Companies saw a 171 percent increase in fitness tracker sales from 2014 to 2015, according to the International Data Corporation, and hoped that those numbers would continue to skyrocket in 2016. Instead, bad press and negative reports quickly turned this fad into one that might leave as quickly as Livestrong Bracelets or Gangnam Style did. Or do these devices still have a chance?
In July 2014, U.S.-based Endeavour Partners released a report showing that about a third of fitness-tracker owners abandon these devices after six months. Other studies have shown that fitness trackers are simply inaccurate, finding that while FitBit and Jawbone (the two most popular) are good at counting steps and tracking heart rate, they fall short on tracking sleep, calories burned and physical activity.
Luckily for consumers, raw step count and resting heart rate are two of the most important features to track. Walking the recommended 10,000 steps each day contributes to good physical, mental and psychological health. Calories are often lost in the aerobic heart zone (about 180 depending on age), and a heart-rate monitor helps users know what that heart rate feels like.
There’s still little research that addresses whether or not fitness trackers actually help users become more active. Just like most products, owning a fitness tracker is what the consumer makes of it. If all the consumer cares about is data, then the fitness tracker can quickly become a source of anxiety, making a simple activity like walking the dog only worthwhile if it’s being tracked.
That being said, fitness trackers do have their benefits for consumers who see the device as simply a tool—not a life-altering means of satisfaction. In fact, here are three ways consumers can make the most of a fitness tracker:
1. Create Goals: While, yes, a fitness tracker will show how many steps you take each day and encourage you to give yourself a virtual pat on the back, if you already take the allotted 10,000 steps as part of your routine, there’s not much encouragement to do more. Users need to make an effort at setting their own goals. That means tracking an average day of steps—say, the walk to work—and then challenging that number by trying to reach a higher amount of steps each week.
2. Set Reminders: A majority of today’s professionals sit at a desk for at least eight hours a day, only moving to get a cup of coffee or to have a quick lunch break. Health professionals strongly suggest that individuals move for five minutes every hour to help reduce risks of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Most fitness trackers come with reminders for consumers to remember to get up and, say, take a walk around their office building.
3. Log What You Eat: If you’re really invested in losing weight, logging what you eat helps you become more conscious of what you consume on a daily basis. Portion size is often the biggest culprit when it comes to counting calories. MyFitnessPal helps track what you eat and syncs up with several fitness trackers to create a well-balanced health and fitness plan. Read more about food journals here.
