Monitoring My Activity Monitor Emails...

As I may have mentioned before, I'm giving the Philips DirectLife activity monitor a test ride. The best thing about this program is that it gives you access to your very own activity coach that you're allowed to torture all you want...

Hello Jack!

When I read your question on 'This sentence is false', I really had to smile. How can I convince you that I am indeed a person and not a robot? Hopefully by now you feel that you are working with a human.... a human who's here to help you get the most out of the DirectLife program.

I think that I missed a beat when you wrote: "Your challenge is to find some way to make me the activest person I can possibly be."

I cannot make you do anything Jack. It is up to you how you go about this program and how much you change your activity. I am here to support you on this journey. I can give you advice, help you plan, get back on track (if you go off track), and support you, but ultimately it is you who will be making the choice each day to choose activity. You've indicated that you want to increase your activity. I'm here to help you do that.

Sometimes when people begin the DirectLife program they indicate that they are really eager and ready to be more active but when it comes down to it, they are not quite mentally ready to make the choice each day to be active. They like the idea of being more active, but for instance, they physically like the escalator more than the stairs. and thus they still pick the escalator. Where do you feel you fit in this Jack? Are you both saying you are ready and are ready, or do you want to be ready but need some time to figure out what you are willing to do in terms of changing?

The more I understand where you are now, the better able I will be to coach you to a more active lifestyle and I really want to help you achieve that.

I have attached two articles on the negative effects of sedentary behavior (on both active and inactive people) for your reference if you are interested. For me they were really informative and quite surprising. They helped me decide to get up from my desk more often.

I really look forward to hearing from you Jack and wish you a happy and active day,

Jen

P.S. Just as a side note...Philips does do work on brain activity monitoring ;-)

http://www.healthcare.philips.com/main/products/index.wpd
We even have a research project that measures brain activity to prevent day traders from making emotional rather than rational decisions. Find a link here: http://www.design.philips.com/about/design/designnews/pressreleases/rationalizer.page


Hi Directlife Coach Jen,

Where do I fit in, DirectLife Coach Jen? I go "up" on the "down" escalator! How's that for a commitment to activity?

I know what you mean though; a lot of the folks who follow my blog (Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit, in case you're curious) want to lose weight and become more fit, but for some reason can't find in within themselves to take the necessary steps to achieve the success they claim they want. I guess it's easier to just wish things would get better than to get busy and change things ourselves.

I'm inclined to agree with what you say about this program being up to me and what I make of it, DirectLife Coach Jen. I didn't open the attachments you sent because even though I'm now 87% certain that you're not a robot, I couldn't take a chance that you were trying to zap me with a robot virus. I get the point though: activity=good, sedentary=evil. I'm down with that.

I'm curious as to how many folks you're working with, DirectLife Coach Jen. My buddy Tony claims you're his BFF and I see your name on people's Twitter tweets from time to time. I guess I'm a little worried that you're overworked and not having time to get enough activity in during your day. Unless you work at a treadmill desk or are a robot, I mean...

Take care,

Jack

Hi Jack,

(and Hi everyone that reads Jacks' blogs! - in case you do post this email as well). Jack, thanks for the link. It was quite funny for me to read your blog, our interactions and then all the comments. Again, I could not help but smile. To clear up some uncertainty.... it sure is hot here in India! But that doesn't bother me much with my metal parts and all - I just need a bit of greasing every once in awhile.

No, no...I am not a robot, I am not working in India, nor am I overworked with coaching. So how come I happen to have you and all of your blogger buddies as people that I coach? It so happens that my coaching profile matches up best with that of all of you. But I am one of many DirectLife coaches. As a team we have a variety of backgrounds, from behavioral psychologists, kinesiologists, nutritionists, counsellors, and teachers to competitive athletes. If I am ever away on holidays or sick one of them will be available to fill in for me as your coach, if desired. So in time Jack, you may get a chance to meet one of the other coaches.

Now, from your response it sounds like you are both willing and ready to make changes. Is this right? If so, can we begin to look more closely at your activity patterns to find times that you can be more active?

Take Tuesday for instance. I think that was the day that you had budget meetings. Does the lower level of activity concern you? Reflecting back on that day, do you see any opportunities to be more active? Please do let me know.

I look forward to your next email Jack and wish you an excellent and active weekend,

Jen

Hi DirectLife Coach Jen,

What makes you think I'd be putting our correspondence on the internet where anyone could see it (especially when you're being more entertaining than me)?

You want to talk about Tuesday? See, you're spending too much time reading my blog and not paying attention to my emails. That was the day I ran... I RAN, DIRECTLIFE COACH JEN... for thirty minutes without stopping. I was duking it out with the treadmill at my gym, intent on not giving up before it did (we settled on a draw after it became clear that neither of us was giving in that day). Anyway, I had tripped the 5K mark when it dawned on me that my activity monitor doodad was sitting in my pants pocket, which was on my pants, which were in a locker, which was in the lockerroom. So while you think I was crammed inside a locker sitting perfectly still for a half hour, I was actually as active as all get-out. Don't count Tuesday against me, DirectLife Coach Jen. Don't you dare count Tuesday against me...

BTW, I thought a "kinesiologist" is somebody that works on kaleidoscopes. If you've got somebody on staff that does that, I'd like to send in my kaleidoscope for repair. My daughter Pisa dropped it on the floor and now when you gaze through the hole, it looks like it's busted into a thousand pieces.

Take care,

Jack