With all of the technological advances of today’s society, it’s no surprise that there is a device for health and fitness. The Fitbit is one of the most popular activity trackers in the nation, and here at Xavier. With its sleek look and futuristic functions, many students are now strapping it onto their wrist and tracking their steps.

“I get about 5,000 steps a day every day at school but if I get time to go to the gym, I get to around 10,000,” junior Elie Carlos says. Carlos first received her Fitbit from her mom, who purchased one earlier. “She thought that getting me one would also motivate me to exercise more and it did,” Carlos explains before adding, “there’s a part of the Fitbit app that allows you to connect to friends and family so that you can see how far they walked that day. So, my mom, my aunt, my uncle, and I compare each other’s steps and try to outdo each other.”

Though Carlos is overall very content with her activity tracker because, “it serves as both a pedometer and a wristwatch,” she admits they do have a couple minor drawbacks. “Sometimes, I forget to sync my Fitbit to the app on my phone at the end of the day and I lose the steps I walked that day,” Carlos says, “also, it doesn’t always let me know how much battery is left unless I connect it to my phone all the time and then it ends up dying on me in the middle of the day.”

The Fitbit trend is not only a hit with students, but also teachers. Honors Spanish II teacher, Señor Maresca loves his activity tracker. He first bought it to find out how many calories he burnt each day. In addition, Señor Maresca’s Fitbit challenges him to be more active “especially during the summer, but now at Xavier it’s easier to walk around more.” His favorite feature is the heart rate monitor, “especially when working out.” He proudly sports a healthy 65 beats per minute. Señor Maresca’s only complaint is the tracker’s band, which is “a pain in the neck to secure”.

Though Fitbits are only one of many activity trackers, they are certainly the most popular at Xavier. More features are added with every new model, encouraging countless people to buy one and start exercising. With the vast amount of Fitbits seen on students’ wrists, this techy trend is a hit at Xavier and the community at large.