Should I Use A Fitness Tracker?

• July 31st, 2024 Fitness

A quick look around the gym or watching people cross the finish line at an event reveals that many people track their activities with a fitness watch. With this popularity, you may ask yourself, “Should I use a fitness Tracker?”

While fitness trackers and smartwatches are popular, they aren’t for everyone. They can inspire obsessive tracking habits and come with hefty price tags. However, they also offer numerous benefits. Let’s explore whether a fitness tracker is a good investment for you.

What Does A Fitness Tracker Do?

From monitoring steps to tracking sleep cycles, fitness trackers provide a comprehensive overview of your daily activity and health. However, they aren’t perfect, and their usefulness varies depending on individual needs and preferences.

Does A Fitness Tracker Motivate?

Fitness trackers are among the best motivational tools for those new to exercise or looking to restart a routine. They help you hit numerical fitness goals, like 10,000 steps a day or your daily activity goal, by showing you real-time data. Many trackers offer notifications reminding you to move, which can be annoying for some but motivating for others. The various apps associated with fitness trackers, such as Strava, give you on-screen rewards and badges for meeting daily goals, adding a satisfying element of achievement.

A review by Flinders University found that participants wearing a fitness tracker did an hour more exercise per week than those who didn’t. Given that the NHS recommends 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week, this can go a long way.

Improving Fitness With A Tracker

Unless you’re a personal trainer or highly attuned to your body’s changes, it’s challenging to gauge the effect of your workouts. Fitness trackers offer valuable insights into your fitness levels and suggest improvements. For instance, they give you an overview of your training status, helping you understand whether you’re progressing, maintaining, overreaching, or recovering.

An advanced fitness tracker can significantly enhance your training regimen if you exercise regularly and have specific fitness goals.

Tracking Your Outdoor Activities

Fitness trackers with GPS and navigation features are handy if you exercise outdoors. Some devices have map features that can guide you through routes with turn-by-turn navigation. This functionality is invaluable for hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts who prefer leaving their phones tucked away. The apps also show you where others train, giving you inspiration for new routes.

Tracking Sleep

Some fitness trackers also focus on sleep, essential for health and recovery. Most devices provide similar insights into sleep cycles. They track your sleep stages and give you a Sleep Score. Some even help establish a better bedtime routine by syncing with your phone.

The WHOOP 4.0 stands out for its emphasis on rest and recovery. It tracks your strain and recovery levels and offers tips to balance them. It provides a lot of detailed information, which is great as long as you pay attention to it and take appropriate action.

Fitness trackers are only effective for sleep tracking if worn to bed. If you find this uncomfortable, a fitness tracker may not be a good idea. Also, remember to turn off notifications as they may wake you up in the middle of the night.

 A Fitness Tracker Is Useful For Tailoring Your Workout Plan

When connected to services like trainingpeaks.com, your trainer can keep an eye on your fitness threshold and fatigue. This allows them to fine-tune your workouts to maximize gains and factor in recovery time. This is something we use at Buzz Performace so our clients can stay consistent and reduce the likelihood of injury.

What Are The Downsides To Using A Fitness Tracker?

Fitness trackers are not 100% accurate. Studies have shown varying degrees of accuracy in measuring steps, heart rate, and calories burned. For example, you can hike up a mountain and be out of breath, but your watch says your heart rate is no more elevated than if you were on the sofa. This has been backed up by a study by Stanford University, which found that calorie burn measurements could be off by up to 93%. Therefore, if your primary goal is managing a calorie deficit for weight loss, you may want to consider more accurate nutrition tools, such as keeping a food diary.

The other issue with using a fitness tracker is that it can sometimes disrupt intuitive exercise, which is guided by how you feel rather than numbers. They can encourage you to push beyond your limits, potentially leading to burnout. While they provide useful data, it’s essential to listen to your body first and the tracker second, especially for metrics like sleep and stress.

Some people become obsessed with tracking their activities, which is fine. However, you need to understand that just because you forgot to track your run doesn’t mean you didn’t do it.

The Bottom Line

Fitness trackers can be a significant investment but are worth it if you have specific health or fitness goals. They keep you motivated, track your progress, and provide valuable insights. However, not every tracker suits every person. Weigh the features you need against your budget before deciding; more often than not, you don’t need the fitness tracker with all the fancy features.

Conclusion

While fitness trackers have drawbacks, they offer numerous benefits for those looking to improve their fitness, sleep better, or stay motivated. If you’re committed to using the data they provide, a fitness tracker can be a valuable tool in your health and wellness journey. Consider your goals, budget, and preferences before buying one, and you’ll find a tracker that suits your needs perfectly. You can also speak to a Buzz Performance professional for advice on the best approach to your fitness goals.