outfit: up and away

it’s been a month since i started using the up system by jawbone, which means it’s time for me to share an update about how it’s been working out. i have to admit that i was a little skeptical about how a simple little bracelet could really do anything for me. i mean, it’s essentially a really fancy pedometer, right? well, yes and no. it records your steps during the day and your sleep at night. but the interesting part is what happens once the data is collected in the up app (which, by the way, you can use to record your information even if you don’t have a bracelet).

when i first put it on, i was a little concerned that it would somehow make me feel bad. i didn’t really know how much i walked in a day or if my activity was up to snuff. and i have a baby and, you know, a life. sometimes these things are out of our control, and the last thing you need to hear is a little voice in your head telling you that you aren’t good enough. but much to my surprise, it’s actually an incredibly helpful tool. instead of telling me that i needed to reach some unachievable goal in order to be healthy, it began recording my activity and smartly creating incremental goals to help me inch towards higher goals. i wasn’t getting enough sleep at night, so it would give me a mini challenge now and again, providing me with a suggested bed time that might help me get the sleep i need to function during the day. it even provides tips and tricks to help you get a better night’s sleep, and links to relevant studies about sleep. i was skeptical that these tiny suggestions would really have an impact, but after a month, i’m actually getting better sleep! for the first time since i started using it, i’ve been reaching 100% (or more!) of my goal.

and even more interesting than that: over time, the data gets smarter. the app started to look for a correlation between how much sleep i get at night and how active i am during the day. and wouldn’t you be surprised to know that since i’ve been getting more sleep, i’ve been way more active during the day? no, i haven’t suddenly become a marathon runner, but i am very surprised to say that a funky little bracelet and a smart little app have actually been helping me to make some pretty positive lifestyle changes. so while my one-month challenge is over, i won’t be giving up on up any time soon.

see all of my posts featuring up here.




this post is sponsored by jawbone. thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

7 comments

  1. I’ve been on the fence about switch to jawbone (I currently have an old fitbit), and this post has been amazing. I didn’t realize that the jawbone not only tracks, but gives tips and evolves with you (something the fitbit is lacking). Is the bracelet comfortable to sleep in?

    1. totally! i didn’t mention it in the post, but i used to have a fitbit and i got bored of it after a couple of months. that made me a lot more skeptical about using the jawbone, but like i said, the app is way smarter and really personalizes goals and provides information that helps you to make healthy decisions. wearing it to sleep was about the same as wearing a watch to bed (which i actually do for some strange reason), so it never bothers me!

  2. I had a pretty basic UP band, and liked it, but the old styles are a tad clunky. I love the app and its encouraging feedback, so just got an Up 3. No clunkiness here. I got the silver one with subtle little X’s on it. Nice. Now the whole shebang is pretty awesome. Where’s the five star button?

  3. Erin, can you do an update on how much you liked the Jawbone/UP system? I just bought one recently (I know this post is pretty old by now…) and I’d love to hear how you used it long term. I bought the same version as yours, not the updated one. It seems to work pretty well but the battery goes pretty quickly. I’d love a follow up!

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