Digital trainer keeps you going, step by step

If sitting is the new smoking, then I’m a five-pack-a-day sitter. Sometimes two or three hours go by without me getting up from my desk.

With all those health studies on how “sitting disease” can carve years off your life, I started to put a little more effort into taking ministrolls during the workday but was lucky if I achieved one lap around the complex in the morning and maybe a longer jaunt in the afternoon.

Now that we live downtown, I have been walking home from work with regularity. But the experts say you can’t make up for hours of sitting with one good workout; the activity has to be more frequent throughout the day.

So I’ve turned my life over to a black rubber wristband with a bullet-size processor. You know it as a Fitbit. A latecomer to the fitness-tracker craze, I finally decided to get one to enable my latest effort to get in shape. And by “get in shape,” I mean walk more. Maybe swim a little as well.

I purchased a Fitbit Flex 2, the simplest and cheapest version. As advised with most self-improvement efforts, I’m keeping a log of my progress.

>> Day 1: Brought Fitbit home from the store.

>> Day 2: Fitbit? Ummm.

>> Day 3: Spent 20 minutes wrestling with the Fitbit packaging, the most exercise I’ve gotten in two weeks. Sadly, Fitbit didn’t record the activity because the battery wasn’t charged.

>> Day 4: Created my Fitbit account and downloaded free Fitbit app — because it’s not a thing unless there’s an app! Fitbit sets a daily goal of 10,000 steps and updates your progress throughout the day. Let’s do this!

>> Day 5: Turns out 10,000 steps is a lot of steps. Who knew?

>> Day 6: Superbusy day. Managed to achieve only about half my goal. Husband helpfully suggests waving my arm around to rack up more mileage. But, really, who exactly would I be cheating?

>> Day 7: OK, Fitbit, here’s the thing: I have to dog-sit for some friends for a few days in a faraway neighborhood. Plus, it’s been so godawful muggy. So let’s just agree we’re on a break right now.

>> Day 8: Fitbit, please stop messaging me. It’s not you, it’s me. I just need more time to get my act together. Please try to understand.

>> Day 14: Hey, Fitbit, it’s me. I’m ready to try to make this work. Starting tomorrow.

>> Day 15: Mornin’, Fitbit! Looking forward to those hourly vibrations you’ll be sending me at work to remind me to get up and move at least 250 steps. Let’s do this! … Well, that wasn’t so bad. Finished the day with 9,456 steps in three short strolls and a long walk home. Counted 60 steps to the end of the air-conditioned hallway at work, so no more excuses about how hot it is outside.

>> Day 16: Logged 5,744 steps by 3 p.m. Another short stroll and my usual walk home pushed me over my goal with 10,457 steps — or 4.69 miles. Thanks for the confetti shower, Fitbit!

>> Day 17: Reached home with only 9,854 steps. OK, Fitbit, I’ll go out and walk around the block if you promise another confetti shower.

>> Day 18: Had my husband drop me off four blocks short of the office so I could walk the rest of the way. Took a roundabout way home to log more steps. More confetti! Woo-hoo! Fitbit, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful, and healthy, friendship.

“She Speaks” is a weekly column by the women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Christie Wilson at cwilson@staradvertiser.com.