I must admit that when our Community Sponsor, TELUS, asked if I might want to come down to their Innovation Centre to hang out with Dai Manuel and test out the new wearable fitness technology that Samsung released, I hesitated before saying yes. Not only was I weary because it was BC Jeans Day and I'd surely be clad in denim in support of BC Children's Hospital (read all about that HERE), but also because I've kindof fallen off of my exercise program and I know that Dai (the COO and partner of Fitness Town) lives to exercise, and that I was going to get sweaty.
I bit the bullet and accepted because I love tech, and I really do need to get back into some form of physical activity beyond driving and walking from my vehicle to a lake, then back (which some weeks is the only exercise I get). When I bought a Nike Fuel Band last year it really was a catalyst for me. Having something on my person that was monitoring my movements and making sure I was reaching a goal that I would set for myself, that really got me motivated. But the Nike device only offers so much - it tracks a "points" system, and has a pedometer, and it tells time - and mine ended up breaking a few months after I bought it, and since its demise I haven't really been running, and I certainly haven't been able to track how much of a lazy pile I'm being.
They brought in a TELUS Learning Specialist named Chantal to teach us about the Samsung Gear Fit and I could hardly believe what it did (still can't). These Specialists work in all of their stores, and she taught me that like the Fuel Band, this thing tracks how many steps you take in a day and tells the time - but that's the least of its features. The thing connects to my Samsung Galaxy S5 via Bluetooth and syncs my tracking activity there. It has a realtime heart rate monitor. It tells me what the weather is like outside, it buzzes when I have a phone call or a text message coming in to my phone (when I have it nearby), and if I misplace my phone I can press a button on my Gear Fit and my phone buzzes and makes noise until I find it. And the most important part: it has programs for walking, running, cycling and hiking, and it tracks my heart rate, tells me how fast I'm running, how many calories I've burned, and it even buzzes and gives me reminder to pick up the pace, or slow down, or if I'm doing things just right.
Now, to the part where we ran (to) Yaletown with Dai Manuel. He actually went easy on us, jogging us from TELUS at 555 Robson, down to George Wainborn park for a few burpees and squats, then back. The entire way myself and the other bloggers and TELUS team were tracking our heart rates, oohing and ahhing when our phones rang and we got to dismiss the calls by our wrist, and having a fun time. Dai took this selfie of us with his incredibly long arms, right before the return jog.
TELUS has given us a new Galaxy S5 as well as a Gear Fit to give to YOU! Click here to be taken to a photo on our Facebook page a Like it to be entered. That's it. We'll be choosing a random winner next Thursday at 11:59PM. Enter HERE!
