Fitness trackers have become increasingly popular in the last few years. These gadgets help us stay on top of our physical activity and identify different tendencies. Besides allowing us to monitor our activity, fitness trackers can positively affect our behavior.
This article will discuss fitness trackers and how you can use them to change your behavior.
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What Are Fitness Trackers?
Although they are very popular nowadays, not all people know what fitness trackers are. Fitness trackers, also called activity trackers, are wearable devices that record your physical activity. Typically, people wear them on their wrist. Depending on the brand, fitness trackers can look like a digital watch or a band with a small display.
Most trackers monitor steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Advanced models can measure your blood pressure, keep track of your food and water intake, count calories, etc. Fitness trackers usually connect to mobile apps that allow you to customize your daily targets and follow your progress.
How Fitness Trackers Can Help You Change Your Behavior
Although it may sound too good to be true, numerous studies have shown fitness trackers affect our behavior. Here are some of the main benefits listed in the research.
Fitness Trackers Affect Personal Accountability
This is probably the main reason so many people buy fitness trackers. Keeping track of our progress and fulfilling goals encourage us to be even better, increase our targets, and be more active. Knowing your activity is measured helps you be more committed and consistent.
Fitness Trackers Increase Motivation
As mentioned, fitness trackers monitor your daily activity. Completing activity goals every day provides good motivation and pushes us to improve steadily. Humans are very reward-oriented, and most apps come with a game-like design that targets that behavior to promote long-term use.
Fitness Trackers Provide Independent Growth
Every person has their own individual rhythm, and working out in groups may not be the best option for many. With fitness trackers, you don’t have to conform to someone else’s standards and feel less worthy if you don’t succeed. They enable you to set your own goals and adjust them over time.
Financial Motivation
Fitness trackers can be quite expensive, depending on the brand and features. Instead of thinking about how expensive a fitness tracker is, you can use it as motivation. Take advantage of it as much as you can to improve your level of physical activity, become fit, and create healthy eating and sleeping patterns.
Fitness Trackers Promote Group Motivation
As much as fitness trackers are focused on individuals, they can also be a great tool for connecting with your friends and family. Namely, many fitness trackers allow you to share your targets and progress with others, post on social media, and even challenge your close friends. That way, you can stay active and have fun with family and friends at the same time.
Fitness Trackers Can Help You Stay Active at Work
Many people work in offices and are tied to their desks for more than eight hours every day. Unfortunately, we can get so caught up in work that we forget to take breaks and stretch. This is where fitness trackers come in handy. Most trackers will notify you if you have been inactive for a while and even suggest exercises that will help you stretch.
Fitness Trackers Monitor Heart Rate
Besides keeping track of daily step count and activity, fitness trackers allow you to monitor your heart rate at all times. This is beneficial for numerous reasons. First of all, it helps you identify potential health concerns and act as soon as possible. Secondly, it allows you to monitor the intensity of your workouts and ensure you’re not overdoing it. Finally, it assists in coming up with exercises that can help you reach the target heart rate.
Fitness Trackers Help Us Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep allows our body to recharge, and it’s vital for our overall health. As we sleep, we go through different cycles or stages, and many fitness trackers are able to record them. These devices monitor our movement while we sleep and help us establish our sleeping patterns. Thanks to this, we can identify potential issues and make healthier choices.
Fitness Trackers Help Us Develop Healthier Eating Habits
Although this isn’t their primary purpose, fitness trackers allow users to log their food and water intake. Besides being physically active, proper nutrition is essential for your health. Fitness trackers help users achieve the desired calorie intake that aligns with the workout plan and keep track of how much water they drink during the day.
Tips for Getting the Most out of Fitness Trackers
A fitness tracker can be an invaluable tool, but only if you use it right. Here are a few tips that can help you get the most out of your tracker:
Create an Accurate Profile
Most fitness trackers require you to create a user profile by providing information about yourself. Data such as your weight, height, habits, and gender are used to ensure accurate readings and planning. So, try to give detailed information if you want precise results.
Be Consistent
Consistency is key for accurate measurements. Ensure you wear the tracker as much as you can and take advantage of all its features. Use it for measuring sleep, counting calories, monitoring workouts, etc. The more information you provide, the more accurate the results.
Set and Adjust Goals
Setting goals is important for our motivation. However, it’s as equally important to adjust these goals over time. If you complete your targets every day without difficulty, it may be time to take it a step further and challenge yourself.
Recruit Family and Friends
Whether you like having support from your close ones or enjoy some competition, recruiting family and friends can motivate you to be even better and inspire you to work harder. This benefits both sides, helps you stay in shape, and strengthens your relationship.
Don’t Forget to Charge It
There’s nothing worse than realizing your fitness tracker’s battery is empty after starting your exercise. Many would say it’s best to charge your tracker during the night, but if you want to keep track of your sleeping patterns, this isn’t an option. We recommend charging your fitness tracker while showering, watching TV, or working on your computer. That way, you won’t miss out on recording relevant activities.
Enjoy the Benefits
Although it may seem unbelievable, fitness trackers can change our behavior in numerous ways. These small devices offer a wide range of features that can affect our overall health, help us achieve our fitness goals, and even socialize with our close ones. Don’t forget that the key to success is consistency. You’ll notice positive changes if you stay committed.