Susie Felber, who is also known in the Romance universe as “Edith Layton’s daughter,” has a cool new job with a French company, Withings, which makes connected health and fitness devices. She reached out to me to see if I’d be willing to host a giveaway of two of their Activité fitness trackers – a gift for Valentine’s Day that’s the opposite of chocolate, as she put it.
Mais oui, s’il vous plait!
I know that many of you probably set up some personal fitness resolutions for this year. Since taking care of yourself and making sure you feel healthy and happy is very important, I think this would be a great boost to any of your fitness goals. I rarely talk about fitness because, well, I have been on the receiving end of long monologues about workout routines and I don’t want to inflict that on anyone! But I got serious about my health a few years ago, hired a personal trainer (whom I miss a LOT now that I’ve moved), and started working out almost daily. Since then, I have learned that, to quote Peter Drucker, “What gets measured gets managed.” In other words, if I’m paying attention to what I do, what I eat, what I lift, and when I do all of the above, I see the progress I want. Trackers like these can help a lot with all that measurement and monitoring.
Thanks to Susie, we have two to give away! AND a coupon. Thanks, ma’am!
There’s the Activité Steel, which will come with two bands in raspberry and white:
And the Activité Pop, in limited edition Coral Pink:
What’s it do? It tracks steps, swimming, running and sleep, and syncs to their Health Mate app, available for iOS or Android. In the app, thanks to the tracker, you’ll see distance traveled, calories burned, activity, sleep data, and all that fun stuff. Health Mate also syncs to other apps you might already use, like My Fitness Pal.
On the device itself, you’ll see the time, because it’s a watch. Plus there is a small dial that tells you how much of your daily activity goal you’ve achieved.
The Activité does not need charging, either. It runs on a standard watch battery (aka one of those little silver button cell batteries) and one battery should last up to 8 months.
The Activité Steel retails for $199, and the Pop in coral retails for $149.
Plus, we have a coupon should you wish to check out the other products at Withings.com! With coupon code WITHSBTB you’ll get 20% off your purchase. They make Wi-Fi scales, a home camera, and other health tracking devices as well.
Susie also sent me an Activité Steel to try out, which I’m terribly excited about. I’d been trying to decide which fitness tracker to buy, and having one that is a watch and a monitor is very cool. If anyone would like a review, I’m happy to write one up after I’ve used it for awhile.
Standard disclaimers apply. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents only (sorry sorry!). Must be over 18 and prepared to work it out in order to win. There is a correct way to tie your shoes, but really, whichever way you do it so you don’t trip is good. Measure twice, cut once. If you drop the beat, please clean up after yourself. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Anyone who allows party rock to enter the house tonight will answer to management. Do not remove internet under penalty of law. Two winners will be selected to each win one of the two watches by random integer from the comments at or close to noon ET on Sunday 14 February 2016. Winners will be announced that day.
Want to enter? Yay! I hope so.
Just leave a comment and tell me what you do – or would like to do – to help keep yourself healthy. Health means different things for different people, and figuring out what helps you personally is, I think, very important.
Good luck!
ETA 12/14/16: Congratulations and hooray, we have winners!
The winner of the Activité Steel is Kristen, and the winner of the Activité Pop is Brandy.
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to everyone who entered! I wish you all success on your fitness goals – you can totally do it.
I try to exercise at least three times a week and I am cutting caffeine back out as much as possible. I love it, it hates me!
Physical health is hard to manage when I’m just starting to get my mental health together. Right now I’m trying to just get myself to do SOMETHING, without setting unrealistic expectations or punishing myself when I don’t meet a goal. Leslie Sansone Walk at Home DVDs have been working for me–I don’t have to leave my apartment or put exercise clothes on, I can perform moderate aerobic activity for 15 minutes but still feel accomplished when I finish walking a mile, and Leslie is encouraging and enthusiastic. I’m hoping that by the end of the year I’ll progress to exercising outside of my apartment and hitting targets like 10,000 steps!
I walk and take barre classes 3-5 times per week. I’ve been walking for 2 years now (approximately 5 miles/day) and doing barre for exactly one year today. Barre is especially great for strength and flexibility. I love it!
I got in shape weight lifting with the Beachbody videos, then switched to a combo of bodyweight exercises and yoga. Bodyweight moves made me smaller but firmer (wonderful!). Now I’m recovering from injury and surgery and dreading how far I’ve probably slid in the past 8+ weeks but looking forward to being able to resume the workouts that turned out to have the best effect on my body type.
I am a runner, but this year I’m adding in some cross training and strength training to round things out.
I want to transition to a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle (as opposed to the junk food vegan I’ve been for the last three years) and also be more active. I am transferring to a closer location for work so I can bike/walk (it is 4 miles one way), and this would be a neat way to quantify my daily activity.
I want to do at least 9 miles a week, at best 12 miles of running every week and to not eat out.
I belly dance to keep myself healthy and in the warmer months I walk outside. I also try to nourish my introvert spirit with reading and crafting alone in my apartment, which is self care of a different sort. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I’ve just started a sugar fast and a daily walk. We’ll see how it goes!
