Ty Miranda, 127 YinD

Lucky 13. There’s literally 13 weeks until the big day in Khon Kaen. I’m actually feeling really awesome and I think I’m almost ready to decide which race to run. Did you register yet? Make sure to check out: http://www.khonkaenmarathon.com/ for all the details and information.

This little piece is on fitness trackers. I know there is a lot of talk about how fitness trackers are overrated or underrated, so I’m here to give you the certified “Ty” opinion. It is simple. BUY ONE!

I can guarantee that you will be shocked (good or bad) to find out what type of fitness shape you are in after wearing a tracker. It’s not just seeing if you hit 10,000 steps, which is what doctors recommend everyday, but it’s also about keeping track of calorie burning and minutes of activity. Doctors recommend at least 60 minutes of exercise/activity a day.

Some days I’ll go for a 3 mile run in the afternoon and think, man, I did so well today. Except when I check my fitbit tracker at night, sometimes I have only hit 6,000-7,000 steps, and that’s including a run. Well, that’s no where near where I should be and even though I ran hard for 30 minutes, that’s all I did that day besides watch Netflix. See my point? Just because you run for a period in the day doesn’t mean you are hitting a healthy activity target. This is precisely why activity trackers are so important because, frankly, they don’t bullsh&% you.

Which one to buy? Well, that’s totally up to you. I use Fitbit and will most likely be investing in a Garmin soon since running is becoming a favorable activity, but you have so many options. You can check out many online or even at CentralWorld in Bangkok. You could also use your phone to track activity, but the main issue with this is battery life. You can’t Instagram, track your runs, listen to music, and update your Twitter without your battery hating you and dying at the worst possible moment. Jing Jing.

Basically, invest in a fitness tracker. You can check out some options at Wearable.com (http://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/the-best-fitness-tracker) or CNET (http://www.cnet.com/topics/wearable-tech/best-wearable-tech/best-fitness-trackers/) for more information. There are even some like Fitbit where you can create competitions with your friends for the most steps in a day or a week. Having a fitness tracker makes you get real about what activity you are actually doing in a day and keeps you accountable. It also conveniently tracks your runs, which is an added bonus, I guess?