Are you feeling a little less than motivated in your workout regimen lately? Maybe you’re just going through the motions—hitting the gym and using the same machines or doing the same at-home yoga classes on repeat. We’ve all been there.

The good news? There are more options than ever to add a little unconventional flavor into your routine. Keep reading for 8 unique workout ideas that will ensure you get your sweat on, burn plenty of calories, and have some fun while you’re at it. 

Break out the hula hoop. Tap into your inner child by breaking out a hula hoop. It’s said that hula hooping provides similar results to other forms of aerobic exercise, such as dancing. Likely you knew that—whether you’re using a weighted hoop or a regular one. 

But did you know that in just 30 minutes of hula hooping, women can burn around 165 calories, and men can burn about 200? Not a bad workout at all. Plus, the nostalgia factor can’t be beat.  

Jump on a trampoline. Trampoline jumping is another unique workout that will have your inner child jumping for joy—pun fully intended. Whether you have the space at home to purchase and store your own mini trampoline, or you decide to sign up for a class at a nearby trampoline park, this is the perfect pick for adults and kiddos alike. 

Grab the jump rope. If you’re looking for a fun and cost-efficient workout that actually targets almost every body part, you may want to consider reaching for a jump rope! Maybe you’ve been out of practice since grade school—you wouldn’t be the only one. But you’ll be happy to learn that you can build up your jump rope ability again! It’s mostly contingent on building up your sense of coordination. Here are some tips on how to improve and maximize your jump rope skills. 

Try a pole dancing class. Want a full body workout that will also help you feel more comfortable in your body? Not only does pole fitness target your core and tone the entire body, but it can also boost your sense of confidence, too—just ask featured Fitbit Premium trainer Roslyn Mays (otherwise known as Roz the Diva). Not only is Roz an acclaimed pole athlete and NASM-certified trainer, but she also created Dangerous Curves, the first-ever national competition to put a spotlight on plus size pole athletes. 

Roz has some great advice for those who are new to pole fitness—and potentially intimidated to try it out. “Don’t go into any new movement chasing confidence; rather, prioritize having fun,” she shares. “Figure out how you like to move your body and do a lot of that. Yes, you will look crazy, it’s just as hard as it looks and will take a long time to feel comfortable; and no, those aren’t reasons to give up. If you look cool while doing it, consider that a bonus.”  

“Hot girl walk”: treadmill edition. If you’re an avid fan of the “hot girl walk,” you’re likely already aware of the health benefits that it can have for your mental and physical health. But how to take it to another level? Introducing the “treadmill strut” workout, created by TikTok influencer Allie Bennett—who now refers to herself as “CEO of the treadmill strut.” 

This high-energy cardio workout involves coordinating your time on the treadmill with a 30-minute playlist, starting out by finding your pace with the first song (start with one around three mph) and then bumping up your speed by .1 mph with each new song. Eventually, you’ll step up the pace until you’re in power walk mode, or else a light jog—and the more confident your walk becomes, the better! Allie, who regularly shares new playlists to work up a strut to on her TikTok page, remains a champion of the empowering workout, and we have to say we are, too. 

Sign up for a circus class. Have you always wanted to dip your toe into the world of circus arts? There’s no better time for the present to try something new and adventurous—like circus training, which includes flying trapeze, aerial silks, and acrobatics. A great way to unwind, test your limits, and feel absolutely exhilarated as you spin or fly through the air, circus classes will leave you with sore muscles and, more likely than not, a desire to return for more. 

Go rollerskating. Another activity that is perfect for helping you channel the enthusiasm of your inner child—roller skating! You can easily strap on a new pair of skates and zoom around the neighborhood, even practicing a trick or two if you’re feeling brave enough. Or, if you’re not quite ready to commit to purchasing a brand new pair of skates, grab a friend, find your nearest roller rink, and thoroughly enjoy yourselves. 

Dance. Probably the most accessible workout on this list, you can choose to up the ante or not. Signing up for a dance class is one option—or you can just put together a playlist of your favorite tunes, set a timer, and dance your heart out! 

