one for running but don’t like to run with your phone!!

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I agree. My treadmill certainly doesn’t match with the I watch. I have a Nordic Track. The watch is always is about a half mile less than what the treadmill says.

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I remember doing the Tae Bo workout videos when I was a kid! I’m pretty certain we still have them somewhere!

I use my fitbit for most things and my Garmin for running. So far I like the Garmin’s features best for my workouts, as far as the fitbit, I like the sleep tracker the best on it and I really only use it for my daily steps and sleep (even though I know it does way more). I wish it didn’t look so much like a fitness tracker is my biggest con with it!

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I have been thinking about getting the Apple watch but I have the Garmin Vivoactive and it does almost all of the same things. The only things it doesn’t do that I want the Apple watch for are: responding to text messages (with Vivoactive I can just read them but not respond) and taking pictures via the watch.

On the flip side, like you said Garmins are great because you get so much detail from your runs and with the Vivoactive I just have to have one watch vs. swapping out when I go for a run. Hmmmmmmmm but as an Apple fan I sort of just want it anyway :)

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I have a Garmin Vivofit for tracking steps and Garmin 25 for running. I am afraid to buy the Apple Watch. I bought and iPad but barely used it. I just love my iPhone. So I’ll just keep using my phone for everything non step/running related :)
But I hear ya on the gadget thing :)

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I have looked at the apple watch but just never brought myself to spend the money. Oh he Ab roller! My mother-in-law got one of those for Christmas and I tried it and about died. Yeah, I need to do more core work!

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OMG i just love the face about bootcamp x2 during a week! I ve seen the apple watch (or more accurately i ‘ve drooled over it) but i cant make myself buy it because i am so clumpsy and also i dont really wear watches. I couldnt bear it if i loose it or even worse smash it somewhere… But it is a beauty i agree! Also it’s kind of pointless since i dont have an iphone anymore (after mine backflipped in the toilet bowl a few weeks back i changed to android – mostly cause i needed a phone and it was cheaper at the time).

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I still have an ab roller! That thing is no joke!

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I just got myself a TomTom Spark, my first running watch even though I’ve been running for 2.5 years. It’s completely awesome because it has a built in mp3 player. Now all I need is my watch and a pair of BlueTooth headphones and I’m good to go!

I did tons of old school walk aerobics when pregnant with my daughter!

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I really want an Apple watch!

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I don’t use a fitness tracker, but have been toying with the idea of trying one. I’d be most interested in (1) how many steps I take in a day, and (2) my sleep patterns. I’m a super light sleeper, and feel like I wake up a million times each night. I use Runkeeper to track my runs; the free version doesn’t do anything fancy, but it tracks mileage and splits which is enough for me!

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I am a super low-tech runner currently. I’ve thought about entering the 21st century and getting a Garmin, but I actually like being disconnected. Maybe someday! :)

Oh, and I agree about the mountains. I went on a lunchtime bike ride yesterday, and I was in awe!

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I would love an Apple Watch, it seem soooo awesome! But I cant justify spending that much on one yet so I recently got a Fitbit (the one with the HR monitor) and am OBSESSED with it! Its not overly fancy (no GPS or setting like elliptical, cycle, etc) but it gives you everything you need. HR, steps, flights of stairs, distance (although that isnt super accurate since its calculating based on steps). The HR is by far my fave part. I just love knowing it during my runs and workouts!

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I used to use an ab cruncher contraption back in the day. I’m pretty sure it’s useless.

The Apple Watch looks pretty neat! I’m not sure I’ll ever actually get one, but it’s crazy how much it can do!

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I heard about that deal with target over Christmas and wish I bought an Apple Watch as well! Looks like a lot of fun, thanks for your review! I started working out in middle school with team sports then track in high school. I can’t imagine life without getting out there and sweating it out!

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That watch seems pretty fancy! I like the camera function on it. I don’t use a fitness tracker but you see them everywhere now!
I remember the ab cruncher thing-y, lol. It was pretty ridiculous.
I was active in soccer starting in middle school and started going to the gym in high school. Boot sounds fun!

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Haha oh my gosh! I was literally just cross-training on a Nordic Track like the one you pictured just 2 weeks ago. I was coming back from an injury, and while you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, you also get a killer workout!

https://eisforeffortblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/downtime/

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My husband got me the Apple Watch for Christmas and I honestly wasn’t thrilled about the gift. I work in a professional office everyday so I prefer to wear a silver or gold “fancy” watch instead. I have been wearing it on the weekends though and when I’m not at the office and I do like a lot of the features. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PICTURE TAKING THING!!! that is amazing and I cannot wait to try that out!! Thanks for sharing that tidbit!!!

