Do You Need A Fitbit?
Do You Need an Activity Tracker?
Activity trackers have become very popular in recent years. Fitbits are the device that everyone has heard of but there are many others. If you’re thinking of buying one, ask yourself these questions:
Do you exercise regularly?
Lots of people buy a Fitbit or its equivalent because they think it will help them to exercise consistently. But these devices are not magic bullets. If you make any and every excuse NOT to exercise then a Fitbit won’t change that, you will simply make excuses to avoid exercise while wearing a gadget!
Would you wear it, and use it?
For a fitness tracker to give you actionable data you need to wear it almost all of the time, even while asleep. Some people can’t wear watches or jewellery while they are at work, others hate the feeling of anything on their wrist, and others have sensitive skin which is irritated by straps. If you don’t wear it then it can’t do its job, so it’s not worth buying one.
Will you use the app?
You’ll need to download the app to your phone and use it if you want to make use of the data your activity tracker collects. Interacting with your device and the app is key to success, so if you can’t commit, don’t buy.
Are you a data nerd?
Some of us love to monitor our sleep, our heart rates, the number of steps we do each day. We find ourselves endlessly fascinating. The basics of losing weight and becoming healthier are simple, but the specifics for our own body can vary wildly. If you don’t care about specifics and are happy with just eating a bit less and exercising a bit more, an activity tracker might be a waste of money for you. If you have a medical condition or are in training for an event, or just enjoy looking at data, then having organized and detailed information at your fingertips is a great resource.
Would my phone do the job instead?
There are hundreds of fitness, pedometer and cycling apps on both Android and iOS. If you’re unsure about whether an activity tracker is the right purchase for you try using one or two of these apps for a month. You might find they give you all the data you need. Also, if you find you can’t be bothered to use the apps, then you are very unlikely to benefit from buying an activity tracker.
Are you competitive?
Some activity trackers (particularly Fitbits) are social. You can add friends, compare step counts and earn milestone badges. You can also create groups and engage in competitions and challenges. While these are good features, they aren’t for everyone. You might not need such a high-spec activity tracker if you don’t want to engage in the social side of things. Activity trackers are useful devices and many people enjoy them and benefit from using them, but they won’t turn a reluctant exerciser into a highly motivated one, and if you aren’t actually interested in all the data, they might not justify their price tag.