Looking to tap into your everyday routine in other new and more accessible ways? Try the new Fitbit Inspire 3—the next generation of Fitbit’s health and fitness tracker! Whether you’re taking on a trampoline workout, trying out a hot girl walk or treadmill strut, roller skating, or flying trapeze, Inspire 3 makes it easier to live an active, healthy lifestyle—whatever you’re doing and however you’re moving. Find out more about it here.

The post 8 Unique Ways to Get Your Sweat On appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Mindfulness is the practice of grounding yourself in the present moment, and it offers a host of benefits to your physical, mental, and emotional health—including improved cognitive functioning, lower stress levels, improved immune function, and a greater sense of well-being.

A regular mindfulness practice, where you consciously create opportunities to be mindful throughout the day, can help you reap those benefits. And while there are plenty of tools that can help you practice mindfulness, there’s one tool that can help you be a more mindful person that you might not expect—and that’s your pet.

Let’s take a look at three ways your pets can help with your mindfulness practice—and help you become a more mindful, grounded person in the process.

Pets can make you calmer

It’s hard to be mindful when you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, your heart is racing, or your thoughts are going a thousand miles a minute. Generally, it’s easier to sink into a more mindful place when you’re feeling calm. And if you need to calm down—and calm down quickly—your pet can help.

Researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia found that petting a dog for just 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10 percent—while another study from researchers at Washington State University found that just 10 minutes of interacting with dogs and cats can significantly lower cortisol (also known as the stress hormone).

So, if you’re feeling anxious or on edge and want to slip into a more calm, mindful place? Try carving out 10 to 15 minutes of quality petting time with your four-legged friend—and you just may  be feeling calmer before you know it.

Pets can encourage you to do more mindful activities

Meditation is certainly a component of mindfulness. But being mindful stretches beyond a meditation practice; it’s about being fully engaged with whatever activity you’re doing. And so, another way pets can help with your mindfulness practice is by encouraging you to engage in more activities—and to do so in a mindful way.

“Pets help their owners be mindful by redirecting them to the present through valued, shared activities,” says Cierra Fisher, a licensed therapist practicing at Healthy Habits Therapy in Charleston, South Carolina. “These activities organically produce a state of mindfulness for owners…because [they] allow for the owner to be in the moment and achieve the necessary awareness to be in a mindful state through the care and attention they are providing their pet.”

For example, let’s say your cat needs a bath. It’s hard to multitask or be thinking about other things when you have a water-averse cat trying to escape your tub. Instead, you’re forced to focus on the task at hand (cleaning your cat before they escape). This grounds you in the present moment, turning bath time into a practice in mindfulness.

Or let’s say you’re in the backyard playing fetch with your dog. If you’re present with what you’re doing and fully enjoying the experience (and how could you not, when your pup looks so cute bringing the ball back?), it’s not just a game of fetch anymore; it’s a part of your mindfulness practice.

The point is, this view of a mindfulness practice is simply that it’s the practice of being fully engaged with what you’re doing—and pets offer a huge variety of activities where you can practice that active engagement and presence.

Pets can show you what mindfulness looks like

If you want to become more mindful, surrounding yourself with examples of mindfulness in action is a good place to start. “When you’re with another who’s mindful, simply being in their presence helps you to become more mindful”, says mindfulness trainer and author Joy Rains. 

And arguably the best example of mindfulness you have in your life? Your pet.

Animals’ brains don’t work in the same way that humans’ do; your pet doesn’t actually have the ability to ruminate about the past or worry over the future (a common experience that prevents people from being mindful). As such, “pets are the ultimate example of staying in the moment,” says Christina P. Kantzavelos, a Joshua Tree and San Diego, CA-based therapist with Begin Within Today and the author of the Begin Within Healing Journal. “They can simply ‘be.’”

And by spending time with your pet (and observing them “simply being”), you can see what mindfulness looks like in action—and apply what you see to your own mindfulness practice.

The post Can Your Pet Help With Your Mindfulness Practice? appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

In our monthly profile series Meet the Trailblazers, Fitbit is seeking to amplify diversity in the world of wellness and fitness by featuring the voices of POC trailblazers at the helm of these industries—industries that have discredited voices like theirs for too long. 

