Do fitness trackers improve fitness?

Because many Ugandans wear fitness trackers, one may wonder if these are used simply as an accessory or in fact, as a device to track their fitness journey. Fitness trackers have sensors that monitor one’s movements and daily activities and converting that information to help one to not only get better sleep quality but also tailored activity orientation.

For example, a sensor referred to as the altimeter can track, say the number of stair flights one climbs. The same device can also tell when one is running, walking or spinning. It also reminds one about the need to drink more water, go to bed on time, as well as exercise more.

Keep track of progress

Fitness is about goals and results and trackers are an amazing way to set the goals and achieve them through consistent reminders.

"Trackers take record of your daily activities and generate easy to read graphs that show how far you have come with your set goals. This way, you can see what needs to be improved, devise better ways to set goals, see where you slacked but also pat yourself on the back if you have done well," Melon Muwanika, a fitness trainer, says.

Monitors your heartrate

While working out is amazing and there are tons of exercises to engage in, some may not improve your heart rate. For example, while walking is a cardiovascular exercise, it may sometimes not be enough for you to meet your fitness goals.

"By monitoring your heart rate, you will be able know to whether you need to do more. For example, if your heart rate does not rise as you walk, then this is a hint that you may need to do more, say jogging. Additionally, for one that has had cardiovascular problems, the tracker will  let you know if it is time to see your cardiologist. While that is not necessarily helping you work out more, it helps maintain your overall health," Mercy Kiboneka, a fitness expert, says.

Workout tips

For various reasons, such as tight work schedules, one may fail to go to the gym or meet their personal trainer. However, with a fitness tracker, Muwanika says, one will get tailored exercise tips fit for their fitness level.

"This way, you will not worry about how suited certain workouts are for you because the tracker is aware of what you can or cannot do. You, therefore, do not have to skip working out when away from the gym," she says.

Setting goals

Setting realistic goals is important. For example, in order for one to lose weight, they must not only work out but also change their diet. Kiboneka says with a fitness tracker, one is able to set achievable fitness goals to be achieved within a reasonable timeframe.

"The tracker takes a daily stock of your activities and fitness levels, which eases setting fitness goals. Additionally, with constant reminders, one will not fall back on their goals. The graphics also help you monitor how far you have come and the journey ahead, which is inspirational and keeps you going," she says.

General health

Apart from monitoring your heart rate, the fitness tracker also enables you to keep track of the number of calories burnt per day.

"The higher the calories burnt, the more excess fat one loses, which translates into weight loss. As one burns excess fat, they are also getting rid of unhealthy fat (cholesterol), which sometimes clogs blood vessels and leads to other ailments such as stroke. Additionally, it helps you stick to a healthier diet because the tracker gives tips on what to eat and what to avoid," Muwanika says.

Motivation

Seeing that the fitness tracker's main objective is to keep track of activities, it keeps track of good and bad days as well as what causes the differences. This works in one's favour as one is guided on how to keep the momentum going.

"The trackers also allow for sharing information, making it possible to share your progress with people that can hold you accountable," she says.

Reduce stress

According to verywellfit.com, stress management is a significant factor in overall good health. Poor stress management that leads to high levels of stress can cause problems with your sleep as well as with your immune, digestive, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems.

Some fitness trackers provide reporting on stress levels with a stress management score. Additionally, many trackers include stress-reducing features such as deep-breathing programmes, which might help reduce your stress, at least temporarily.

Downside

While fitness trackers are excellent tools for helping you reach your health goals, misuse of this tool is possible. For some people, tracking your health in such a precise and detailed manner can lead to obsession, anxiety, and stress.

Sleep tracking can also cause something called orthosomnia, which is insomnia (inability to sleep) related to focusing too much on perfecting your sleep.

Becoming too caught up with perfecting and tracking your data might make insomnia worse or increase levels of anxiety.

In this case, it may be best to take a break from your tracker, or set goals that are less specific but still help you work toward good health. Instead of setting specific active minute goals or sleep quality goals that can create anxiety, commit to tracking your daily overall activity levels, and try to add a little more each day.

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