# Fitness watch recommendations needed **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567 "2016-10-14T23:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/1 "2016-10-14T23:28:02Z")
My SO spends a lot of time sitting at work, and is looking for something to remind him that he’s been sitting for over an hour, get up and move. A watch type item is preferred over a phone app, but an app might be acceptable. The big thing is, everything we’ve found lets you set an alarm that will go off at a set time, or at set intervals. He wants one that can tell when he is moving, and resets from that. So if he sits down at 9:45, and this reminder is set for 45 minutes, it would go off at 10:30, unless he got up at 10:15 anyway, in which case it would reset to 11:00. That’s where the watch idea seems better, since he’s doesn’t always take his phone with, if he’s getting a glass of water or something like that. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/2 "2016-10-14T23:59:04Z")
How about an oven/kitchen timer. Mine is digital, about the size of a Skoal snuff can, and can be quickly set for any number of minutes. It has a magnet and a spring clip on the back, about five bucks at the supermarket. I take it with me as a travel alarm. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/3 "2016-10-15T01:02:30Z")
I’m enjoying my Fitbit Alta. It tracks my sleep as well, which I like. It was $130.00, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/4 "2016-10-15T01:29:09Z")
My favorite nagging timer app on iPhone is [Due](http://www.dueapp.com). You can set repeating intervals and sleep durations independently. There are several macOS apps like [Stand](https://getstandapp.com) that will remind you to get up and are freeware or donation-ware. Probably similar ones on Windows, but I haven’t used them. The Apple Watch will tap you on the wrist to remind you to get up and move around. Again, no personal experience, but for some people, the impact [has been incredible](http://www.loopinsight.com/2015/06/16/apple-watch-my-most-personal-review-ever/). ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/5 "2016-10-15T02:53:02Z")
I’ve just taken the plunge and ordered the series 2 Apple Watch. I used Jawbone for several models, but they just kept breaking after a few months. I then switched to Fitbit, which I really like, but it, too, breaks all too easily. The Series 2 has some nice additional functionality, has some good apps, and I really like the water resistance. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/6 "2016-10-15T20:05:57Z")
Mabye you just need search terms because I found stuff quite quickly - ‘activity tracker’ + ‘Idle alert’ / ‘inactivity alert’, etc. > [@](#): > > Jawbone UP2, UP3 > > These wristband activity monitors pair with a phone app (Google Play and iOS). You can set Idle Alerts and they will vibrate when you’ve been inactive for your chosen amount of time. I like the vibration feature. It takes a couple of minutes of motion to satisfy its desire that you really do get up and move. > **[Low on Motivation? These Editor-Tested Fitness Trackers Will Give You the...](https://www.verywellfit.com/best-fitness-trackers-4156538)** > > After testing 16 fitness trackers for over a month, we found the top ones for every workout from brands like Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, and Withings. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/7 "2016-10-16T03:18:58Z")
> [@up\_the\_junction](#): > > Mabye you just need search terms because I found stuff quite quickly - ‘activity tracker’ + ‘Idle alert’ / ‘inactivity alert’, etc. > [The 12 Best Fitness Trackers of 2024, Tested](https://www.verywell.com/inactivity-tracking-devices-and-sitting-time-apps-3434970) I bow to your superior search abilities! Interesting, that article lists devices as having an inactivity timer, but the product description on Amazon or other sales sites don’t. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/8 "2016-10-16T05:10:24Z")
There is a heart-rate monitor watch for $15 today (Sunday) only at [meh.com](http://meh.com). Is that what youre looking for? ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/9 "2016-10-16T07:53:02Z")
I’m quite fond of my MS band. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/10 "2016-10-16T08:43:50Z")
> [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](#): > > I bow to your superior search abilities! Interesting, that article lists devices as having an inactivity timer, but the product description on Amazon or other sales sites don’t. It does. Mine is set to 30 minute intervals. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fitness-watch-recommendations-needed/768567/11 "2016-10-16T15:18:06Z")
I’ve had a basic [Vivofit](https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-v%C3%ADvofit-Fitness-Band-Black/dp/B00HFPOXM4) for almost two years now. [ul] [li]Move Bar - Motivates you to be active throughout the day by displaying a red move bar after one hour of inactivity. [/li][li]Additional segments light up for every 15 minutes of inactivity. Just walk for a couple of minutes to reset.[/li][/ul]