This month, we’re highlighting the extraordinary work of Taylor Elise Morrison, founder and CEO of Inner Workout, an online platform that provides resources to help its users reclaim self-care in a way that doesn’t foster burnout. We’re excited to share the inspiring conversation we had with her. 

Taylor Elise Morrison is no stranger to burnout. In fact, it’s because of her own experiences with burnout that she decided to invest more time into the meaningful practice of self-care—which ultimately turned into her life’s work. With a wealth of experience in organizational culture and strategy for both startups and larger companies, in addition to being a speaker and facilitator for Fortune 500 organizations (Google included), Taylor then looked toward propelling herself into a new kind of entrepreneurship. 

She has always valued personal development. “Learning and growing is second nature to me,” she says. “And, as they say, any strength overused can become a weakness. That was certainly the case for me.” She was working full-time, running a side hustle, and planning her wedding in addition to simply trying to enjoy her 20s. It’s no surprise, then, that Taylor was consistently battling burnout. She knew that her approach to self-care wasn’t serving her. 

That was when the idea for Inner Workout came to her—on a yoga mat, no less. After that occurred, she went on to join a yoga teacher training program, which helped to inspire her in the creation of, in Taylor’s own words, Inner Workout as a “self-care support system.” In its current iteration, this system helps people to “build a personalized approach to self-care and personal development that doesn’t burn them out,” she adds. Keep reading to find out more about Taylor’s work. 

In addition, Inner Workout also offers the Take Care self-assessment profile, a monthly membership, and even a card deck that offers prompts and affirmations for those looking to integrate more self-care into their daily lives. 

FITBIT: What drew you to this work? Can you share more about the evolution of Inner Workout and what its self-care support system entails today?

TEM: The company started with high hopes of becoming the Zumba of self-care, with a proprietary practice that blends movement, breathwork, journaling, and meditation. However, the pandemic changed our plans. Almost overnight, people were more in need of self-care than ever, and we realized that the Inner Workout practice wasn’t the best way to meet the needs of the moment.

So we launched the Take Care assessment just weeks into the pandemic to help people measure their wellbeing across the five dimensions and offer personalized self-care practices based on results. The Take Care assessment is actually the foundation of my book, also called Inner Workout, which will be published by Chronicle next year. Today, we’re committed to creating opportunities for self-care to actually happen—instead of getting pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. 

We do this through free offerings, like our Self-Care Sunday newsletter and Inner Warmup podcast, which both feature reflective prompts. We do this through products like the Group Chat, our monthly community membership that features live monthly events as well as an online community. One such event is Inner Coworking, a space to do that self-care thing you’ve been meaning to do. And we lead skill-building workshops and courses for individuals and organizations.

FITBIT: With so much on your plate, how do you prioritize self-care in your own life? 

TEM: I’m constantly checking in with myself to see what I need in the moment. Sometimes that’s a walk by the lake. Other times that’s sitting with an emotion I’ve been ignoring. By making self-care a conversation rather than a task, I can infuse my day with care. 

FITBIT: Is there a wellness or self-care trend you’re glad to see becoming more popularized? 

TEM: I’ve loved seeing people talk about their “stupid walks for their stupid mental health” and/or their “hot girl walks.” Getting outside can make a world of difference for your state of mind. I appreciate how the focus is on feeling good rather than on moving your body so that you look a certain way. 

FITBIT: Changes you’re currently seeing in the industry that give you hope? 

TEM: I’m seeing people become more inquisitive about the relationship between consumerism and wellbeing in their own lives. There’s certainly nothing wrong with buying self-care products. I definitely have my favorites! However, I think people are aware that making a purchase doesn’t automatically mean you’ll feel more cared for in your daily life—despite what companies might try to tell you!

FITBIT: Why, in your view, is it so important for there to be communities like yours that are meant to be inclusive for the BIPOC community? 

TEM: For a long time, the image associated with being well didn’t include people who look like me. I wanted to build a company that people could see themselves in, where they wouldn’t feel like they needed to become someone else in order to participate.

