I've got some bad news for you -- simply wearing a fitness tracker isn't going to help you lose weight.
Besides actually getting up and walking around, fitness trackers work best when you set them up to meet your goals.
Here are some tips on how to make that Fitbit, Jawbone, or Apple Watch work for you -- and, hopefully, last a whole six months before it ends up collecting dust in a drawer somewhere.
Set up your profile
When you set up your tracker's app, it asks you about your body and health. Your fitness tracker needs that basic info -- your age, sex, height and weight -- to improve its accuracy for determining things like stride length and calories burned.
Fitness trackers estimate your calories burned by using your height, weight and level of activity to determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This number determines how many calories you burn by, well, just being alive and going about your day. The tracker's app takes your estimated BMR and adds whatever calories you burned while walking to determine total calories burned.
If you skip the step of accurately adding your basic info, your calorie count could be way off. Enter this info and be sure to update your weight as it changes.
Calibrate it
Setting up your profile is step one -- for the most accurate information, you should dig into your fitness tracker's settings and calibrate the specifics (inputting your dominant hand in the Fitbit Flex, for example). Most fitness trackers offer some degree of calibration. Here's more info on how to calibrate a few of the popular fitness trackers:
Wear it on your non-dominant wrist
Most people wear watches on their non-dominant wrist. Your fitness tracker is like a watch (and, in some cases, it is a watch), and should also be worn on your non-dominant wrist. That's your left wrist if you're right-handed, and your right wrist if you're left-handed.
The reason: You move your dominant hand a lot throughout the day, and this can result in an inaccurately high number of "steps" reported by your fitness tracker. While some fitness trackers, like Fitbits, allow you to input which wrist you're wearing the tracker on (and which hand is your dominant hand), many do not -- so, to be safe, wear it on your non-dominant hand.
Connect with other apps
Your fitness tracker has its own app, but that's probably not the only app it can sync with. If you're trying to change your lifestyle for the better, there are plenty of health-related apps and services -- including MyFitnessPal for food tracking and calorie counting, MapMyRun for mapping and tracking your workouts, and MedHelp for tracking sleep and other health conditions -- that can probably tap into your fitness tracker's data.
Remember that it's just a tool
You already know that wearing a fitness tracker 24/7 isn't going to magically help you get fit or lose weight. And even if you've personalized your tracker and calibrated it to your physical specs, the data you get -- especially energy expenditure (calories burned) -- is not necessarily super-accurate, according to a study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise.
Your fitness tracker can definitely be a useful tool in your fitness journey, but it's just that -- one tool of many. Don't make the mistake of thinking that wearing your fitness tracker and achieving its built-in goals (such as 10,000 steps per day) will make up for working out and eating well.
As a fitness enthusiast with a deep understanding of the intricacies of wearable fitness technology, I can attest to the importance of using fitness trackers effectively to achieve your health and wellness goals. The article you provided touches upon several key concepts that are crucial for maximizing the benefits of fitness trackers. Let's delve into each concept:
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Setting up your profile: When you first configure your fitness tracker's app, it prompts you to input essential details about your body and health, including age, sex, height, and weight. This information is integral for the accurate functioning of the fitness tracker. The device uses these details to estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is crucial for determining the calories burned throughout the day. If this basic information is not accurately entered, it can lead to a significant discrepancy in calorie counts.
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Calibrating the device: Setting up your profile is just the initial step. To enhance the precision of the information provided by your fitness tracker, it's essential to calibrate the device. Calibration involves fine-tuning the settings of the tracker, such as inputting your dominant hand. This step ensures that the tracker takes into account specific details about your movements, providing more accurate data on metrics like steps taken.
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Wearing it on your non-dominant wrist: The article rightly suggests wearing the fitness tracker on your non-dominant wrist, akin to how people traditionally wear watches. This is a practical approach because the dominant hand tends to be more active throughout the day, potentially leading to inaccuracies in step count. By wearing the tracker on the non-dominant wrist, you minimize the risk of overestimating your physical activity.
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Connecting with other apps: Fitness trackers often come with their dedicated apps, but they can also sync with other health-related apps and services. This integration allows for a more comprehensive approach to health and wellness. For instance, syncing with apps like MyFitnessPal, MapMyRun, or MedHelp enables a holistic tracking of various aspects, including food intake, workout routines, and sleep patterns.
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Understanding it as a tool: The article emphasizes a crucial point — a fitness tracker is a tool, not a magic solution. While it provides valuable data and insights, especially regarding step count and energy expenditure, it is not infallible. Studies, such as the one commissioned by the American Council on Exercise, highlight that the calorie burn estimates may not be super-accurate. Therefore, it's vital to view the fitness tracker as one element in your overall fitness strategy and not rely solely on its built-in goals for a comprehensive health transformation.
In conclusion, effectively utilizing a fitness tracker involves more than just strapping it onto your wrist. It requires thoughtful calibration, accurate input of personal details, strategic wearing, and integration with other health apps. Understanding the limitations of the device and incorporating it as part of a broader fitness plan will lead to a more successful and sustainable health journey.
