You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Fitbit Review

Note: This article was written in 2012, and may not be relevant to the latest version of Fitbit.

Fitbit Reviews are promotional. This one isn’t.

As part of an exercise competition at my work, each of us was given a Fitbit. Until I received one, I had never heard of it. And, after using it for about 1.5 weeks, I’m loving it.

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure

Most continuous improvement professionals have a mantra: You Can’t Manage or Improve What You Don’t Measure. Little did I know that that statement would be so true in my own personal life.

Like most readers and Lean Thinkers of this blog, I’m pretty interested in data. Data helps me to make decisions and learn how a process is performing. I’m ashamed to say that I had never thought of biological processes such as exercise and sleep as formal processes. But, they are. Fitbit helped me to realize that by literally turning my body into a data stream. Now, what I do everyday such as walking and sleeping is tracked.

Now, I can see how I’m performing the processes of exercise and sleeping.

What is Fitbit?

Fitbit is a really smart pedometer. Fitbit tracks steps, your sleep pattern, stairs climbed, calories burned and it uploads all that data wirelessly to your Fitbit account. I’m telling you, it’s pretty amazing.

Fitbit Setup

The Fitbit was very easy to setup. Here’s what I did.

1. Open the box
2. Connect Fitbit USB to my computer
3. Then I followed the prompts from there
4. Done

Below are the images that show how I went through the Fitbit setup process.

1. Fitbit Setup Instructions

2. Fitbit Pairing Number

3. Fitbit Installer

4. Fitbit Setup Done

5. Enter Personal Information

At this point, the Fitbit installer opens up a web browser and you create your account already paired with your Fitbit and you enter some information.

6. Fitbit Greeting

Then you give your Fitbit a greeting – mine of course is Shmula.

Now, Just Use your Fitbit

7. Fitfbit Pedometer

8. Fitbit Sleep Tracking

This is one Fitbit feature that really amazed me. Up until the Fitbit, I had no idea how I was sleeping at night. And, we know that if you no measure something, you can’t manage it. Well, sleep is a process that I was not managing because I had no idea how my sleep cycle was performing.

It turns out that I don’t sleep very well. In sum, I fall asleep fast, but I wake up several times at night and my sleep is constantly interrupted. Now because I know this, I’m doing some things differently to see if I sleep better.

So, over time, Fitbit also tracks my Sleep Efficiency – a metric that I didn’t know of but now I can track to see if the changes I’m personally making can positively impact my Sleep Efficiency.

9. Fitbit Sleep Efficiency

I highly recommend Fitbit. Go get one now.