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My daughter works in the governor’s office and loves her Apple watch. She wears it to work every day. I know she is pretty careful about her dress (she has a tasteful arm tattoo that she covers but so many people have the watch and it’s really so elegant looking I think it fits in well in a professional setting. It’s so sleek and clean. I don’t have one but I don’t run with my phone and it wouldn’t do me any good anyway since my phone is Android. Ha. #techproblems.

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Thanks for the real-life Apple watch review! I’ve had my eye on it but just can’t commit yet. Right now I have a Bellabeat Leaf activity tracker. I love it because it looks like jewelry so I can wear it with nice work clothes. If I upgraded, it would def be an Apple watch. :)

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My mom had a couple of the Buns of Steel movies and my sister and I got really into them. I made my friends do them one night when I was in high school. It’s surprised me how hard it was, but it was also pretty funny too.

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I’m the only one who works out in my family and I started running in university because I needed something to keep mentally and physically healthy! Back then, I didn’t know I had Cystic Fibrosis (short story: mucus get stuck in my lungs and can make me sick). Running is now my main physiotherapy to slow down the progression of the disease but it is also so much more…as a working mom, I believe it is what keeps me mentally sane ;-)

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I am obsessed with that watch! I have been contemplating buying it for myself for months now. One question – is it very complicated to set up/use??

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The Apple Watch sounds awesome. I’ve been using the Fitbit Charge HR for awhile and I love it! There are a few things that I wish were different but I love being aware of how many steps I take throughout the day, heart rate, and I love the sleep tracker! I’m weird and like numbers and graphs haha.

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Awesome review. The photo function alone is enough to make me want to rush out and buy one now!

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I really want an apple watch! I love that it does a variety of different things. I got a fitbit for Christmas and love tracking my steps, water intake, and sleep!

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My coworker got one too and absolutely loves it. For me I don’t know if I would ever use all of the features it has! Thanks for your review Janae.

My favorite old school tracker is a pencil and paper log. Ha!

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I have wanted to try the apple watch for a long time! I still loving my Garmin :)

Remind me what lip gloss color you use in that picture of you and Brooke! I love it!

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Hey Janel!! I use the Victoria Secret lip gloss and I am obsessed! Here is the link:)

https://www.victoriassecret.com/beauty/lip/flavored-gloss-beauty-rush?cm_sp=&ProductID=276564&CatalogueType=OLS

I am wearing the Delish one (not online but in stores)!

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Can someone answer a question re garmin for me? To see splits you have to connect/upload your data to garmin connect, right? You can’t see that info on the watch itself?

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You can see lap times right on the watch. My lap is set at one mile, so I can scroll and see my pace for each mile completed. You can set the lap at whatever distance you choose. Hope this helps!

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Haha people still use those ab rollers at my gym! Shows how old their equipment is. I’ve wondered about the Apple Watch. The self timer feature alone would make me buy it. It’s really hard taking pictures of yourself as a blogger! #bloggerproblems

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I use an old fashioned calendar and a pen… but I don’t even own a smart phone, so kickin’ it old school is how I do most things. I started running when I was just a kid (9ish… slow with my dad). My mom had a “Cher Step Aerobics” VHS tape that I think I wore out in my teen years. That and original Tae-Bo. I could probably recite both beginning to end, verbatim.

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I just started using the Garmin Forerunner 225 and I really like the fitness tracker aspect of it. I wore it in a 25K trail race recently and was disappointed that the total distance and time was off. I had auto pause turned on and I think that is the reason my finish time and distance were different than my actual finish time and distance of the race. The climbs in the race were pretty steep and at times my pace slowed so much that I think the watch paused? I’m new to running with a gps watch and I hope I get it all figured out. I’m looking forward to doing more specific training with the help of a watch. Thank you for your blog. It’s very motivating!

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i had that ab roller and man was it hard! i still have a pretty weak core and that thing gives me nightmares lol. I dont have an applewatch, not an apple fan myself. I had a fitbit surge but i found that I missed wearing my fossil watch so i switched to the jawbone up3 which looks more like a bracelet.

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I have had the Garmin Vivofit for over a year and really liked it, but wanted even more info from my worout. I have had my eye on the Garmin FR235 with the built in heart rate monitor. Yesterday I was in my local running bike store and they had the FR235. I got it and love it!

