Breaking In My New DirectLife Coach

A few months back, I was invited to try out the Philips DirectLife activity monitor, an amazing device that turns my pocket into a portable activity monitor headquarters. A key part of the DirectLife program is access to your own personal DirectLife coach. 

Hi Jack,

I hope you're doing well today. I just wanted to check in and see how your activity has been doing over the past few weeks and it looks great! I did notice that your weekend activity has been a bit lower
though. Is there a reason for that Jack?

I ask more out of curiosity because you are still achieving a healthy level of activity on those days, which is great. I'm more interested in the pattern and what is missing on the weekends that you're doing during the week. All in all, it looks very good Jack. Keep working on that frequent movement and let me know if there's anything you need my help with.

Have a great and active day!

Coach Erin

Dear DirectLife Coach Erin,

Is there a reason my weekend activity seems to be a bit lower than the rest of the week? Well, let me tell you a little story, DirectLife Coach Erin…

The story is abut a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air – until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. “My God, this terrible”,the wave says. “Look what's going to happen to me!”

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him: “Why do you look so sad?” The first wave says: “You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?”

The second wave says: “No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.”

You may recognize that story from  Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I was lounging around reading it this weekend. I was exercising my mind, DirectLife Coach Erin. Brain activity is still activity, or does your fancy device not measure that?

Just remember, DirectLife Coach Erin… when you point a finger at me, there are four fingers pointing back at you (I’m assuming that when you point at somebody, you screw your thumb back in a weird unnatural way, by the way).

Take care,

Jack

Hi Jack,

It's good to hear back and learn more about your weekend activity. Reading is a nice hobby and a great way to exercise your brain indeed, especially if you've found a good book, which it sounds like you have.

As I said, you're still reaching a healthy level of activity on the weekends, so keep that up! If you're interested in ways to make reading more physically active (in addition to the mental activity), I
can give you some tips. Just let me know, otherwise enjoy your book and the exercise that your brain is getting!

Best regards,

Coach Erin

Dear DirectLife Coach Erin,

You think I don't already know what you're gonna say? That I can get somebody to sit in the sidecar of a motorcycle and read a book to me while I run down the street? What about the noise from the motorcycle muffler, DirectLife Coach Erin? Plus, I only have hearing in one ear because I fell through the ice when I was a little kid and we were sledding on the thin ice at Bedford Falls Lake. If my brother George hadn't leaped in to save me, I don't know what would have happened...

BTW, I think I lost some activity when the monitor fell out of my pocket while I was on the elliptical at the gym the other day; the only good thing was that the lady that found it on the floor asked me about it and I said "Oh my God, my pacemaker came out again!" You should have seen the look on her face!

Okay, DirectLife Coach Erin, bring on your activity tips if you want to; my old DirectLife Coach Jen said she was going to send me some activity pointers, but every time I'd open one of her files, it was just more of her crappy pastel drawings of her cat, Chester.

Let's both try to have the most active weekend humanly possible.

Your pal,

Jack