FITBIT: Is there anything else you’d like to share? 

TEM: One of the best things you can do to cultivate a more meaningful relationship to self-care is to ask yourself, “What would be the kindest thing I could do for myself right now?” And then do exactly that.

The post Founder and CEO Taylor Elise Morrison on the Online Support System She Created to Ensure You Would Actually Engage in Self-Care appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Boxed foods get a bad name. But maybe they shouldn’t. Sure, lots of boxed foods are pumped with additives, preservatives, and sodium. However, some are nutritional gems. Really. Just ask dietitians. “I’m a big fan of keeping my kitchen stocked with minimally processed boxed foods for preparing easy, nourishing meals,” says E.A. Stewart, MBA, RDN, an integrative dietitian nutritionist in Del Mar, California. “Plus, they have a long shelf life which helps minimize food waste.”

Which are worthy of a spot in your kitchen? From the produce section to the freezer aisle, here are the healthy boxed foods nutritionists lean on when they need to get in and out of the kitchen fast.

Beets (in a box!). “Beets are packed with nutrients like folate and vitamins A and K, as well as dietary nitrates, which may help lower blood pressure and improve exercise performance,” says Stewart. “But they’re messy to cook!” 

Enter boxed beets. You can find them in the produce aisle. These convenient, tender veggies are pre-cooked sous-vide style, so they taste like you made them from scratch. Then they’re vacuum-packed for freshness and flavor and neatly packed in a protective cardboard box. They’re a tasty and colorful addition to salads, hummus, and smoothies.

Lentil pasta. If you’re one of the 69 percent of people who are trying to eat more plant protein, lentil pasta can help. Each 3-ounce serving delivers 21 grams of protein (chickpea pasta is a close second with 17 grams). Because it’s made from legumes, lentil pasta also boasts 9 grams of digestion-friendly fiber per serving. 

Those aren’t the only reasons to love it. According to a recent study, lentil and bean pastas have a low glycemic index, so they won’t spike your blood sugar like traditional pasta.

Whole-grain frozen waffles. “I grew up eating frozen waffles for breakfast, and I still love them,” says Sara Haas, RDN, LDN, a Chicago-based culinary nutritionist and food photographer. “Today, I reach for whole grain varieties which are satisfying, delicious, and make a great blank canvas for nutritious toppings.” 

Try them with a dollop of peanut or almond butter and a banana or a handful of berries. Or go savory and sub them for toast in a fried egg sandwich.

Chicken bone broth. “I love making homemade stock after cooking a whole chicken, but for convenience I keep a few cartons of organic chicken bone broth on hand,” says Rachelle Mallik, MA, RDN, owner of The Food Therapist, a virtual nutrition counseling practice specializing in reproductive health. “It has a nice richness and significantly more protein than regular boxed broths or stocks. So, it’s a great way to add extra nutrition to soups, gravies, sauces, and cooked grains like quinoa or farro.” 

Just one cup delivers 9 grams of protein—that’s more than milk! Look for brands containing less than 5 percent of the Daily Value for sodium.

Whole grain and seed crackers. According to the USDA, snacks provide a quarter of our calories. Why not make the most of yours with crunchy whole grain and seed crackers? Their fiber-rich whole grains can help you meet your daily whole grain quota of 3 to 5 servings a day. Plus, their seeds provide an extra protein boost. 

Seek out brands with at least 2 grams of fiber, no more than 200 milligrams of sodium, and 0 added sugars per serving, suggests Haas.

Frozen turkey burgers. If you’ve ever had to wait for chicken breasts to defrost in the fridge, you know frozen poultry isn’t exactly speedy—unless you have frozen turkey burgers at hand. These patties can go straight from the freezer to the pan, so they’re great for busy weeknights (just be sure to cook them to an internal temperature of 165°F).  “Look for patties made from only ground turkey without anything added,” says Mallik. “I prefer those that are 93 percent lean because they’re high in protein yet low in saturated fat and sodium without being super dry.”