As far as when I started working out, I really didn’t do much until I hit 40. Then the pounds started creeping on. I started consistently working out and running. I’m now almost 49 and I can’t imagine going back to the sedentary life style!

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I can’t believe you forgot abs of steel/buns of steel or Tae Bo!! Those were my exercise VHS tapes. However, I die t have a thing leotard like all the ladies in the videos (and my dance teachers at the time). How was that trend ever a thing? You would be so limited in your range of movement…otherwise you would be showing your lady bits to everyone..not to mention the frequency of shaving and/or waxing that would have to occur. How is this LEGGING trend such a problem with people when THOSE used to be popular? ?

Also, those ab rollers are no joke. I seriously can’t go down more than a few inches. Hmmmm. Maybe that is a sign i should work on my core strength.

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Thong, not thing. Apparently my phone doesn’t like them either

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I remember exercising with my mother when I was Brooke’s age. I would do her floor workout with her. I took dance through school and did video workouts after college. Denise Austin to start, then the The Firm, Tae Bo, I still like to do videos, they’re good for cross training and strength.

The only time I didn’t workout was after I got married. Then after a while I had to do something so I started up again. It’s been 17.5 years that I’ve worked out consistently. (is it wrong that I love seeing that written out)?

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I LOVED the Apple Watch for many of the reasons you do. However, after using it a few months I wanted to see what it was like running a marathon with it. MISTAKE. After you get hot and sweaty (or who knows why) but the screen becomes unresponsive to touch…sometimes my phone will randomly do this but when you really want to see that info during a marathon…not good. I had only had it happen once before the marathon so I thought it was a fluke. At the end of my marathon it had only tracked about half of it. When I told Apple what had happened they were awesome. They profusely apologized and gave me a full refund. She made it sound like this was a common problem. I decided I will wait for the next generation for some of the kinks to get ironed out. Like you said…you probably won’t use it for serious training…so it is great for every day stuff. However, if someone is looking for one as a running watch…I would wait!

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One more thing…meanwhile I “stole” my sons fitbit Charge and LOVE it. I never thought I would. I have not really tested it out for any running, but for steps and whatnot…awesome. It is so simple…but the sleep feature is much better than Apple’s and it charges super fast. (I felt like if I used all the features on my Apple Watch the battery would run down so I usually had to charge it over night at minimum.

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I absolutely love my Apple Watch! I didn’t think I would like it as much as I do, but fell in love!

I found the same thing with the HR as you did, though found the average for the workout is pretty spot on with my Garmin HR average. Impressive for a wrist HR monitor.

Kim

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I have the same Apple Watch, and it’s great. It took me a couple weeks to get used to using it, and it still feels kind of meaningless, but I feel cool wearing it.
My fitness tracker seems a little wacky though. I went on a short run with it the other day and it tracked 2 miles out and 2.5 back. I didn’t take any shortcuts or detours–it was a straight shot both ways, so I’m hoping it was just a cloudy day error. ?? I’ll just round up.;-)
I started working out when I was 3 years old. I’ve probably spent more overall time in a dance studio than running…looking bad I feel terrible for my parents. :)

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I just got a Garmin Forerunner 235 for Christmas to replace my old running watch. Despite it’s large size, I’ve been wearing it all the time just to see how many steps I get a day and look at my HR. Quite frankly, I’m pretty much on sloth level when I don’t run on a weekday. Just sitting around work all day. Eye opening – and not good!!

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I just got the Garmin 225 and I’m starting to use it as a fitness tracker. But it’s not as pretty as your apple. I might have to put it on my wish list. But I am loving it. It adds a whole new dimension to monitoring my movement during the day. I wish I saw that deal of getting $100.00 from Target. I’m always shopping there…

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I’ve never thought about using it as a fitness tracker! I wonder if it has sleep tracking functionality in it?

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I lost 78lbs with the help of the Nordic Trac ski machine, I also had quite a library of VHS video tapes that I did on a regular basis. I still have the ab roller. Never did the thigh master though. Now I use the gym! LOL. But for those that are intimidated by the gym/ have lots of weight to lose etc. Can’t beat it.

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I pretty much want an Apple watch now. I am an Apple product junkie too, and now its in my head. I wonder how many calories you burn giving birth? Weird pregnancy thoughts.

I hope your day is amazing!

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Love the old school stuff! I still love the ab roller. My first workout was Cindy Crawford’s workout VHS tape. My friend and I did that all the time and thought we were so close to looking just like her!