I quit smoking 3 years ago (and had been smoking e-cigs for several years before that, so that’s good. But 2 years ago I had to have foot surgery and have had to have 2 more foot surgeries since then, so my walking routine has been shot. The result is that I’ve put on 25 lbs in 3 years. Yuk. But I’m healed enough now that I can walk, though not yet “briskly.” I’ve been wearing a pedometer for years, but it would be so nice to have a cute watch instead of this tacky black thing I clip to my clothes
Run! I know I like running–the problem is, I don’t like running until I do it every other day for 3+ months.
I need a kick in the butt to get off the couch! This attractive monitor might just do the trick! Thanks
Swimming is the thing…
I would love to give it to my 20 year old daughter who really needs an incentive to get healthy:)
[…] To help spread the love this Valentine’s Day, we paired up with the clever ladies at a SBTB for a sweet giveaway. Visit the leading site for romance readers and share what you do – or plan to do – to keep healthy for a chance to win an Activité Steel with a raspberry and a white band, or an Activité Pop in limited edition coral pink. Plus, you’ll find an exclusive coupon good for any Withings devices and the winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day! Just go here to enter: Activité Steel and Activité Pop Giveaway. […]
I just started using the Lose It! app to track calories. It really helps me cut down on the mindless snacking which is a problem for me at the office (candy jar!) especially.
Without being crazy, I make an effort to eat fairly healthy. Lots of protein, lots of veggies and if I eat junk food it’s because I’ve made it from scratch. I work out with a trainer 2x week doing strength training. Now to get more sleep…
I have recently discovered the awesomeness of yoga, and I’m trying to get back into running, with the goal of doing an 80s/90s run with friends in April.
I try to trick myself into walking more — by parking a mile from work, using the restroom two floors away, etc. It’s hard to find time to exercise when I’m either working at a desk or lugging a baby, so I have to do my best to catch what opportunities I can 🙂
I am still trying to figure out how to get these pounds off that have creeped up on me.
I’ve increased my water intake. I’ve also tried to make myself get up and go for a walk every day- which is difficult, due to being stuck in front of a computer all day for work as well as where my office is located (not really a great place to try and get walking!)
Eating healthier. More veggies and fruit. Lean protein.
AND getting more sleep
I want to get into a routine of exercising each day, and a routine of avoiding hard to avoid sweets.
I would like to drink more water and eat more veggies!
I am walking and doing yoga in preparation for a long walkabout. This would be so useful in stretching those limits!
I’m trying to be mindful about everything: keeping myself moving, watching what I eat. A fitness tracker sounds great!
I’ve tried (almost successfully) to eliminate carbs from my diet and to start each day with a fresh-made kale-coconut oil-red fruit smoothie. I also belong to a gym, but haven’t visited it for several months.
I want to get back in the habit of exercising. I’ve fallen out of it and I can tell. Specifically, running three times per week with a half marathon somewhere in the future.
Ooooh, so pretty!! I like that they are actual watches as well. My fitness goal has to get outside and walk every day – no excuses !!!!
hiking, biking, snowshoeing , etc. The more outdoors the better
I walk the dogs (about 1 hour a day).
I do physical therapy exercies/Yoga stretches, (about 1.5 hours a day)
I log what I eat (even it I eat crap).
I really need to drink more water, and cut down on sugar and fat.
Zumba!
I go for walks daily and hydrate often.
No snacking at work, (attempt to go) walk on my lunch, and always take the stairs in the parking structure. Coworkers and I joke the stairs are the only exercise we get all day.
I track my calories and try to go for a 45 minute walk each day.
I’m trying to get more sleep every night and drinking more water throughout the day. Both of these things are so tricky for me to do.
Here’s my plan for 2016 forward. Hoping to be a better version of me. I’m feeding my mind, body and soul. I spend my days caring for others as a mother, daughter, sister, friend & running a hunger organization. I start each day reading this: I’m going to be Living beneath my means. Not blaming other people. Returning everything I borrow. Admitting it when I make a mistake. Giving clothes not worn and healthy food to charity. Doing nice things and not getting caught. Listening more .. Talking less. Every day taking a 30 minute walk. Striving for excellence, not perfection. I’m going to be on time. Not making excuses. Not arguing. Getting organized. Exercise. Being kind to unkind people. Letting people cut ahead in line. Taking time to be alone. Cultivating good manners. Realizing and accepting that life is not fair. Knowing when to keep my mouth shut. learning from the past. Planing for the future. Living in the present. Remembering not to seat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff.
I’ve committed to doing yoga more frequently. Not only does it give me a cardio workout and increase my flexibility and strength, its one of the few ways I can relax. Plus my body feels so strong and powerful when I get into and hold a pose that I’ve been working on achieving.
It’s actually good weather season in my part of the world, so lots of walking!
What I do: aerobics! What I need to do: eat less sugar, which I’m working on…
I try to eat less sugary stuff (sooo hard), wear a pedometer and try to get at least 10K steps every day and lately have been doing a 15 min workout (about my limit!) called Metabolic Aftershock (name’s a bit campy, but it’s been working for me)
Getting enough sleep, being mindful, yoga, and being present in both the present and looking towards the future.