To Track or Not to Track?
Fitness trackers are trendy…but are they really worth it?
Have you ever felt frustrated or annoyed because you realized you forgot your MyZone belt at home, or you finished a workout and then noticed you hadn't started your watch?
Have you ever changed your daily routine to get more steps or movement in order to hit your daily goal or close your rings? Have you ever felt guilty for NOT hitting your daily target?
If you keep track of your food/calorie intake, have you ever tried to hit a certain number of calories on your watch or heart rate monitor in order to "cancel out" some of the calories you consumed?
Those are all super common scenarios for people who use fitness trackers like Apple Watches, FitBits, Garmin, MyZone, etc., and I've personally done each of them as well!
Trackers are so popular these days -- the majority of my clients and friends use them -- and they're great but they're also not necessary. And for some people, too much focus on what the numbers say can actually be a bad thing.
Let's break it down...
Types of Trackers
There are so many to choose from! If you're a runner or cyclist, a GPS enabled device that will map your route is the way to go. If you just want to get up and move more, a simple pedometer or watch that tracks your steps/movement is probably sufficient. Athletes, including anyone who trains at higher intensities, will likely benefit from tracking heart rate and sleep/recovery.
Many devices are wrist-based, using optical sensors to track pulse. These can be worn continuously throughout the day and night to track all movement as well as sleep and recovery data.
Chest strap heart rate monitors like MyZone belts or Polar chest straps are worn only during exercise but are generally more accurate when tracking heart rate than wrist-based devices.
Why They're Useful
First things first: If you don't care, don't want to use one, or can't afford one, that's ok. You can still train well and get a good workout, and you might even be more in tune with your own body because you're relying on internal feedback (aka how you feel) rather than what an app shows you. (More on this below.)
You might want to use one if:
You're running or cycling outdoors and want to map your routes and track mileage and pace.
You want accountability to get more movement or steps throughout the day. Many wrist-based devices can alert you if you've been sitting for awhile, and it can be eye-opening to see how little you actually move during the day!
You feel like you should be making more progress or getting more out of your workouts and you're not sure why. Heart rate monitors can help you see where you could be challenging yourself a little more during workouts, and they can also point out when you need better recovery.
You need external motivation to work out more. Most devices have apps that allow you to connect with other users for support and encouragement.
You have health considerations and need to keep your heart rate or overall exertion within a certain prescribed range. Devices that track heart rate and blood pressure can enable people to confidently exercise within their limits.
Why They're NOT Useful
No device is 100% accurate! Wrist based devices are less accurate while heart rate straps aren't worn 24/7. I have one of each, and it's still not a complete picture because my watch misses activity if it's charging and I have to take it off for my kettlebell training.
Many people assume higher calorie burn or higher intensity workouts means a better workout. That's not always the case! Staying "in the red" or at near-max intensities for too long can put too much stress on the body, especially if someone isn't allowing for proper recovery.
Heart rate is less of a consideration for strength training or flexibility work like a yoga class. My MyZone belt shows me in the gray and blue for most of my lifts, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the workout or the amount of strength I'm building!
Those who are tracking food and calorie intake often input calories burned from their workouts and allow themselves to add those calories back in to their meals. Since the devices aren't 100% accurate (my Polar and MyZone can be up to a couple hundred calories different!), that's a bad move if you're pursuing maintenance or fat loss -- doing so can actually take someone out of a calorie deficit and into a surplus.
Trackers can make it easy to tune out your body's signals. At some point, your app will crash, your watch battery will die, you'll leave your MyZone at home -- when that happens, will you be able to tell if it's a "good" workout, or have you been relying solely on your device to tell you?
The Bottom Line...
Like anything fitness, nutrition and health-related, there's no single correct answer about what device you should use, or if you should even use one! They can be incredible helpful...when used properly!
If you find you're getting too caught up in the numbers, try going without it for a few workouts. Remember, the numbers just display the data -- the actual workout is what's important.
And of course, not all workouts are created equal, and some of them just don't look as pretty on graphs. Workouts that aren't cardio-focused, like strength training and mobility, are even more important for many people, but trackers are less useful for those types of training simply because the emphasis is not on aerobic training.