Frozen brown rice. “I’ll admit it, I’m a failure at cooking rice,” says Stewart. That’s why she always keeps a box of pre-cooked brown rice in her freezer. “It has a perfect texture and consistency and works beautifully in chicken or vegetable fried rice or even for a quick, healthy breakfast topped with chopped apples, nuts, cinnamon, and milk,” she says. Plus, it takes only 3 minutes to whip up in the microwave—a fraction of the 45 minutes you’d wait for a pot to simmer on the stovetop!

The post Nutrition in a Box appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Introducing Inspire 3—the next generation of Fitbit’s popular health and fitness tracker, helping you begin your journey to your best self without breaking the bank. With a thin, lightweight design, new color touchscreen and up to 10 days of battery life (varies with use), it’s the most accessible way to experience the health and wellness features Fitbit brings as the pioneer of the wearables category. 

Move more, sleep better, and stress less with Inspire 3

Inspire 3 makes it easier to live an active, healthy lifestyle, whatever you’re doing and however you’re moving. Whether you’re walking to work, trying the latest viral dance craze, or just grabbing lunch with friends, you can automatically track your Active Zone Minutes, calories burned, distance, heart rate, and steps. 

Inspire 3 has our pioneering sleep tracking features, like Sleep Stages, to help you analyze your sleep and figure out what you can do to improve. Learn to sleep better and respond to stress in a healthier way by incorporating Inspire 3 into your daily (and nightly!) routine.

Paired with the Fitbit app, Inspire 3 gives you around-the-clock health and wellness stats in the Health Metrics Dashboard like heart rate variability and SpO2 (blood oxygen), beyond what you see on your wrist. Plus, you get access to introductory fitness and wellness sessions and a range of challenges.

Inspire 3 is available for $99.95 (USD), including a six-month Premium membership. Beginning today, pre-order Inspire 3 online at Fitbit.com and select global retailers, with worldwide availability in September. Sold separately, Inspire 3 accessories are also available starting today from $19.95 to $69.95 (USD). 

Want to learn more? Dive deeper into the details of Inspire 3 here.

The post Do What You Love and Feel Your Best with Fitbit Inspire 3 appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

When people think about stress, they often associate it with the feeling of worry and mental tension that is associated with significant life pressures. But that is just one aspect of stress. More broadly, stress is your body’s physical and emotional response to the demands of everyday life. Small bursts of stress can motivate you to meet a deadline or avoid danger, but if it lasts for an extended period of time it can negatively affect your health and well-being. 

You know that when you’re stressed, you may get sweaty palms or a racing heart. You may also notice a variety of changes in your emotions, like worry or excitement. 

But did you know that it’s possible to have different degrees of the physical and emotional components of your stress response? For example, someone may experience no emotional changes, but show significant physical signs of stress. On the other extreme, someone may experience significant excitement from an emotional perspective, but minimal changes in heart rate and sweating. 

The source of stress can actually be positive, like a promotion or new baby. (Read more about the upside of stress here.) And of course, it can be negative, as is more commonly known—like an overwhelming workload or traumatic life event. It can also be triggered by injuries, exercise, and different substances like caffeine. 

The first step to effectively manage stress is to understand how often it occurs, what triggers it, and how you are mentally and physically responding. To help you, Fitbit has developed a new algorithm to identify body responses that may be due to stress, excitement, effects from caffeine, and more. 

This new feature is exclusively available on Sense 2. It’s a proprietary algorithm that combines heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature, and electrodermal activity in order to identify physical signs of stress referred to as Body responses. The algorithm runs continuously throughout the day to help identify these moments.

You can use this information as a prompt to pause and reflect on how you are feeling and what may have triggered the response, then take that opportunity to reframe the situation or act to manage the stress in the moment. Over time, this may help you identify patterns that you can use to anticipate potential stress and plan ahead. (If you don’t have a Sense 2, you can use your daily Stress Management Score in the Fitbit app to better understand your daily level of physical signs of stress.)

