Since this is a health blog and you can probably guess why my health journey includes the recent purchase of Allbirds and a smartwatch, but can you guess how an iPad fits into this heath equation? Keep reading and you’ll see.
Environmentally Friendly Allbirds
A dear friend of mine turned me onto Allbirds. If you’re not familiar with Allbirds they’re environmentally friendly sneakers. They are made from all-natural and readily available ingredients such as wool from Merino sheep, recycled plastic bottles, castor bean oil, sugarcane, tree fibers, recycled nylon, and TrinoXOTM, a fabric using chitosan fiber harvested from discarded snow crab shells. You would think using discarded snow crab shells would make things a bit…how should I say this…odiferous. Not so, it’s just the opposite. Chitosan fiber is a natural odor-fighter. Who knew?
Aside from using and reusing readily available materials, Allbirds is striving to reach a carbon footprint of zero. That’s a sweet-sounding symphony for this tree hugger’s ears,
Comfortable Sneaks
Enough about how the sneakers are made. What really matters is how they feel. To coin a popular phrase, these sneakers feel “Like buttah”.
Once I put them on, I didn’t want to take them off. They’re more comfortable than slippers.
Allbirds offers several styles. I’m partial to the Runner-up Mizzles. The tops are made with wool and Puddle Guard ™. It’s winter here, so I felt it was best to get the wool sneakers. I’ve worn them in the rain and the cold. I even wore them in light snow. When the weather warms up, I’m aiming to order a pair of the breathable Tree Dashers.
I find they run a little small, so my first pair, I ended up giving to my daughter. I could have exchanged them for a larger size, but my daughter put the eagle eye on them, so I gave them to her and bought another pair for myself (What a good mom.).
Allbirds – Everyone Gets a Pair
Not wanting to leave anyone out, I also purchased another pair for my husband. I think I did that selfishly. He was walking around in a pair of old squeaking sneakers. The squeaking drove me insane. I figured the best way to put the dump on those sneakers was to purchase a nice pair of Allbirds for him. He loves them and like me, has to remind himself to take them off indoors (What a thoughtful wife!).
Tracking Steps with A SmartWatch
Walking in my new Allbirds led to purchasing a smartwatch. What goes better with a new pair of sneakers than a device that can count your steps? Yes, I know the iPhone has a free step-counter app, but who wants to carry a phone all day. I’m old school. I still have a landline and more times than not, I don’t know where my cellphone is.
Not wanting to spend a small fortune on an Apple Watch, I searched Amazon to find an inexpensive alternative to count my steps. For just under $30 I found the Letsfit Smart Watch (Amazon affiliate link) fitness tracker. It counts steps, heartbeat, receives texts/emails, and more. Actually, it does much more than I need, but the price was right. Oh, and by the way, it tells time too. 😉
As with all technology, there’s an app (VeryFitPro – available on both iOS and Android) that synchronizes the data so I can chart my progress. It’s an anal-retentive person’s dream. Between morning walks, Playstation’s Just Dance, bouncing on the rebounder, and daily activities, I’ve been “killing it” in the steps department. The sneakers and watch are a nice marriage. Now… let’s talk about how the iPad fits into my health journey.
UPDATE 2/22/21: If you’re thinking of getting the Letsfit Smart Watch, dont. After about a month of wearing it, it caused irritation on the back of my wrist. It was as if the watch was burning my skin. The marks on my wrist corresponded with two outermost squares located within the circle on the back of the watch.
Apple iPad – The Mental Challenge
No, I cannot synchronize the step data with my iPad. VeryFitPro only allows synchronization with phones, not tablets. The iPad serves another health benefit. It helps to create new neural networks. It’s helping my brain health. You see, after decades of being a Windows PC user (and I mean decades…I remember things like Lotus 123, Word Perfect and Windows 3.1, floppy discs, and dial-up connections) I’ve switched to an iPad as my main computer.
Flipping the Windows to iOS switch is a neuroplasticity/synaptic disco party for my brain. As we age, we’ve got to keep that grey matter learning. As a blogger and part-time computer geek, my brain is loving the challenge. And, since I’ve laid out the cash for the iPad and have given my PC away, there’s no turning back.
So, for 2021, the Allbird sneakers, a smartwatch, and iPad will help me to end the year healthier than when I started it.
About the author: 
Comments on this entry are closed.
Felicia, if I’ve said it once (or twice), I’ll say it again, I learn a lot from reading your posts. This one is no exception.
I have not heard of the Allbirds sneakers, but you make them sound so comfortable I may give them a try.
I’m all in with you on the smartwatch. I didn’t want one, but my son gifted me with one a few years ago and insisted that I’d have no problem figuring it out. (Yeah, right.) I am digitally-challenged on nearly every device except computers. Although I wanted a smartwatch or Fitbit to track progress on my workouts, I knew that if I got one, I’d have to deal with a learning curve steeper than a theme park water slide. But, thanks to my son, I’ve made significant progress.
Oh, the memories you resurrected talking about Windows. (Word Perfect, floppy discs, and dial-up connections.) I can go back even further to the clunky MS-DOS Computers. Now, talk about a nightmare; that was it. But, nah, I’m not switching my clunky computer for an iPad. They are cute and practical, but I’m old school to the bone. Although I use my desktop religiously, a few years ago, my computer-geek-tech-addicted son insisted that I buy a laptop. So, I bought one. It’s handy if I want to move around, but most days, it sits in the computer bag in a corner of my bedroom because I am hooked on the big dog (my desktop).
Meanwhile, you keep on stepping into 2021 with your Allbirds, your smartwatch, your iPad, and don’t stop educating us about new things. I will continue to pay attention because when I grow up, I want to be as progressive as you.
LOL! Loretta, I love your sense of humor!
I think you’ll like Allbirds if you give them a try. And yes, I remember MS-DOS. I’ve had to resort to using it a time or two when my computer acted up.
The beauty of getting older is although we age, we will never grow up! 😀