Tell Fitbug your tips for squeezing exercise into a regular day and read MNers feedback on the Fitbug Orb. Chance to win two free Fitbug Orbs. NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 50 Mumsnetters who tried Fitbug Orb.

Here’s what Fitbug say: “The system sets you personal targets each week for steps and food, helping you improve your lifestyle at a rate you can gradually adjust to, so it’s not a hardcore exercise regime or a diet that you do for a short time, but a way of improving your habits for the long term."

Testers: We’d like you to post on this thread twice. First with your initial impressions, and then a couple weeks later letting us know how you got on. Please answer the questions below but feel free to add any other thoughts you may have.

First impressions:

Q1. Why did you want to take part in this product test?
Q2. What were your first impressions of the Fitbug Orb when you opened it? Did you like the look of it? If so, why? If not, why not?

Non-testers: What’s the easiest form of exercise that you manage to squeeze into a regular day? Do you have any tips to fit exercise easily into your day to share with other Mumsnetters? Maybe it’s taking the stairs to your office on the top floor of the building, or walking your children to school each day. Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it.

Everyone who adds their thoughts to this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of Fitbug Orbs (worth £50 each).

Thanks,

MNHQ

Tester Update:

Can't believe it's been over 4 weeks now. I am absolutely gutted that I haven't lost more weight as it has motivated me to do loads more walking (around an hour 4 or 5 times a week). This has lost me a couple of lbs. The blurb states that it is "a way of improving your habits for the long term" and I guess that has worked on me. It has encouraged me to move more which can't be a bad thing! Instead of dumping stuff at the bottom of the stairs I will run up and put it away. I have only really used it as a pedometer as I have not got to grips with adding food intake so even after several weeks it is still work in progress here. I have always worn it as a wristband as did not trust the clip and I'm not sure what the positives are to the sleep monitor thing.

I have really enjoyed using this and will continue to do so. Thank you

Non tester
Its always a juggling exercise for me to fit in gym as i work and am sole carer for my 2 boys most of the time.
I try to do small bursts of activity with my boys. I put my running gear on and run around local park in summer and they follow / race me on their bikes.
Also try and go to the gym at work some days even if i can only fit 20 mins in but make that 20 minutes count and do some real high intensity exercise. Itrs bearable and in fact easier to resist the temptation of not going as i know its only for 20 minutes!

Tester follow-up:

I have really enjoyed testing this product. Firstly, i have to say i accidentally left it on the waistband one morning whilst loading the washing machine, realised what i had done and waited with bated breath for the cycle to finish only to discover the fitbug was working perfectly and had no glitches with it since - so it gets 10/10 for me, for just surviving that!!!

To me the fitbug is completely accurate whilst wearing it on my waist but i found it so inaccurate whilst wearing it around my wrist so stuck with cliping it on my clothes.

The sleep mode just still amazes me and i cant wait to see how i have slept every morning - i just think it is brilliant and i havent had any problems with that mode at all.

The emails from Fitbug were great and they sent just the right amount without being intrusive and i thought they were quite motivating. I didnt feel the website interested me enough as the fitbug app did everything i wanted it to do anyway.

The targets each day/week were very motivating and it does make you feel like you want to beat it plus its nice to see how many calories are burnt from the steps.
Overall, testing the product was a very positive experience for me and i really like this product and would recommend it.

Nontester - I don't fit anything in as such but I'm sure the constant picking up of toys and chasing the kids around helps to some degree!

Tester. After several weeks using the Fitbug I feel it has motivated me to keep active and find myself walking more rather than taking the car. So fairly useful, but then again I could have achieved this with a pedometer. I still haven't got to grips with sleep mode at night, it sometimes works and sometimes doesn't, no idea why, even when I leave it on the bedside table it fails to recognise sleep. I didn't use the food part either, as I felt I wouldn't use it enough as it couldn't be done through the app and would have to log on to the website each time. It also would be handy if the Fitbug linked to apps on various devices, ie Android phone and iPad, but it just logged out each time. Overall I have enjoyed using the Fitbug and will continue to do so, I always clip it to my bra and have had no issues with it popping out or falling off. But I'm not sure if it's something I would buy as its not cheap and doesn't do as much as I thought it might.

