What is the Fitbit Charge 2? 7 Great Fitbit Benefits

What is the Fitbit Charge 2? It is the successor of the Fitbit Force and the Fitbit Flex and is a great little gadget with even more advanced features to track your health and fitness the easy way. It comes as a waterproof wristband device that looks pretty stylish and actually feels comfortable, unlike some of the others I have used.

You pop it on your wrist in the morning and it will measure everything you do during the day. Its main features include tracking the amount of steps or stairs taken (yes, it knows the difference between these), active minutes doing strenuous activity, heart rate, and calories burned (including calories burned while resting), AND you can see at a glance what you have done so far at any time.

The fitbit creates accountability:-

The real beauty of having the Fitbit track your movements, is if you are really serious about changing your life and turning around your health for good then you will have nowhere to hide here. And this is a good thing, it’s just plain old psychology – if we think we can get away with something we usually try to, just like cheating on a diet when we think nobody is looking, but in the end only end up cheating ourselves.

And this is exactly where the Fitbit Charge 2 comes in. It creates that all important accountability, which is a power shouldn’t be underestimated. It is proven that when we are held accountable to someone or something for our actions then we are far more likely to stick to whatever it is we need to do.

For example: your Fitbit is set by default to 10,000 steps per day (this is the recommended average, but you can adjust this according to your needs). When you reach your goal of 10,000 steps your Fitbit will celebrate, and as you check your steps going up and up throughout the day you start to feel a sense of achievement. This makes you feel good, which makes you WANT to exercise more. It’s all about psychology, and it really works!

The fitbit will help boost your confidence too!

As you start feeling fitter, healthier, and better about yourself in general you will find this has a knock on effect on everything else that you do. You will want to start engaging in other healthier lifestyle choices, such as healthy eating, cutting down smoking, cutting down alcohol intake etc; and best of all you will start to feel CONFIDENT in yourself.

I’m speaking from experience when I say confidence is ALWAYS a side effect of nutritious plant based food and good exercise; you will also find vast improvements in mind disorders such as depression and anxiety.

So you can see where I’m going here, creating accountability even if it’s just to yourself can literally be life changing, and a powerful way to create a better life and healthier body.

NAVIGATION:

The Fitbit Charge 2 is simple to use, and the screen will automatically turn on by the action of lifting and turning your wrist towards you. This is an action that you can disable if you wish to, but it certainly comes in handy during exercise so you can see at a glance your heart rate zone and the calories you have burned.

Fitbit Charge 2 Benefits        

1. HEART RATE TRACKING

The fitbit exercise tracker also tracks your heart rate while exercising AND at rest, which you can see at a glance on the screen all day long. When your’e exercising and your heart rate elevates, then the Fitbit will let you know which heart rate zone your’e in, which will be either peak zone, cardio zone, fat burning zone, or out of zone.

2. SLEEP

Another feature that I absolutely LOVE, love, love about this Fitbit is the sleep tracking. You need to wear it to bed to be able to use this, but it isn’t bulky and you can easily forget it’s there so it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

Setting sleep goals really helps:-

You can also use the fitbit to set sleep goals and sleep reminders. It will remind you that it’s time to wind down half an hour before bed, which will help you to go to bed calmer and less stressed, therefore more ready to fall asleep.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day will get you into a sleep routine that will help reset your body clock and keep your circadiun rhythm consistent.

The fitbit offers valuable insights into your sleep patterns:-

The Fitbit Charge 2 is capable of tracking your sleep cycles from awake, REM, light and deep sleep. This will give you insights into how much good quality and deep sleep your’e getting, which will be invaluable information to you going forward.

You may realise from these insights that you need to make some lifestyle changes to stay healthy, such as reducing stress or cutting down on alcohol (you do not go into REM sleep if you have too much alcohol in your system, and REM sleep is vital for the body to heal itself and do the many repair jobs it does during sleep hours).

Getting enough quality sleep (which is roughly 7-8 hours per night for adults) is the most important thing you can do for your health and immune system, alongside exercise and healthy eating of course. It really is that important, so underestimate thus at your peril. 

For more tips on areas of  your life where you may need to make changes for a healthier and happier you, please read this Easy Guide to a Healthier Life.

3. SETTING REMINDERS TO MOVE

You can set reminders on your fitbit that will let you know when you need to get up and move. Sitting stationary all day can cause all sorts of health problems, such as the slowing of metabolism, compromised posture, back and spine injuries, depression, rheumatic disorders, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

That’s a long list, proving that it is vital to keep moving in intervals throughout your day, and your fitbit can be set to remind you of this. Getting up and doing 250 steps per hour (equivalent to a couple of minutes walking) will help your fitness levels, lower your chances of the above diseases, and add to your target steps for the day.

An easy way to get your steps in is to climb stairs instead of taking escalators or lifts. Climbing stairs engages the thigh muscles, which are the biggest muscles in the body and therefore burn the most calories even at rest. Making working on this muscle as much as possible an easy way to help KEEP YOU SLIM!

4. GPS

Some of the outdoor workout features track your GPS route, so when you’re out running, walking or cycling you can get accurate and real time statistics such as distance and pace. For this feature to work you will also have to have your phone with you, and need both your bluetooth and GPS enabled to use the connected GPS feature, therefore it’s best for the GPS satellites to lock onto your exact location before you begin.

5. CALL AND TEXT NOTIFICATIONS

Your  fitbit can be set up to let you know of any important calls or texts to your phone whilst you are exercising. This is done by a discreet LED display that flashes colour coded colours and lights, ensuring that you don’t miss any important calls or texts while exercising!

6. GUIDED BREATHING 

Another cool feature of the Fitbit Charge 2 is its personalised guided breathing exercises, which give you a guide on the screen. When you are sitting still, the tracker will start to measure any beat to beat changes in your heart rate. When you inhale your heart rate increases, when you exhale it decreases, and your tracker will personalise a breathing plan that is right for you after analysing these breathing and heart rate patterns.

It is very important to do some deep breathing exercises a couple of times a day, as it’s proven to reduce stress (for the record, stress is a MAJOR precursor to many mental and physical illnesses). It only takes a few minutes, but can make so much difference to your life, refreshing you and setting you up for the rest of your day.

7. LONG BATTERY LIFE

Another pretty good feature of the fitbit I found is its long battery life, which means you can keep it on your wrist and track constantly, day and night for up to 5 DAYS without having to remove and charge. This will help give you more accurate readings over a period of time – so definitely an invaluable feature.

Buy your Fitbit here – AMAZON FITBIT CHARGE 2

If you have any questions you would like answered about the Fitbit Charge 2 please post hem below and I would be happy to answer. Thank you. Please Note: Any purchases made through this website are at no extra cost to you and go towards the up keep of zestforever.