June 27, 2019

Why You Should Get A Fitness Tracker

You may be thinking, thanks but I’ll pass. You’ve probably heard several reasons not to buy one. Well, keep reading.

“They’re not accurate.”

Sure, some are more accurate than others, and even the best ones aren’t perfect. Does it REALLY matter whether it’s tracked your 10,001st step or your 9,899th step? Well other than the fact that that number drives me nuts because 9 is my least favourite number, and I prefer most even numbers – but I digress – no, it doesn’t matter. Sure, it’s more satisfying to get to 10,000 steps, that’s why it’s such a goal, and your tracker says that you reached 10,000, then perfect. If in reality that means you’re actually a few steps short, that’s OK. It still shows you’re working hard to achieve your goal and improve your health (unless you’re one of those people who attaches your FitBit to a fan and turns it on to get extra steps – I heard that’s a thing, not sure if it actually works…don’t get any ideas…).

The important part is that they give you a mental boost.

I love my fitness tracker. It’s so motivating. I’m constantly checking how many steps I’ve taken in a day. It’s so satisfying to feel the buzz of it when I reach my 10,000 steps. Is it perfect? No. Sometimes there’s a lag in the counting, or it seems to miss steps or even give me extra steps at times (maybe it’s feeling sorry for me, or just wants me to feel a bit better ;). But who cares?

“They’re expensive.”

Again, sure, some of the best ones are. But they’re not all crazy expensive. I’d been thinking about getting one for awhile but couldn’t get myself to commit to spending hundreds of dollars on an apple watch when I wasn’t sure how much I’d like or use it.

I ended up receiving a TomTom Touch Fitness Tracker as a gift. It’s not one of the crazy expensive ones (I think it retailed for around $100), and there are lots of others like it, including FitBits, that go for even less. $100 might seem like a big spend but remember this is your HEALTH we’re talking about. You’d easily go out for a night of drinks, dinner, cab/Uber fair, and could blow the same amount, only to end up with a killer hangover the next day and some blurry photos on your phone that were supposed to capture the evening.

So why not spend that same amount on something that’s good for you and your body?

“They only track a few things.”

Ok so mine doesn’t tell me my fortune, or exactly how to get a body like a supermodel. It doesn’t tell me everything, but it tells me the essentials. It gives me the date and time – so I don’t need to wear a watch. It also tracks my calories, kilometres, hours/minutes of movement & sleep, heart rate, and general activity. How accurate it really is, I’m not sure, but it’s still cool to get a rough gauge, and notice when I’m really pushing myself (or when I seriously need to get off my computer and move!).

Does it track how much I’m working out when I go biking? No. That’s one drawback (though being pregnant right now, biking isn’t a priority anyway, so we’re good).

“They’re bulky”

I think we’ve already covered that you can get thin and sleek ones now. You don’t have to get a huge clunky thing. I love the shape and size of mine.

“They can’t get wet.”

Not true, many can, and some even track your swimming. Obviously those will be the more expensive ones that have more features. Mine doesn’t track anything while I’m swimming, but it can still get wet. I’ve forgotten to take it off while showering a gazillion times and it still works just fine.

“It doesn’t work because I still have to exercise.”

Ok now you’re just being lazy. Get off your butt. MOVE.

So stop the negativity about fitness trackers and start thinking about how buying one can improve your health.

Here are some examples of fitness trackers you can get:

FitBit Charge 3 – thin, great battery life, ~$100
Samsung Galaxy Fit – less expensive, still accurate, good display screen
Apple Watch Series 4 – top Apple fitness tracker and smart watch, but a serious investment at over $600