Do Fitness Trackers Really Work?

According to research, roughly one in three U.S. adults uses a wearable device to track health and fitness. These devices help record your daily physical activity along with other health data, such as heart rate or calories burned. The question is: Do these devices, which seem to be everywhere, really make us more fit and healthy? 

As with many things, the answer is – it depends.

When Fitness Trackers Help — and When They Don’t

If you're the type of person who's self-motivated to set and achieve certain fitness goals, like walking a certain number of steps each day, a fitness tracker can be a great tool. As an example, you could set your tracker to 10,000 steps a day. At the end of the workday, if you have only walked 6,000 steps because you were in meetings most of the day, the feedback from your device may encourage you to do laps at home until you reach your goal. 

Conversely, if you're someone who thinks that your tracker tells you that you burned 4,000 calories on a 6-mile run, so now you can get an ice cream sundae and not gain weight, um, nope! Your tracker isn't helping you become fit and healthy!  

On the positive side, if a little competition or accountability gets you moving, these devices can also be effective. Some devices connect to apps that enable you to link with other users so you can set up a shared fitness challenge and compare your daily or weekly achievements. 

If you're not inclined to push yourself to reach fitness goals (and instead just use the default setting on your tracker, which is usually 2,000 steps), you're probably not going to see much in the way of results.

Another way these devices can help is if you're motivated by seeing feedback on how your actions help you. For example, some wearables can monitor your sleep patterns and help you see the connection between how much quality sleep you're (not) getting and how well-rested you feel. This kind of information could be just the nudge you need to make lifestyle changes to promote better sleep.  

A wearable can also monitor your heart rate while you're walking or running, ensuring that you stay in the optimal range to maximize your workout for your age and current fitness level.

What Kind of Wearable Should You Get?

If you're confident that a fitness tracker is what you need to help you get and keep fit and healthy, what's the best kind of wearable to get? 

Once again – it depends. 

Some people don't want to spend the money on a high-end device, while others simply don't need all the fancy functionality. For them, a simple clip-on pedometer can be an effective option, or a mobile phone app may also do a perfectly adequate job. 

Others might benefit from a dedicated heart rate monitor. Smartwatches are popular and can enhance physical activity by tracking steps, distance, and calories; monitor heart rate; and provide sedentary reminders and workout guidance, ultimately motivating users to be more active and stick to fitness goals. Keep in mind, tracker accuracy varies. In general, they are accurate enough to monitor trends over time. 

The key is to find a solution that you'll actually use and one that supports your lifestyle. And remember, a fitness tracker is just a tool. Don't get caught up in or focus obsessively on the numbers you track. The real measure of success is how you feel and whether your health and fitness are actually improving.

And ultimately that depends on you.