I will have (tonight) the Garmin 225 & Fuelband (I am part of a running study so we have to wear both all the time) No feedback on them yet as I get them tonight with our first group. Excited about tracking everything!

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Wow! OLD school right there! I started working out when I was 12 b/c I was overweight and needed to lose weight. And I JUST put my ab roller, thigh master, AND The Firm in a box in the garage that is for our spring yard sale…Kept the stepper though b/c I still use THAT sucker! haha

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I love the idea of the Apply watch. My co worker just got the samsung version and loves it. I was thinking about a fitbit to keep me motivated (when I am given the all clear to workout) but maybe now I’ll spring for the watch instead.

I have been in some form of sports my entire life so working out was just part of that – so should i say 7 or 8 when I joined my first TEAM. I have also grown up on a farm so that “working out” in the form of chores (throwing hay, mucking stalls, cooling horses) has been apart of my life since birth.

My friend and I used to do buns of steel in high school – and I used to follow along with my mom to her aerobics tape (but I cannot for the life of me remember who it was).

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You totally brought me back to the old workout gear! My sophomore year of college I had the worst IT band injury. My dad helped me haul the Nordic Track to my 3rd floor apartment (actually the 3rd floor of this awesome mansion close to campus). I would go beserk on that thing getting a good sweat. It made so much noise! Ha. And my friend and I did Buns of Steel and Abs of Steel with Tamilee Webb pretty much every day for an entire summer. I still use some of the same ab moves in my daily routine :) Thanks for rekindling these memories!

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I don’t have one but my daughter does…it’s so elegant and beautiful. I figured it would end up completely dirty and gross from the workout.

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Another Garmin Vivoactive smartwatch user here. I can’t afford two devices, and this one is a great compromise for me … it records really granular fitness information with its own GPS chip and full waterproofing (meaning I can take it places and subject it to conditions I wouldn’t want my phone in), and yet it talks nice with my smartphone (notifications, music controls, etc.) when in range. It also cost just a shade over $200. There’s no HRM so I have to use a chest strap, but from what I’ve heard the sensors on wrist devices are not really fully evolved yet and accuracy is a major problem for most of them, including the Apple version.

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My Mom had a thigh master!! Oh wow, this brings back memories!!
Love this review of the Apple watch – it’s nice to track how many steps you are taking per day. I have a Fit Bit and haven’t even taken it our of the box :) Humm, I should get right on that. Have a great day!!

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It is amusing to see the contrast between the simple old school workout equipment and modern technology like your Apple watch.

I had a Thigh Master. I bought it at a garage sale. I didn’t know what it was until the seller told me what it was. I didn’t let anyone see me using it because it did look kind of silly using that thing.

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I got an Apple Watch for Christmas and I looooooove mine too. (It’s actually the exact same one as yours – the pink is so fun) Love that it tracks calories burned during my workout, and since it’s basing it off of my heart rate, I feel like it’s a lot more accurate than the treadmill or elliptical estimate. I thought it was a little hard to figure out at first but now I’m obsessed.

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I started working out in middle school b/c I was overweight as a kid and didn’t want to get made fun of anymore! I started running, though, when I met Todd. He trained me for my first marathon and then ran it side-by-side with me, and that is how we roll to this day!

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This is unrelated, I just wanted to complain a bit because my left shin suddenly started to really hurt this morning :( I really hope it’s not going to take a long time to subside. It’s frustrating because I’m pretty sure it happened because I need to replace my running shoes, but I’ve been planning to do it tomorrow… if only I had done it earlier!

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I love my TomTom Multi-Sport watch. I also really like the Polar Beat App for heart rate.

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I’m starting to think I’m just a BIT older than most of your readers because no one else has mentioned Jane Fonda! Starting in high school and then through my 20s I think I owned and used every Jane Fonda DVD ever made. Haha… actually they were video cassettes back then!

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We are both old and wise :) I did the Jane Fonda work outs too…on the cassettes! I also had an exercise bike that had the knob you turned to make it harder to peddle. Good memories.

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My husband ordered me a Fit Bit and I am so excited for it to get here!!! I think the Apple watches seem so awesome though and they can do SO many things!

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I love my garmin vivofit 2! It really helps me track my steps on workdays when I’m not as active.

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I started using a FitBit last summer and really like it. I find the sleep tracker most interesting because getting enough sleep is my biggest struggle.

Yep, those mountains are gorgeous!

