I ALREADY HAVE A PEDOMETER, WHY DO I NEED ANOTHER ONE?

Fitbug is far more than a pedometer, it is a lifestyle choice. You’ll use the ’Bug’ (an interactive pedometer) to monitor every step that you take. Through your online health and well-being coach you’ll also be able to log exactly any additional activity you do and monitor what you eat. Each week, Fitbug set you gradually increasing activity targets, which you can achieve through steps from the ’Bug’ or any other activity you participate in. As a PruHealth or PruProtect member, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with possible Vitality points when you take more than 10,000 steps a day. You just need to upload your steps on the Fitbug website to show us what you have done.

WHENEVER I START A FITNESS PROGRAMME, I AM ALWAYS REALLY MOTIVATED BUT THE ENTHUSIASM SOON WEARS OFF. WHY WILL FITBUG BE ANY DIFFERENT?

We know the feeling, but nothing is better for keeping you motivated than seeing your progress - and with Fitbug you’ll soon be able to see measurable progress. Plus, to keep you on the right track, we’ll send you weekly targets to keep on challenging you as well as motivating messages and a weekly newsletter. You’ll also have access to lots of online features and articles, healthy recipes and a members’ forum so that you can share your story.

I’M CURRENTLY A GYM MEMBER, HOW CAN FITBUG HELP ME?

Are you a gym member or a gym user? If it is just the former, then Fitbug would certainly be a great alternative that would allow you to accurately monitor exactly what exercise you really are doing and encourage you to do more when you can. If it is the latter, and not a PruHealth/PruProtect approved health and fitness club, you can wear your ’Bug’ to the gym to record all your steps. If you take more than 10,000 in a day, you could earn 5 Vitality points; take 12,500 and you could be eligible for 10, subject to category limits.

I’M A VEGETARIAN, WILL THE DIET PLAN BE SUITABLE FOR ME?

Because Fitbug is a personal diet and exercise plan, it needs to be tailored to meet your requirements. Therefore, if you are a vegetarian we’ll create a plan that conforms to the balance of good health and is suitable for you. We can also build a calorie-calculated healthy eating plan for people with the following dietary requirements: vegan, diabetic, pregnant women and women who are breast feeding.

I LOVE TO GO SWIMMING, WILL FITBUG COUNT THAT? WHAT ABOUT CYCLING?

The Bug isn’t waterproof and it won’t count your swimming strokes. However, that’s not to say that you can’t record your swimming with Fitbug. All you have to do is log how long you swam for and roughly how hard you worked and Fitbug will calculate a steps equivalent and put it towards your activity target. The online activity tracker also records cycling, skiing, rowing and skating. *

I HAVE A VERY BUSY LIFE, AND DON’T HAVE TIME TO MESS ABOUT. WILL IT FIT IN TO MY LIFE AND HOW MUCH TIME WILL IT TAKE UP?

The great thing about Fitbug is that it encourages you to make small changes for great health benefits. Rather than suggesting a complete overhaul of your life, we’ll ask you to do what you can when you can - from getting off the bus one stop earlier to walking to colleagues desks rather than emailing them and abandoning lifts or escalators in favour of taking the stairs. It can take as much time or as little time as you have, but if you are really determined to achieve your goals you may be surprised to learn how much time you find to dedicate to healthy living.

WHAT IF I DON’T ACHIEVE MY TARGETS?

From time to time, we all miss a target or find a new challenge a step too far. At Fitbug we’ll try to guide you through those times and give you the help and advice that you need to get back on track. We’re also big believers in the philosophy that sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward, so we’re not adverse to dropping your targets and then gradually increasing them when you feel ready. As we use the sound principles of energy balance, if your activity levels (energy out) drop we’ll adjust your calorie intake (energy in) accordingly to keep you on course to achieve your goals.

CAN FITBUG HELP ME TO LOSE WEIGHT?

You bet your life it can! Fitbug was developed by nutrition and fitness professionals to help people to live healthy lifestyles - and a major aspect of a healthy life is maintaining a healthy weight. We’ve already helped thousands of members to achieve their weight loss goals by eating a healthy balanced diet and increasing their activity levels and we’re sure that we can help you too.

IS THERE ANYONE TO TALK TO ME AND GIVE ME A HELPING HAND WHEN I AM STRUGGLING TO REACH MY GOALS?

You are only an email away from the answer to any health and fitness queries that you might have. Our activity and nutrition gurus will do their best to respond to any questions you pose as soon as possible and always within 48 hours. You’ll also receive a weekly newsletter with regular tips and feedback to help you to achieve your goals. In addition, we’ve developed an online community, including messageboards and success stories, so that you and fellow members can spur each other on to achieve your goals and help each other through the bad times.

DO I NEED TO BE SUPER FIT TO USE FITBUG?

Not at all, Fitbug is designed to help people of all levels to achieve their health and fitness goals - whether that be weight loss (or gain), general fitness or managing a health condition. Because the basic principle of Fitbug is doing what you can, when you can, at your own pace, you should never feel out of your depth. As you get fitter, you’ll be able to adjust your intensity accordingly.

WHAT HEALTH CONDITIONS CAN FITBUG HELP WITH?

While Fitbug isn’t a miracle cure and people with health conditions should always seek advice from a medical professional before embarking on any physical activity programme, a moderate intensity activity programme and healthy balanced diet, such as that recommended by Fitbug, can help to prevent a variery of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and some cancers.

I GET REALLY INTIMIDATED BY TECHNOLOGY, IS FITBUG SUITABLE FOR ME?

We want Fitbug to be accessible for everyone, so we’ve made it really simple to use - even for complete technophobes! When you join we’ll send you an email talking you through every step of your journey and all you’ll have to do is click on a link to download all the software you will ever need. Once you’ve followed the instructions, you’ll be able to upload your stats with a click of the mouse. We’ve also gone to great lengths to make sure that it is easy to enter all your other activity and monitor your diet. If you do get stuck at any time, just give us a ring on 0870 228 4949 and our support staff will talk you through your problem.

I ALREADY DO LOADS OF EXERCISE, WHAT CAN FITBUG DO FOR ME?

It’s great that you are already highly active, now Fitbug will help you record that activity so that PruHealth/PruProtect can reward you for living a healthy lifestyle. Each time you take 10,000 steps, you could earn 5 Vitality points. If you take 12,500 you could earn 10 points.

IS THIS A SHORT TERM MEASURE?

Let’s get this straight, Fitbug is not a quick fix and if that is what you are looking for then we suggest that you look elsewhere or, better still, get real - when it comes to health and well-being there’s no such thing as a quick fix. Fitbug is about making small lifestyle changes to enable you to adopt healthy principles for the rest of your life. When you join, we’ll ask you for a short-term goal (in the first three months), a medium term goal and a long term goal. We’ll make sure that they are realistic and achievable and then we’ll be with you every step of the way to ensure that you reach your goals.

* Please note that you will only be rewarded with Vitality points for steps recorded by the Bug. Any additional activities that you add manually to your Fitbug activity tracker will count toward your Fitbug target, but will not be recognised by PruHealth/PruProtect.

If you have any further questions, give our customer service team a call on 0870 228 4949 (calls charged at local rates) or drop us an email.