Hi, Everyone!
I posted this on my Instagram account yesterday, but realized that I have followers on my blog that don’t follow that, and who could possibly benefit from this input as well. So while I’m not going to take the time to write any more right now (honestly, I could probably write a few pages worth of opinion, based on my own experience…), I’m copying what I wrote on my Instagram to share here.
If there’s one thing that I get asked about more than anything (In regards to managing recovery and exercise), it’s these little devices.
They can be SO useful for so many people, but they can also be detrimental to a certain population. I used to fall into that group. There was a time when I couldn’t imagine going an HOUR without knowing exactly how many steps I’d taken and what my average bpm were for an exercise session, let alone fathom actually giving it up for a period of time.
But things have changed, and I’ve come such a long way in my recovery. So much so that I hardly think about it anymore, truthfully. I have been noticing myself putting more and more of an emphasis on my workouts though, as well as incorporating heart rate training. So naturally, I began to wonder if I was venturing into treacherous territory. I figured I’d run a small experiment.
I challenged myself to put away the watch for a week. Seven days. I actually wasn’t sure how this was going to go, and I was sort of hesitant to post about it before I knew I could last the full week.
But guess what? I did it. And honestly, after the first two days, I lost all anxiety about not having it and really started to enjoy the freedom of just listening to my body again, (especially in my workouts) not trying to meet any goal besides feeling good. It was also nice to be a little more disconnected from my phone, too, even though that wasn’t why I did it! It was reassuring for me to see that I’ve made major milestones in my recovery in this way, too.
Today, my seven days are up! I’ll probably put my watch back on again today, but I might not. It all depends what I’m feeling 😄
So, for everyone who’s asked me about them: I think they’re great. I love my Apple Watch. But if you can’t put it away for a period of time, just because you want to, that’s probably a sign it’s not a good idea (at least at this time).
As a side note, after I posted this on Insta, I started to get ready for the day and grabbed my watch out of my drawer, only to find it completely dead! Needless to say, I stuck it on the charger, but didn’t wear it all day. So really, I went eight days 😉
-Bridge