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I have been considering getting a fitness tracker myself, still not sure about it, I don’t wanna become obsessed!!

And about old school workout equipment… I think you’ll like this video ;)

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I have the Polar M400 which I think is great.

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Aaaaaaand I finally bit the bullet this morning after reading your review and bought the rose gold one. It matches my phone :) I have a cycling class tonight and can’t wait to wear it on a run!

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Can I ask what size you got? And are you still enjoying it?

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Hi. I got the 42mm because I have a larger frame. The band is the standard size that comes with it. So far, I’m enjoying it. I have only used it for indoor workouts, so I can’t vouch for accuracy with outdoor activities. My biggest negative is the battery life. I think you’d have to charge it every day, which isn’t a huge deal, but not something I was expecting.

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I used to set my VCR to record Denise Austin and Gilad. Yep- I’m about a hundred.
I used to have the ab roller too.

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My parents have had the same Nordic Track machine since I was probably 7 or 8. (i’m 35). My dad uses it all.the.time. It’s pretty hilarious – but still a good workout! He even wears a sweat band on his head to go with the whole theme….

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I got a Fit Bit Surge for Christmas and I also love the text/call alerts! I don’t feel like my phone has to be with me ALL the time now! It’s great! I used to work out to a Cindy Crawford workout video in high school. And I don’t think I really worked out until high school. Before that it was just dance and tennis and that didn’t feel like working out.

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Don’t you love the Apple Watch?? My husband is an apple fanatic so it only makes sense that I am now also!! But you have taught me a few things about it…I didn’t know about taking pictures and having your own screen saver! Doing mine now!! Thanks!!
I have to share with you the BEST salad mix you need to get at Costco! It’s called Asian Cashew chopped salad…to die for! I could eat the whole bag and I just added my own grilled chicken! A must:-) And it has everything you need, toppings and dressing! Go get it!!!!!

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If you have an Apple Watch, I’ve created a fitness challenge you can join by tapping this link from your iPhone:

https://sessions.io/s/V12TH2RPg

This is a pretty simple one, just go for a run/walk/cycle once in the next 14 days :) but the site allows you to create your own challenges and give them to friends/readers.

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i have the apple watch, too! I got it at Christmas, as well, and love it even more than I thought I would!!

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I feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t use a fitness tracker these days. I still just use mapmyrun on my phone for runs and manually enter for other work outs. I really need to get on this train!

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Which app is that to use for indoor cycling? I cannot figure out how to get my Apple Watch to track my spin classes! Thanks! :)

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Gotta share my 2 cents. My husband and I got the apple watches for each other for christmas. He is a gadgets/tech guy and I was excited about the health/running features. Unfortunately we were both unenthused by the abilities of the watch. It truly is just a phone accessory. A totally cool accessory, but just not as exciting as we hoped. He stopped wearing his after after awhile and I missed all the stats my garmin provided for running. We decided the $$ investment was not worth it and returned them. He got a high speed modem for his gaming and I went back to my garmin today lol! It was definitely cool to try out, but ill stick to my phone/garmin combo for now :)

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Which size watch did you get?? I am thinking of the bigger size but everyone says I am crazy bc I have small wrists?

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Thanks for the review of the Apple watch!

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I’ve been dying to get a gps watch, for some reason I keep thinking the Apple Watch+iPhone combo doesn’t give as good GPS info as a dedicated watch. So it’s good to read a review saying that it does!

Also, the activities app does show splits. If you don’t see it, maybe you need to update your phone? There’s also an app on the iPhone AppStore called workouts that will extract more info like cadence and will let you export the tcx file so you can combine it with your gpx file if you use strava on your iPhone during your run. It’s multiple steps, but I get a ton of data this way.

Even though, I’m still wanting to get a Garmin so it’s a one step process. Right now, I start the run on my strava phone app, start the work out on the watch, extract and combine both strava gpx and the tcx file from the workouts app so I get complete data like gps data, cadence, heart rate, pace, and that is a three step process in itself. Too much work. I got a month to decide if the work is worth a 200$ upgrade for a dedicated running watch.

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I too am a Garmin Vivoactive user. I love this device. When I purchased it I was debating between the Apple Watch and the Vivoactive and the Vivoactive won out on the pros column. As others have stated it has GPS built right in so I don’t “have” to have my phone with me; it’s waterproof – huge plus for a active mom; and has all the great activity details you need for tracking all kinds of activity. Overall, it’s not as nice looking as the Apple Watch, but I still wear it all day every day.

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