DISCLOSURE: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Polar. All of the opinions on my new Polar Loop are my own.

When I arrived in Savannah on December 20th I had great plans for my vacation. My mom and I were going to work out each day together whether in their home gym or during long walks on the beach. While I love winter and know that I will certainly get my fill of snow and cold weather this year living in Geneva, I was excited to enjoy quite a few warm weather workouts while home. In fact, I packed two pairs of shorts and tank tops especially for glorious, sweat filled runs in Savannah. In my head when Bo and I arrived in New York City for New Years Eve festivities I would be bursting with healthy energy and tan skin.

The box which greeted me under the tree upon our arrival would further support this healthy visit in Savannah as my friends at Fitfluential sent me the new Polar Loop and H7 Heart Rate monitor to track my fitness as part of the Rethink Your Day Campaign.Unfortunately wicked cold viruses and bronchitis got in my way between December 24th and December 30th absolutely no physical activity took place other than testing how much my lungs could expand when I coughed or walking to fill up my water bottle. Being sick takes lethargic to an entirely different level.

Yesterday was the first day that I was able to enjoy my Polar Loop and now that it is around my wrist, I’m loving it! As obesity is the number one difference I noticed between Switzerland and the US during this trip, I am more motivated than ever to ensure Bo and I both stay healthy in 2014. The Polar Loop is a bracelet you can wear 24 hours a day to track your movements including sitting, walking, running, lying down time and more. In order to make wearing it easier the Loop itself is fully waterproof. The black color and non-descript style makes it something I can wear daily with workout clothes and business clothing alike. While I’m sure some of my European friends will ask what it is as the Loop and other fitness tracking devices are not very common in Europe, I barely notice it even when I’m typing.  The loop features the time, number of steps taken, calories burned, and a movement status indicator which looks like a treadmill track. As you progress towards your movement goal for the day the loop progresses towards the “finish line.”  In addition, once you download the Polar Flow app on your smart phone the Polar Loop syncs automatically to update you on sitting time, activity and more! I love that you can go as in depth as you want with the Loop app spending hours comparing each days activity levels or even sleeping time and eventually even compare months. I can’t wait to see how the Polar Loop computes my skiing activity in January!   

As I have a job which keeps me at my desk or sitting in meetings most of the day, squeezing in movement whenever possible is important. Yesterday just after setting up my Polar Loop my phone vibrated and the Polar Flow app told me it was time to get moving!  That was the only motivation we needed to head to the beach for a long walk.  I strapped on the Polar H7 heart rate monitor so I could get a better overall understanding of my activity as it also syncs with the Loop and Polar Flow app. I think being able to integrate and study heart rates is a huge advantage over some other trackers.    We both loved being able to see our steps and calories burned during the walk while not having to worry about fumbling with getting satellite reception on a Garmin or MapMyRun. While I know that my Garmin will still be my tracking source for running, this is a great option for everyday health.

The one issue I have with the Polar Loop is the work that it takes for someone to alter the Loop itself before you can start using it. It is great that Polar made an item which can be personally fit to each person’s wrist so it fits perfectly BUT making the alterations is not easy. While you can use kitchen scissors to trim the ends, in my cold medicine stupor I threw the box out before taking out the tool needed to take the pin in and out. Luckily Christmas tree hooks work well in a bind but regardless it was still a challenging process before the Loop was fastened around my wrist.

The Loop retails for $109.95 and the Polar H7 Bluetooth Heart Rate Sensor retails for $85.00. But don’t just trust my review, check out more information on both these products on the Polar website.

Would I spend $200? I would definitely spend my own money on this item for either myself or as a gift for my mom. I think that this is a perfect health and wellness tool for someone who is looking to either get fit in 2014 or stay fit. It’s a great way to motivate people to rethink their day and take a few extra steps by parking further away or choosing the stairs over the elevator!

DISCLOSURE: The following post is sponsored by Fitfluential LLC on behalf of Polar.  All of the opinions on my new Polar Loop are my own