It’s also important to know that we won’t catch all your signs of stress. We also might catch “Body responses” that are actually triggered by behaviors like smoking or drinking caffeine. Since our detection is based on physical measurements, we might detect “stress” that you perceive as positive (i.e. nerves before karaoke or excitement during a promotion), also known as eustress. Whether it’s positive or not, to your body, those are still moments of stress and it’s valuable to understand when and how often they occur. Seeing those responses—or getting a notification if enabled—allows you to check in with your emotional response to that event and ultimately learn to manage stress better over time.

The post Learn More About Fitbit’s New Body Response Feature on Sense 2 appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Fitbit is delighted to announce the return of Brother Vellies with a stylish second collection of Fitbit watch accessories. Fitbit’s longtime partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has brought this new collaboration to life. 

The partnership blends the boundaries between fashion and fitness, innovation and technology, to support emerging designers like PH5, Kim Shui, Victor Glemaud, and more.  

This new collection for Fitbit features woven leather bands that will bring a little luxury to the Sense 2, Sense, Versa 4, or Versa 3 watch on your wrist. Keep reading to find out all about the exciting new designer collection! 

These new woven Horween® leather bands combine vintage style with new luxury 

This lightweight, full-grain leather band features a stainless steel tip engraved with the Brother Vellies logo. The leather is handcrafted with premium oils and dyes, and it’s tanned in Chicago with traditional leather working techniques so that the natural materials mold to your wrist and develop that special aged patina finish over time. Talk about elevating a timeless design! 

Black woven leather.  This black woven leather band brings luxury to everyday wear.

Oak woven leather. With this warm brown woven leather band, a neutral has never looked so good.

About Brother Vellies

Led by Founder and Creative Director, Aurora James, Brother Vellies creates luxury, ethereal accessories in partnership with artisans across the globe using sustainable materials and designs you want to wear forever.

Shop the Brother Vellies for Fitbit 24mm Attach woven leather collection for Sense 2, Sense, and Versa 4, and Versa 3, available in sizes small and large for $54.95 each.** In addition to the new woven leather bands, we’re also still offering the Brother Vellies leather scrunchies (black and oak) for $54.95, which are also compatible with Sense 2, Sense, Versa 4, and Versa 3. Note that these come in small and medium.*

As official Fitbit accessories designed to work with Fitbit products and tested for comfort and durability, these accessory bands can only be purchased on fitbit.com.

Want to learn more about Designer Collections for Fitbit? Find out here. 

* Watch sold separately

** Leather accessories are made of Horween® leather and other materials.

The post Every Look is Better with Leather: Brother Vellies + Fitbit is Back appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Today we’re excited to announce the launch of two new smartwatches. Both powered by the new Fitbit OS, Versa 4 and Sense 2 have been re-designed to feel more at home on your body, 24/7. 

Stay on top of the metrics that matter most to you—from 24/7 heart rate, activity tracking, real-time stats, walk/run detect on-wrist, sleep tracking, stress tracking, and more. Plus, Versa 4 and Sense 2 are thin, lightweight, and perfect for all day and night wear. We’ve changed the entire design and made it our thinnest series of smartwatches yet. We have also moved the band attachment so the device fits more comfortably on your wrist and added the button back, with an improved location for easier access during workouts. Both Versa 4 and Sense 2 are  equipped with 6+ days of battery life and fast charging (12 minutes = 1 day of battery life!).

Work out smarter with Versa 4 

Versa 4 puts fitness front and center. Choose from more than 40 exercise modes (double we’ve ever had!) all available on-wrist, including new options like HIIT, weight lifting, CrossFit, dance, and more. Head outside with built-in GPS, or find something new with more than 1,000 workouts and mindfulness sessions in Fitbit Premium. 

With Premium, you also have access to Daily Readiness Score to help you know when to push hard or take a rest day. Read more about Daily Readiness here and here. 

Stress less with Sense 2 

Wear your Sense 2 to sleep to dial into our advanced sleep tools, like the new Sleep Profile feature with Premium, which uses 10 sleep metrics to show you what type of sleeper you are, spot key patterns, and help you improve your sleep quality.

Sense 2 also takes Fitbit’s stress tracking tools even further, with a new Body Response sensor that measures continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) for all-day stress management right from your wrist. Along with cEDA, it uses metrics like heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature to help you better understand when your body experiences potential signs of stress. Read more about it here.  

