For some, using a fitness tracker can be a helpful tool, but for others, it can make them feel like they never do enough. Learn how to make the best choice for yourself by answering one simple question.
Lots of people wonder: ‘Should I get a fitness tracker?”
The answer: It depends.
For some people, it can be a really helpful tool. This is especially true if you…
✓ Are numbers-oriented. For instance, maybe you have an engineering, actuarial, or accounting mindset.
✓ Have more advanced goals. Think elite athletes, bodybuilders, models, and others who get paid based on their appearance or performance.
✓ See data as information—nothing more. The numbers don’t define you. They aren’t part of your identity. In this case, fitness tracker data can be helpful—because you can view it as just that.
But for others?
Fitness trackers can leave them feeling like they never do enough.
These folks tend to see body weight, heart rate variability, or sleep quality as a statement of who they are.
You’re more likely to fall into this category if you:
✓ See the behavior you’ll track as a chore, making comments like, “I have to do this to lose weight.”
✓ Don’t feel you have a choice. You might say, “I don’t want to exercise, but my doctor told me I have to.”
✓ Do the behavior to avoid feeling guilty. In other words, you exercise because you don’t want to feel bad about not exercising.
The Bottom Line
There’s nothing wrong with experimenting with a fitness tracker to determine if it’s right for you. (Well, besides the expense—if you end up not liking it.)
But they’re also not necessary for success.
People were “optimizing” their health way before Fitbit, Oura, and Apple Watches came along.
You could find a fitness tracker to be awesome.
Or it could be awesome for a while and then completely unnecessary or even frustrating later.
Or it could be a poor fit from the get-go.
If you are using one, every now and then, ask yourself:
“How’s this working for me?”
Is it helping your motivation—or hurting it? Do you appreciate the data—or ruminate over it? Does it keep you engaged in a healthy way—or leave you feeling guilty and frustrated?
Your answers will give you all the data you need to know what to do next.
You got this!
ABOUT ME
Hey there! My name is Marissa Rivera-Davis, and I'm a certified health fitness professional and founder of Her365 Fitness, a 24-hour studio gym & wellness community for women. I help women find the time and energy to move more and eat better so they can finally achieve the health & fitness goals that matter to them. My mission is to empower women with the skills and support they need to break free from a mindset of limitation & restriction to find pleasure and joy on their path to improved well-being. Learn more here.