Curious what users are saying about DirectLife? Check out these recent blog posts and testimonials and read how users experience the DirectLife program.

Please share your DirectLife story with us

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I’ve been using my Philips DirectLife activity monitor for about five months now, which is great for me, in terms of committing to a gadget. I’d also tried a BodyBugg and various pedometer things, and gave up on those fairly quickly. But I find the little white necklace of the DirectLife so easy to wear, that it’s become automatic. One of the best, no, THE best thing about the DirectLife is the coaching that goes with it. Last week I got this message from her: "How is your week going? I notice that your activity is lower than before – well, not hitting targets. Are you OK. Happy with the targets as they are? Is there anything that I can do to help? Harrass you everyday with emails? Give you new tips on daily activity? Let me know" - Jen

She was right. I was so busted! Read the rest of this post on: Foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.com.

 

I can’t think of anything negative to say about the device. Even the price is fairly reasonable. For $99 you get the Activity Monitor, necklace, pouch and USB-adapter plus a 4 month membership which includes access to a personal coach via email and the charts on the website. That’s $25 a month to peer into your daily habits and learn how to incorporate more activity. I think it’s a good amount of time to start adopting some healthy habits for those that are trying to increase their daily activity. ... Read more

 

... “Bump it up, bump it up” was the first thing I thought when I woke up this morning. I WILL INCREASE MY MOVEMENT TODAY. I WILL GET THE GREEN DOTS TO MARCH THROUGH TO 100%. Correction, I thought of the DL right after I wished I had closed the travel trailer blind so the early morning sun would leave me alone.

I put it on. I wore it all day. I made a point to move my molecules more. I was intentional. Make sure to read the rest of this blogpost on Livestartled.com

 

I started using the DirectLife Activity Monitor and Program during the Bas van Goor Foundation’s Atlas Challenge and it’s changed my life.

All the participants of the Atlas Challenge 2010 received the DirectLife Activity Monitor in January  2010. I immediately started using mine the next day. During the first week I checked how many calories I burned every day. It was really exciting because you saw yourself burning more calories each day. ...Read more

 

The Direct Life Program has really made me very aware of keeping healthy and fit. In the past I would only get exercise once or twice a week but now I make sure that I do something every day!  My dogs love me more because one of the things I now do is take them for a walk every other day!  Instead of doing the housework twice a week, I now do a bit every night when I get home.

I have not used the elevator at our office once since I joined the program.  The stairs and I have become good friends! The fun part is when we get to the office in the morning and log on to see who in our department was most active!  This is very motivating, because no one wants to be the least active! It certainly has changed my attitude towards being healthy.

 

The first item I pick up each morning is my Direct Life accelerometer. Feeling its shape in my pocket provides a gentle reminder to be more active. It serves as an electronic nudge to take the stairs, park further away or to have a meeting while walking the perimeter road. It helps keep me honest and when I combine the results with my calorie counts I have finally started to see real positive results. I also feel better knowing that I am taking a more active role in choosing a healthier lifestyle.

There is a core group of users here in the department who are using Direct Life and we work to encourage each other. Some of it supports doing the right thing- like asking a colleague to go for a walk; and some of the support is avoiding bad things- like being in the cafeteria line and staying away from certain foods and returning to the salad line.

I continue to enjoy using the Activity Monitor and believe it is playing a positive role in keeping me more active and healthier.

 

... I went through a phase several years ago where I was hooked on my pedometer. It was fun to find ways to add steps throughout the day to increase my end-of-day step count. While not a step counter, the Philips DirectLife activity monitor has taken me back to those wonder years.

The DirectLife monitor is designed to record your daily movements so you can see how active you’re being throughout the day. Read the rest on: Fitbottomedgirls.com.

 

Like many people entering later middle age, I knew I needed to be more active in order to be healthy, but it often seemed frustrating to try and specifically define what that meant. I needed something tangible that could evaluate what my activities meant on a daily basis, and how they contributed towards my short and long term goals. What was the difference between a long and a short walk with the dog? How did vacuuming the house or doing work in the garden count towards fitness? ... Read more

 

Since I participate in the DirectLife program I changed the way I go to work. I travel to work by train. Now I walk to the station, it is about a mile (1.6 kilometers). I do this twice a day (in the morning to the station and in the evening on the way home). I did this because I wanted to reach 100% every day. By walking to the station it was easier to reach it. After the first Activity Plan was finished I continued walking to the station and now I enjoy the daily walk. The Activity Monitor stimulates me to move, and I often take a walk and sometimes take the bicycle instead of my car. I still use the Activity Monitor and keep trying to reach 100% everyday.