Bring a little style to your wrist with a woven leather look 

Led by Founder and Creative Director Aurora James, and in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Brother Vellies has returned with a stylish second collection of smartwatch accessories designed exclusively for Fitbit. This luxury accessory brand’s new collection for Fitbit features premium Horween® leather bands¹, elevating a timeless design on the new smartwatches and Sense and Versa 3. They also include a stainless steel tip engraved with the Brother Vellies logo. Learn more about the exciting new Designer Collection here. 

We’re also offering even more accessories to style your Fitbit smartwatches², including new infinity bands in blue mist, pink sand, and waterfall blue for $29.95; sport bands in glow up/frost white and sea blue/ocean for $34.95; vegan leather bands³ in flax and indigo for $49.95; and Horween® leather in garnet for $49.95. 

Versa 4 and Sense 2 are available for pre-order today 

Versa 4 is available for $229.95 and Sense 2 is available for $299.95 (USD). Both include a six-month Premium membership (for new or returning customers). You can pre-order Versa 4 and Sense 2 on Fitbit.com and at select global retailers now. 

Want to learn more about these exciting new smartwatches? Discover additional details, features, and more on the Google Keyword blog.

¹ Leather accessories are made of Horween® leather and other materials.

² Sold separately.

³ Made with Ultrafabrics Volar Bio, a USDA certified bio-based product, and other vegan materials.  

The post Introducing 2 Brand New Smartwatches: Fitbit Versa 4 and Sense 2 Are Here to Help You Optimize Your Workout and Manage Your Stress appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

Nobody wants to be stressed. Yet as much as we try to avoid it, some stress can be good for you. Really. “Some of our most meaningful experiences involve stress, be it excelling at work or school, maintaining relationships, or raising children,” says Jeremy P. Jamieson, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. “When people reflect on the times in their lives when they have learned, grown substantially, or performed at exceptionally high levels, they often report those times having been deeply stressful.” 

How can something that feels so bad be so good? Turns out, there are two types of stress, one that’s positive and another that keeps you awake at night. Here’s how to tell the difference, plus ways to make the positive stress in your life work for you.

Stress is so misunderstood

According to the American Psychological Association, we’re more tense than ever. Inflation, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and more have all conspired to take our anxiety to new heights. But anxiety isn’t the same as stress, even though the two share many similar symptoms, says Jamieson. Both can make your heart race, voice crack, and palms sweat, but only one of them is potentially a problem. 

Stress comes from the outside, like landing your dream job (a good thing!) or suddenly finding out you’re about to be transferred to a new city (terrifying). Anxiety, by comparison, is worry that comes from within that is often (but not always) triggered by stress. Like when you can’t stop thinking about the argument you just had with your best friend. Or panicking about how you’ll find time to make dinner, help with homework, and make it to your child’s parent-teacher conference on time.

Good stress versus bad stress

We hear about negative stress all the time. Yet we rarely, if ever, hear about the positive kind. But psychologists know all about it. They even have a special name for it: eustress. 

“Positive stress can lead to psychological growth, help you develop new skills and capacities, and make your life larger and more meaningful,” says Melanie Greenberg, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of The Stress-Proof Brain. “For example, taking on a challenge like running a half-marathon may be stressful, but it can increase your fitness and lead to mastery and accomplishment.” 

Often, eustress has a clear upside, such as getting married, buying a new house, or having a baby. But other times, the perks may be less obvious, like going on a job interview or a blind date. Yes, these might be a little scary, but they can motivate you to take action, help you bond with others, and make you more resilient.

Making the most of stress

If eustress is so great, why don’t we hear about it more often? “The dominant cultural narrative is that stress is inherently negative and ‘bad for me’,” says Jamieson. “People often get stressed about being stressed and then expend a lot of energy trying to get rid of or reduce the stress they are feeling.” 

