Fitness Tracker Benefits-What and Why

You know that keeping fit is important for maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. Expert cardiologists highly recommend that patients eat healthy and exercise regularly. They also suggest setting goals for their physical health.

The experts recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week and 75 minutes of high-intensity cardio exercise per week, or a combination of both. Adults should also be doing moderate-to-high-intensity strength exercise at least twice a week.

You may have read or heard about fitness trackers. They may be worn by family members or friends. You might be curious about their purpose, what the fitness trackers’ benefits are and why people wear them.

What is a Fitness Tracker?

Fitness trackers are generally wearable devices that people wear on their wrists. They can look like a watch or a small band with a digital display depending on the model.

Many fitness trackers keep track of your steps, heart rate and sleep patterns. Many fitness trackers also connect to apps that can help you monitor your progress and set goals.

The Fitbit Charge 5 Strap is the most popular fitness tracker models. Most fitness trackers cost around $100 depending on the features they offer, while some feature-rich models can be up to $250. The features that are most important to you will determine which fitness tracker you choose. The cheapest models will only track your steps and heart rate. The more expensive models will track your steps and calories, as well as your sleep patterns and calories burned. You can also select activities to get more precise fitness reporting.

Fitness Trackers

Personal Accountability- This is the main reason that people use fitness trackers. Trackers can help you track your progress and goals to psychologically encourage you to run faster, get more steps in or increase your peak heart rate. Studies have shown that even a simple pedometer can boost activity levels by up to 30 percent.

Individually-tailored Goals – Many fitness trackers have workouts, tips and realistic goals that you can set yourself. If you are looking to run a 5K but haven’t run more than 100 meters in the last year, the tracker can set milestones to help you reach your goal of running three miles.

Weight Loss- If you use a fitness monitor and set personal goals to lose weight, you’ll likely notice some weight loss. You can check your activity level and see if your heart rate is in the right zone. Then, you can look at the scale to determine if your weight goal has been met.

Group Motivation –While fitness trackers focus on you as an individual and help you achieve your personal goals, some people like the social features offered by some fitness trackers. You can share your progress on your fitness tracker with your social networks. This allows you to encourage your friends. Some fitness trackers allow you to connect with other people in your area, create workout groups and challenge one another to reach your goals.

Sleep Tracking-Trackers can now be used to monitor your movements while you sleep and determine how well you’re sleeping. It is vital to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night to maintain your energy level and to give your brain and body the time to process all that has happened the day before.

A fitness tracker has the ability to track your sleep patterns and how deep or light you slept, how many hours you slept, how often you woke up and for how long. Recognizing your sleep patterns will help you get a restful night and boost your mood for the day.

Monitors Heart Rate

Fitness trackers can measure your pulse and monitor your heartrate. This allows you to achieve your desired heart rate during each workout. Your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age. For moderate exercise, your target heartbeat should be between 50-70% and 70-85% for vigorous training. The fitness tracker will detect any changes in your heart rate.

How to Use this Information

For a healthy heart, fitness is essential. Trackers for fitness can keep you motivated and help you stay fit. It is worth looking into them to see if they are right for you.