Fitness Trackers - Are They Necessary?
Fitness trackers can be helpful tools to track your progress; many apps can work together to collect data such as steps taken, approximate calories burned throughout the day, and even send you reminders to get up and move throughout the day. But are they actually necessary?
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Note: I am not a certified personal trainer; this is my experience and opinions. As always, you should consult your doctor before beginning any workout program.
Benefits of Fitbit
Fitbit tracks your steps taken; auto-detects your active minutes, steps climbed, calories burned (approx), miles traveled, workouts, and sleep. You can use a fitness tracker to create new healthy habits. Maybe you only take 3,000 steps per day? Take the stairs, or park further from the door and walk. By being more aware of how active you are, you can make everyday changes that allow you to create healthy habits to be more active.
My favorite feature is that it tracks my sleep. I like to see how many times I woke up at night and the approximate time I actually fell asleep. I used to sleep extremely restless, and now that I am more aware of how I slept each night, I can recall what events led to going to bed. How did I unwind? Did I scroll through my phone forever before falling asleep? Did I read my book for a while? What healthy habits can I change to improve my sleep quality?
Fitbit App
Fitbit App is super helpful in providing more insight into the things that each fitness tracker tracks. Like for sleep tracking, the app provides all of the in-depth information. You can also track your food, weight, water intake, and exercise habits as well through the app. There is a premium version of the app that provides more insight into the data collected and workouts and recipe ideas.
Is it Necessary?
All of these are approximate based on movement, heart rate detection based on a really complex algorithm. So taking these measurements as fact may not be very useful, but rather as a tool to see where you are in approximation. So no, they are not necessary but definitely useful. So don’t worry about not having one; there are many other ways to track your progress. Measurements and progress photos are great ways to track your progress.
Other Fitness Apps
My favorite fitness apps that are not fitness trackers are:
Lifesum
A food tracker. With Lifesum, you can search your food based on the name or barcode to track your food. Besides, you can choose various plans and set your own macros based on your current fitness goals. If you don't know where to start, it will ask you a series of questions for the plan that meets your needs. It also calculates calories based on your weight, height, and activity level. But you can also manually set that too.
Currently, I am more concerned about the quality and quantity of food than anything. So I chose the clean eating plan. It allows me to be more mindful of the foods I consume. It gives me messages if I am consuming too much-added sugar or not enough healthy fats.
Nike Training Club
I love the Nike Training Club app. There are so many workouts that you can choose from to do at home or the gym. It tells you what kind of equipment you need. You can even filter through and choose only workouts that do not require any equipment at all. I love yoga and mobility workouts too. It is so easy to follow!
Nike Running Club
With the Nike Running Club app, you can track your run via GPS, and it tracks how many miles you ran as well as the average pace you’re running each mile. The guided runs are amazing and extremely motivating. I love that there is a place to track how many miles you’ve run with specific shoes and know when to retire them. Also, there are many guided mindful runs partnered with Headspace. These runs provide you with guidance to keep your mind clear and focused while you’re running.
I love my Fitbit; it is advantageous when it comes to tracking progress. I can get a general sense of how active I am during the day and make sure I am getting some movement when I am not as active as I’d like. Sure, I am significantly more active while I am at work, but I need some reminders when I am at home on my days off. My Fitbit helps me with that a lot.
As much as I love my Fitbit Charge HR, I am looking at getting either the Fitbit Versa 3 or the Apple Watch. My Charge HR is simple. It tracks activity levels, sends me reminders to get up and move, tells time, and tracks my workouts. But I need a couple more features. Both the Versa 3 and the Apple Watch have GPS enabled as well as Bluetooth connection. I want to be able to track my runs without having to bring my phone. I can connect my Bluetooth headphones to either one. No phone needed.
Fitness trackers are useful tools to use along your fitness journey; however, they are not necessary.
Note: this post may contain affiliate links. I may make a small commission if you make a qualifying purchase through one of the links. Your support allows me to continue to do what I love and share my passion for living a healthy and active lifestyle. I appreciate your support!
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If you are here and reading this, that means you have an interest in your health and fitness. That is so good; I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is the best thing you can do for yourself in the present and the long term.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”
— unknown
I find that quote so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment, and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now and for your future self.
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