A fitness tracker can count your steps, but does it mean you will have a healthy life? Some studies show that a fitness tracker can help. In an AJPM study, older women were more active with trackers. The study followed 51 overweight women. Before the study, they exercised 33 minutes a week. All women were asked to do 150 minutes of weekly workouts.
The bad news? Neither group reached this goal. The pedometer group did not work out any more than before. The fitness tracker group did. They worked out 38 minutes more a week. Fitness trackers help with motivation, accountability and accuracy.
You do not have time to track each step you take. A fitness tracker does the work for you. It counts your steps and exercise levels. Because of the tracking, you may feel motivated to work out. It also instantly shows if you worked out more. It tracks pace, intensity, duration and distance. You can use these measures to track your progress.
The right fitness tracker can record your heart rate. You can use your heart rate to set the workout intensity. If you are below your aerobic heart rate, the device alerts you. It will not make you work out. The tracker just helps you know if you are working out right. If you want a healthy life, it is one tool you can use.
Should You Buy One?
Tracking your exercise can help, but it can be pricey. At the top end, fitness trackers cost $250. Even cheap trackers cost $49 or more. A fitness app is just $5 or less, and it has many of the same benefits. In one study, smartphone apps were just as accurate in tracking steps. These apps are not convenient though. Most people do not work out with a phone in their pocket. For convenience, fitness trackers are the best.
Fitness trackers vary in how they help you have a healthy life. Some trackers only count steps. Others track your calories, sleep and movement level. They are not perfect though. A fitness tracker will not make you work out. You have to motivate yourself.
Luckily, fitness trackers may help with motivation. Through apps and friendly competition, you can get group support. Workplaces like SSG even give employees free trackers. By competing with each other, they get in shape. Plus, they get the motivation they need to stay on track.
A fitness tracker is just a tool. It can help you have a healthy life, but it will not work out for you. You have to set goals. Know what you want to accomplish beforehand. Find a fitness buddy and hit the gym. Also, look at the sleep, blood pressure and heart rate information. Fitness trackers can help improve overall health. If you only use them to track your workouts, you are missing out.
A fitness tracker can help record your progress. It will not magically make you work out. For that, you still need to have self-motivation. With the right motivation and tools, you can achieve your fitness goals.