But tapping into eustress isn’t about eliminating stress. It’s about what Jamieson calls “stress optimization.” Instead of trying to minimize stress, he suggests focusing on how you perceive and react to stress. Rather than viewing stress as a negative to overcome or avoid, he encourages people to learn to embrace difficult situations and life events as challenges. 

So next time your boss asks you to take on a tough new project and your blood pressure starts to rise, take a deep breath. Then consider all the good things that might come from it, like new skills, networking opportunities, and a chance to shine.  After all, “nobody ever achieved new heights by staying in their comfort zones,” says Jamieson.

The post The Upside of Stress appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

If you were to stop and ask 100 people on the street if they felt like they were busy, overwhelmed, or over-scheduled, chances are, the vast majority of them would give you a resounding “YES.” 

Between balancing work and social obligations, taking care of household responsibilities, and trying to find enough time to actually get a good night’s sleep, people are more pressed for time than ever. Which is why it’s no surprise that the mini workout is on the rise.

Mini workouts are becoming the go-to choice for everyone from time-stretched professionals to busy working parents. But what, exactly, is a mini workout? What are the benefits? And how can you make sure you’re maximizing the impact of your workouts—no matter how mini they may be?

What is a mini workout?

A mini workout is, as the name suggests, a miniature version of a workout session. While “standard” exercise sessions generally last anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour, a mini workout is much shorter—think 10 or 15 minutes.

Mini workouts have become increasingly popular with people who want to stay fit and healthy, but just don’t have the time to commit to working out for an hour at a time.

What are the benefits of mini workouts?

Arguably the biggest benefit of mini workouts is that they can fit into any schedule. Rather than trying to find a large chunk of time on your daily calendar to devote to the gym, you can instead identify quick breaks in your schedule—and power through a workout between meetings or picking your kids up from school.

Not only are mini workouts more schedule-friendly, but powering through a mini workout can have a serious impact on your motivation. “[When people complete mini workouts], they feel accomplished and they begin to realize that they can fit fitness into their life,” says certified personal trainer Stephanie Thomas. That sense of accomplishment can then propel them to continue on their fitness journey.

Mini workouts can also be a great way to combat a sedentary lifestyle—without requiring a ton of effort. “If you’re sitting for much of the day, doing a mini workout every few hours is a great way to add movement to your day,” says Alina Kennedy, strength and conditioning specialist and owner of Bloom Fitness NYC. 

Another benefit of mini workouts? They can also help with your mood, as the short bursts of exercise deliver “small endorphin boosts throughout the day,” says Thomas.

Plus, when you’re only working out for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, you can fit in more mini workouts throughout the day—which can often result in more active minutes per day than if you dedicated an hour to the gym. “Doing mini-workouts throughout the day accumulates to a lot of exercise…[often] more than you would do if you only did big workouts,” says Kennedy. 

How to make the most of your mini-workouts

Want to squeeze the most out of every workout—even when you’re short (or super short!) on time? Here’s how to make the most out of every mini workout:

Choose the right exercises. The entire point of a mini workout is that it’s supposed to be fast and convenient—so make sure you choose exercises that reflect that. The best exercises are the ones “that you know you can do anywhere, without any equipment,” says Kennedy. 

In addition to cardio (like going for a quick jog), “things like bodyweight squats, lunges, planks, jumping jacks and stretches are perfect for a mini workout.”

Focus on form. In order to see results, you need proper form. So instead of trying to fit as much exercise as possible into your mini workout, try focusing on doing fewer exercises with better form. “Exercises are all about quality, not quantity,” says Thomas.

Use AZM’s to hit your goals. The American Heart Association recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week—but it can be hard to know if and when you’re logging those minutes during your mini workouts. 

Fitbit automatically creates three personalized Active Zones based on your age and resting heart rate—then tallies your Active Zone Minutes (AZM) based on how much time you spend in each zone. Different types of mini workouts will help you rack up points in different zones; for example, 10 minutes of yoga will likely put you in the fat burning zone, a jog will put you in the cardio zone, while a HIIT workout is likely to garner at least a few minutes in the peak zone. 

At the end of the week, you can see how many AZM’s you accumulate—and make sure it’s in line with the AHA’s recommendation.

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