An activity tracker might seem like an accessory only a fitness junkie or a gym rat would want around their wrist. If you’re someone who prefers a wrist full of bling, you may be asking yourself how you could benefit from a fitness tracker. But actually, the benefits of using a fitness tracker are endless! Plus, since the wrist bands are interchangeable, you can still have a wrist full of bling while tracking your activity.
Most of us aren’t cross country track stars, but we do have jobs that require us either to be on our feet all day or sitting at a desk, stationary, for our whole shift. Either way, an activity tracker will help you to become aware of your habits. Are you taking enough steps during the day? Do you need encouragement to take the stairs instead of the elevator? Being aware of your daily activity leads to making healthier habits, making you a healthier you!
As stated above, becoming aware of your daily activity leads to making healthier choices. Many fitness trackers will vibrate to remind you to hit your step goal for the hour. They also keep track of how many staircases you’ve walked up, how many calories you’ve burned, and how many miles you’ve walked (or ran, for you overachievers). If your goal is to climb five staircases or more a day, you know to take the stairs and skip the elevator.
This was not something I thought I needed until I had access to such information! Most activity trackers don’t just track when you’re awake and moving around, they also track your sleep: how many hours of sleep you’re getting; how lightly or deeply you sleep; your time spent awake, tossing and turning. Sleep is of critical importance; therefore, understanding your sleeping patterns can prompt you to change some naughty habits like using your phone right before you fall asleep, falling asleep with the TV on, and sleeping in a room that’s too warm (all of which can affect your sleep for the worse).
After getting an activity tracker, you may be inspired to change up your lifestyle, eating better, exercising more, and dedicating yourself to eight full hours of sleep. What’s great about these activity trackers is their ability to track your progress. They save information for months, so you have the opportunity to go back to the beginning and compare your physical activity then and now. And you’re bound to find out that you’re killing the fitness game now compared to a couple of months ago.
While this can be scary (a Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell is HOW many calories?), this knowledge can go a long way toward helping you become a healthier you. Many fitness trackers allow you to track your food, giving you vital information like calories, fats, sugars, and sodium levels. And while knowing this information seems like hell in an app, it’s important to understanding your overall health and fostering healthier habits.
Before I got my activity tracker, I was a meticulous calorie counter. Every morsel I put into my body, I tracked. It was exhausting. After getting an activity tracker however, I’ve learned to see calories in a whole new way. Did you know you burn calories literally just by being alive? You burn calories in your sleep, when you breathe, and when you play with your dog (reason number one thousand why everyone needs a dog). Understanding the rate at which you burn calories means that you can allow yourself to have a scoop of ice cream or a roll with lots of butter at dinner because, chances are, you’ll burn it off doing that load of laundry later.
An activity tracker can literally save your life. The Huffington Post reported that a man from New Jersey was rushed to the hospital after suffering a seizure, and, thanks to the man’s tracker, doctors noticed he had an irregular heartbeat. This knowledge prompted the doctors to check whether he was a victim of an abnormal heartbeat or whether it was simply caused by his seizure. Okay, I get it, this seems a little far-fetched and maybe has you smirking. But the point is, an activity tracker does more than just track your steps. It monitors your heart rate, your diet, and your daily activity, and it inspires you to get moving.
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