What are these and why are they so beneficial? People everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon, picking up their choice of device.
Let's give you a brief overview of what you should know...
1. What They Are? These fitness trackers are basically small devices you wear on your body and will determine various fitness statistics such as how many steps you've taken, how many hours you're sleeping, how many floors you've climbed, and an approximation of how many calories you've burned.
Each tracker will offer slightly different metrics, so shopping around to find one that offers what you want to know most will pay off.
2. Will They Work? The question you might be now asking yourself however, is how accurate are these? Can you really rely on them?
The answer is yes and no. In a sense, they can be relatively accurate. Most are proven within about +/- 10 to 20% depending on the device, so they can give you a general idea of about how many calories you are burning.
For step counts, they do tend to be very accurate as they are basically just a pedometer.
The main thing to know though is they will not accurately assess calorie burn during certain activities such as cycling or weight lifting since there's no way to assess the calorie burn here. Ones that actually read body chemistry and have metal plates that touch the skin, may be slightly more accurate in this regard, but they will never be 100%.
3. How To Use Them Effectively. So if you want to use these, go ahead. Use them as a guideline only though. Still make sure you count your calories and track your body weight. Adjust as necessary. The tracker is better used as a baseline for measuring more active days with less active ones.
For instance, use it to help you reach a certain step count goal - 5000 steps for example. If you notice you're only at 3000 by evening, get up and do something to make up for the more sedentary day.
This over time can help you reach your weight loss goals faster and improve your health standing. For many people, they serve as an excellent wake-up call to see just how little you're actually moving.
