Dorothy M., 67, and her husband Vilnis, 70, of Spring Lake, Michigan, have always been active together. “Every day for years we’ve woken up and gone on a three and a half mile walk together,” she says. In addition to their daily walk, Dorothy also enjoys exercising without Vilnis—especially playing doubles tennis with her friends. And it was during one of those regular tennis games that she realized how many people were wearing Fitbit trackers. “One woman was in between games and she told me all about her Fitbit tracker and how it tracks your steps,” she says. “No wonder she was constantly jumping back and forth when she was waiting to play—each step counted!”
Dorothy brought up to Vilnis that she wanted a Fitbit Charge HR, and he said he’d get one too. “As soon as we got them, we started waking up, putting on our Fitbit trackers, and setting our goal together for between 10,000 and 20,000 steps,” she says. “We’ve been married for 51 years and he’s always been the one to help push me to get our morning walk in—now the Fitbit Charge HR keeps us on track all day long.” Dorothy loved seeing how many steps she was racking up. “I’m a little older and this has made me realize that the more I walk, the better I feel,” she says.
Feeling good about how much they were walking, Dorothy and Vilnis decided to change how they eat, too. “We stopped doing the whole meat, potatoes, and gravy thing, and now we eat a lot lighter and leaner,” she says. “At our age, our goals are different. It’s not about losing weight really fast, it’s about being healthy.”
That said, a happy bonus is that Dorothy has lost seven pounds since getting her Fitbit Charge HR. “I’ve always had about 20 extra pounds on me, but now that I walk so much I have finally started losing some of that,” she says. “My house is three stories, so when I’m going up and down the steps I love that it is all getting counted.” And on the tennis court, Dorothy is now one of the gang. “My friends and I with Fitbit trackers are always moving constantly,” she says. “People have a name for us: the jumpers!”
Dorothy’s Advice for Others:
Use your freezer
“I love making a huge batch of roasted vegetables, like broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, and carrots—whatever I have around,” she says. “I mix them all together, put some olive oil, Italian seasoning, and fresh garlic on them, and roast them. Then I freeze little containers of it and pull one out when we need a healthy lunch.”
Have fun with fitness
“I play tennis with my friends two or three times a week and it’s such a fun way to move around and get a lot of exercise,” she says. “That said, my Fitbit Charge HR made me realize that I need to keep moving back and forth and not just stand around waiting for my turn to hit the ball.”
Stretch and strengthen
“Every day I do some basic yoga moves, light weights like bicep curls, and some core work like sit-ups and planks,” she says. “I feel much better going on with my day after I’ve gotten that little routine in.”
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before changing your diet, altering your sleep habits, taking supplements, or starting a new fitness routine.
Alice Oglethorpe
Alice Oglethorpe is a freelance writer and editor based in Chicago, IL. She covers health, happiness, fitness, and anything else that piques her interest. Her work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, Redbook, Health, Better Homes & Gardens, Psychology Today, Good Housekeeping, and more.
If you have questions about a Fitbit tracker, product availability, or the status of your order, contact our Support Team or search the Fitbit Community for answers.
Please note: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately after submission.