THE FEED: FitBit Mailbag!
/The Feed was my regular column for employees of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock health system about how the synthesis of health care and social media can influence all of us—employees, patients and the community—for the better.
You spoke up, and you're awesome. Let's keep it up.
Wow. You spoke up, and you're awesome. Let's keep it up.
I wasn't prepared for the response I got to my FitBit story. I heard from people all over Dartmouth-Hitchcock, and they were bursting with ideas. Here's a sampling.
They read the story and decided to get one.
"Ok, you convinced me! My FitBit One is on its way to me, and I’ve joined your FitBit group."
They just needed a nudge.
"...[My FitBit] is sitting in my drawer at home but I could get very motivated to start using it again."
They wished we could connect more.
"A virtual community would be a huge help to my motivation."
They suggested fitness apps they use on their computers and phones.
They described their work-breaks in terms of how FitBit tracks them.
"1400 steps and 7 flights of stairs."
They loved the web's potential.
"I am passionate about integrating social connections into wellness."
They recognized the barriers that make a traditional fitness regimen nearly unattainable for so many of our coworkers.
Those included night shifts, multiple shifts, multiple jobs, fatigue, chronic illness, school, child and parental care, increasing commutes, and the cost of fitness devices. I love your compassion.
One even coined a word to describe his newfound enthusiasm for electronic fitness.
"FitBitten."
I'll do regular reader mailbag installments of The Feed, which I hereby coin The Feedbag. If I get my act together sooner, I'll get your permission to include your names.
It's so great to see that you have such a clear vision for what you need, what drives you, and what stands in your way. Together we can crowdsource all kinds of solutions for the way we live and work; this is just the start. What's next?
Talk back!
Do you have ideas for how Dartmouth-Hitchcock can help you get healthier at work?
Aside from fitness, what topics would you like me to cover in future installments of The Feed?
Not online yet? Want to be? I bet I can find a way to make it fit into your life. Contact me.
Join our growing FitBit group.
Susanna French is the social media specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. She also has a level 86 mage on the Earthen Ring server. Props if that means anything to you.