Thursday, April 14, 2016

Fitness Trackers - Fad or Solution?

Have you jumped on the fitness tracker bandwagon yet? Wearables significantly contributed to the technology boom among people of all ages, sizes and fitness levels. The popularity of fitness tech follows the rise of the adult obesity rate in the United States. More than 65 percent of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight or obese. These rates are linked to poor diet quality, limited nutrition knowledge, sedentary office jobs and lack of physical activity. Companies such as Nike, Apple, Fitbit, Garmin and Jawbone have created activity trackers as a way to tap into people’s interests about wearable technology and help establish motivation for fitness and weight loss. But do they work?

Fitness trackers come in several forms: you can wear your tracker on your wrist, pin it to your clothing, or download an app on your smart phone to track your steps. Features vary among the trackers; the most basic models simply track your steps, while others offer a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, calorie counting, GPS and more.

About one tenth of Americans over the age of eighteen own a fitness tracker. These gadgets have proven to be successful because of their game and competition aspects. Many trackers sync to an app that allows you to “compete” with friends, family and coworkers for the number of steps taken, distance traveled and calories burned. Fitness trackers also provide a way to measure your progress. They can help kick off a fitness regime and provide motivation. Fitness trackers also provide a platform for goal setting, which inspires people to get up, move and reach those 10,000 steps by the end of the day.

One researcher from Southern Adventist University in Tennessee interviewed fitness tracker wearers. The users all agreed they favored their trackers for their accuracy, progress displays, appearance and motivation. However, some downsides have been found with activity trackers as well. Older adults who might benefit from a physical activity aid find it hard to use the technology. Some also say that young people see the trackers as more of a fashion trend that eventually fades and ultimately goes unused. There are also complaints about accuracy and variations between trackers, which can be affected by exercise locations and frequency. All in all, most users say the feedback is good enough to keep using.

Bottom Line: Whether fitness trackers are a fad or the ultimate solution for weight loss, they’ve certainly proven to help users meet their fitness goals. Activity trackers help users establish lifelong healthy habits. When deciding which fitness tracker is right for you, consider your goals. If you want to jumpstart your activity or move more throughout the day, a simple platform may best suit your needs. For athletes working toward a specific goal, a more complex platform that offers a heart rate monitor may be the best option.

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