Non-Tester

I use resistance bands to tone up my legs and arms while I breastfeed my baby boy and also use fun games of lifting my two year up and down as a work out too!! Although running around after both my 2&4 yr old is a great form of cardiovascular exercise in itself!!

What's exercise?! :S

Ha!

I started the NHS 'Couch to 5k' a few weeks ago. I began by running in my own home as I lack the confidence to run in the wide outdoors! It lasted 3 weeks...

I have the opportunity... That time when The Husband goes back out to work and my son is napping. But I seriously lack motivation! I do a lot of walking, and I run around after a toddler. That's enough for me!

Non tester!

I work from home a lot, and getting fed up of sitting all day, so am getting a board to put on top of my treadmill arms and will walk and work! Really need something like this to keep me on track but can't afford it right now.

Non tester - I get my exercise by walking or scooting - yes I have my own scooter and will scoot with my son on the school run when my youngest is at childcare.

Non tester. I squeeze exercise in the day by walking to school 4 times a day and dancing when doing chores.

Non tester, I like to exercise with baby in toe, jogging with the pram on a nice day is the best.

Non tester
I squeeze in squats whenever i can, so ill do a few when i go to get dressed, or if the kids are being quiet while i wash the dishes. Its not much, but its a start.

Non tester but I have just started doing to the school run and its a great form of exercise for me at a mile each way and I do it twice so thats four miles a day. At least one of those journeys I have started to put my son on his bike, I lock the pushchair wheels and put my trainers on so I can run (well jog) I am not very fast yet but hoping to improve. Not many people walk it because its so far but there is no parking and we are always looking to improve our time. The kids like to help beat the time too.
Also I plank whilst the kids are in the bath.

Tester here - been using this for a while now. On the one hand, it has been so motivating. I am taking around 13000 steps day and moving so much more than ever before. It really enjoy the fact that it is pushing me to do this. But I have also started to find it irritating - my target keep going up - now I have to do 72000 aerobic steps a day - and you know, I have to work and cook and do other stuff - and I find this a bit odd. Now, you see, I am very disappointed with myself if I do not reach the target. I am also watching what I eat. In fact I have become obsessive, which is not what I wanted. I seem to think about walking and food all the day - and the truly shitty thing is that I have not shifted any weight. So, am feeling motivated and demotivated at the same time.

Non-tester I try and fit in a bit of time on the Wii Fit where I can.

I try to fit in little bits of exercise - cycling to the train station instead of getting the bus the whole way, running up the stairs at work (if no-one's around!) and most of all I love my weekly ladies' gymnastics class :-)

Non tester
I try to walk of cycle instead of taking public transport or driving. I also like to run as this can be fitted into a short amount of time - the exercise starts as soon as I shut the front door. If I do find time to go to the gym, I run the 1.5 mile there and back too, which saves time and adds to the exercise time. Running also helps me to control my weight, I read somewhere that every mile covered, running or walking, burns appox 100 calories.

Non Tester

Running. If you've got your trainers and an hour, you can run. C25K got me going.

Tester, follow up feedback.

My overall impression is that its an expensive pedometer. Its disappointing that you can't log in details using the app and also the step count problem when wearing on my wrist (basically was counting wrist movement ) not steps.

I prefer to just use endomondo app on my phone to track my walks.

I wouldn't recommend someone buy this.

Non tester - dog walking! You can't ignore her rain or shine, she wants that walk so we have no choice. Admittedly though she gets shorter walks on bad weather days though! I also walk my children to school when I am not working, and at work I spend much of my time on my feet. Generally I have no choice but to be active a lot of the time, but I enjoy it too.

Non tester.

For me I try to fit in exercise with the kids - power walking with the pram (and dog!), sneaking in some resistance work whilst taking them swimming etc. I also make an effort to do short bursts of squats or sit ups during advert breaks whilst watching TV in the evening - little and often seems to be the only practical way to fit meaningful exercise in these days!

Tester..... Still using mine regularly

Not sure how accurate it is but it motivates me. Wondering how much life the battery has

Who won the 2 fitbug orbs MNHQ??

Dd now wants one for Xmas to use at uni, she's not having mine!

yep, I am still going and the steps are increasing each week. I tried to enter food yesterday but it defeated me. Ho hum.

I am a tester but the fit bug came out of the wristband thingy when I wore it on the third day so I have been unable to report back. Sorry, I should have reported it straight away because there is a potential design issue there or I may just have received a duff one.