 

I’m 59, married with three children, three grandchildren and I’ve had Type 2 diabetes since 2002. A while ago I read a newspaper article about Bas van de Goor, the 1996 Olympic champion volleyball player, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2002. In 2008 Bas climbed the Kilimanjaro mountain with a group of Type 1 diabetes patients. In September 2010 he’s taking another group to climb the 4167 meter high Jbel Toubkal mountain in Morocco. To my surprise I made it through the selection process ... Read more

 

I am Laura, a French and English teacher, wife, and the mother of a five year-old daughter.  I have NEVER enjoyed exercise and rarely did any prior to using DirectLife.  However, one day, I was watching an American news magazine show.  They were featuring the best new up and coming gadgets and I love technology, so I decided to give it a try.  I have been using my DirectLife monitor for the past thirteen weeks and have lost fourteen pounds, twelve and a half inches, and six point eight percent of my body weight.  I now view exercising as a habit -part of my day. ...Read more

 

I’m Donna, a 67-year-old retired restaurant owner, and I refused to take my Lupus diagnosis lying down. For me, Direct Life has been a perfect fit. During my flare-ups, everything hurts, but my monitor allows me to find activities and movements that still pay off in reaching my goals.

I’ve been through a variety of physical therapy and exercise programs but this one is so easy, logical and apparent, it gets me over the bad spots and keeps me going. My coach is a wonderful motivator who gives me a real sense of accomplishment. I have attached a picture of my decorated monitor. Maybe an idea for other users?

 

... When I put it in today (first day after the assessment), it said my activity could be better. I took it and threw it against the wall. I wrote coach "Jen" how much I work out, how much I sweat at the gym and this is the most ridiculous thing.

Within a minute I got a response back. She explained to me that although my workouts were great (She could see the exact time of them), it shows that there is room for more activity during the day. She told me about my down times and what I could do to move a little more. Do I park farther away so I can walk? Do I walk sometimes instead of drive? Then it hit me. I am getting too big for my britches. Read the rest on: Theantijared.blogspot.com. 

 

 

DirectLife is just what I needed to challenge me to become more active and abandon a lifestyle that had become too sedentary.  I tend to be very competitive, and with DirectLife I am competing against myself.  I am determined to reach the goal that was established during the assessment period and most days I do just that, and often I even exceed my goal. 

Since I have been wearing DirectLife, I have gone to the gym to exercise almost every day.  I put it on the first thing in the morning, and part of my daily routine is to check my progress during the day, and if I haven’t quite reached my goal at the end of the day, I do something—perhaps take the dog for a walk or “dance” around the house—until I have reached my goal.  

 

I learned about DirectLife from NY Times columnist David Pogue several weeks ago and he was spot-on about DirectLife being the best of these types of programs. DirectLife's 3-pronged approach makes success so easy. For me, the most essential ingredient is my wonderful coach, José. He is so thoughtful and encouraging and positive. Many days, it is a challenge for me to get to the 100%, especially since I upped my goals, and he is so creative about suggesting ways for me to add activity. ...Read more

 

Read David Pogues article in the NY Times

 

I have always been fairly active. I grew up playing sports, American football, baseball, softball. As I got older my focus turned away from organized sports to more recreational outdoors activities such as hiking and fishing and even trail bike riding (no mountains near where I live).

In the last 5 years or so I have been working out on and off. My cycle usually starts in February and lasts until October. Through those months I try to eat right, exercise 3-5 days a week. My weight will go from 213 to 190. By October the holidays arrive and I start eating poorly, stop exercising and in general just let myself go. ...Read more

 

When I first heard about the DirectLife program, I thought “just what I need, another gadget”. But I decided to give it a try. I had been trying to make more time for exercise, hoping to lose a little weight and become more fit. Within a few days I was hooked. The regular tracking and comparison against my goals really got me motivated. I take longer, more challenging walks, and have even used the office gym, since I started the program. I’m not satisfied until those green lights on my monitor get to the 100% goal line each day. Emails of encouragement from my coach were a big help, but when she suggested increasing my goal I was concerned. No need to worry. I was able to step up my activity, and have enjoyed every minute of it. I know I’m healthier, and now I would not want to give up my DirectLife Monitor. This program really works!

 

Since joining the DirectLife program, I notice I am much more conscious about taking a walk or going out on my bicycle. During work (I work in nursing care) I sometimes notice that I haven't been that active during the day and so I need to make sure I reach the 100% score by the evening.

DirectLife really stimulates me to move a bit more. I always carry the Activity Monitor with me, it has become part of me. In the past I came home and switched on the TV. Now I check my Activity Monitor and will still go for a walk to reach my 100% mark. I do feel better and more relaxed; it really works for me. Achieving 100% gives me great personal satisfaction. It is a true revelation!

 

For me, it is important to know that I have moved enough during the day. Wearing the activity monitor is really easy, I usually carry it on a necklace, this way I hardly notice wearing it. If the lights on my activity monitor indicate that I need to move a bit more for that day, I still go out for a walk.

In the past, I simply wanted to move as much as possible; now I know when I have moved enough, which reassures me.

 

Look, this is how I connect my Activity Monitor to the computer. My activity data is then uploaded to the website. I immediately see an overview of my activity level. In this chart, I can see in my physical activity detail - by the month, by the day - even by the hour. Splendidly clear. A dotted line marks my personal goal.

Every now and then, I get an e-mail from my coach. She compliments me or gives tips to improve my performance. It's nice to hear that you're on the right track. Via DirectLife, I am more aware of my activity level. That's why this is a challenge and a good initiative.