This article is brought to you by Fitbit, which has recently released a 90 day free trial of its premium app for users to beat the dullness of self-isolation and provide motivation during the lockdown. Better yet, the app is open to everyone, and you don’t even need to have a Fitbit device. There are hundreds of workouts categorised by skill, time and activity, as well as guided mindfulness features and advanced sleep tools available via the app.
In her bubble of two with her boyfriend Chris, the lockdown was an adjustment for lifestyle blogger Ariana Omipi, but now she’s enjoying it. She says “it’s not often that we are forced to slow down, be in the moment and simplify our lives.”
We ask Ariana her tips for keeping healthy during Level 3, and what to do when we’re tempted by takeaways. “I like to apply the 90/10 rule, eating healthy 90% of the time but treating myself the other 10%. We often turn to takeaways as it’s more convenient but many of us still have time on our hands, so I’d encourage people to remake that takeaway they’re craving at home. It’s likely going to be a lot better for you, plus it so much more rewarding when you’ve put the effort in to make it.”
Many of us have been in a slump, and motivation can be difficult in Level 3 because it’s not quite ‘normal’. Ariana says “I write a simple list of 3 tasks that’ll get me closer to my goal. If the goal was getting out of bed, that list might include simple tasks like: make my bed (it’ll avoid me getting back into it), have a shower and change into comfortable clothing that isn’t PJs. I mark them off once they’re complete and set a new 3 tasks. The sense of achievement gives me gratification that keeps me motivated.”
During the lockdown, Ariana has been using her Fitbit daily and finds it helpful for keeping active. Something we have all experienced, in the first few weeks post lockdown Ariana’s steps went from averaging around 13,000 per day to only 2,500. Being able to track this via Fitbit allowed Ariana to get her step count back up, and without her Fitbit, she probably wouldn’t have realised the vast difference.
Excitingly, Ariana’s started using one of the sleep programs within the Fitbit Premium App as it’s currently free for the next 90 days, and she’s seen significant improvement in her sleep. This is right up our alley; you can analyse aspects of your sleep to understand how you can improve, as well as follow guided programs to help you to get better rest.
You can find out more about Fitbit Premium here, and new users can access the free trial upon download.
