How to Choose a Fitness Tracker to Suit Your Needs

The first fitness trackers produced were primarily step counters, but they’ve evolved into much more. They now use sensors to track your heart rate, calories consumed, sleep quality, and body fat percentage.

They’re available in a variety of colors, shapes, materials, and sizes, and whatever your fitness goals are, you’ll find a fitness tracker to help you meet them.

While it’s nice to have a variety of options when choosing a fitness tracker, the volume on the market today can make choosing one difficult. However, you can narrow down your choices.

Consider the following five key features when making your decision about which fitness tracker is right for you.

Design

The type of design you prefer boils down to where you plan to wear your fitness tracker. If you think you’ll wear it only when you exercise, you’ll probably want a different design than if you plan to wear it to work.

Many fitness trackers are worn around the wrist, but some fitness trackers are worn as necklace pendants, clips, and rings. Many of these designs look like jewelry.

Some fitness trackers resemble traditional watches, with a large watch face connected to a narrow band, while others look more like bracelets. In the past, fitness trackers all had a similar, athletic-looking quality, but their designs now vary considerably.

Battery Life

Battery life is an important consideration. Many fitness trackers need to be charged every few days. You plug them into a wall outlet or computer when their batteries run down.

While most require frequent charging, some trackers operate using cell batteries that last anywhere from a few months to a year.

Corresponding App

Research the corresponding app before purchasing a tracker to find out if it monitors all the data you need. Check and see whether the fitness tracker you want is available online or whether it’s available only for download. Make sure it has an intuitive user interface.

Waterproofing

Waterproofing is another feature to consider. Many fitness trackers are water resistant and can handle a little rain, but if you plan to do plenty of outdoor activities, you may want to opt for a waterproof option. Moisture can shorten the life of a fitness tracker.

Calorie Counter

Many fitness trackers monitor how many calories you consume and burn each day. Some tell you if those calories came from fat, carbohydrates, or protein.

By monitoring your activity level and energy expenditure rates, the calorie counter can also tell you how many calories you burn each day. It shows you how your caloric intake and burn varies over time and lets you compare your day-to-day results. This evidence may provide you with all the motivation you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Wearing a fitness tracker is a great way to meet your fitness goals. When you’re deciding which one to purchase, think about where you’re going to wear it, its battery life, corresponding apps, and whether the device counts calories burned and consumed. Once you’ve chosen the one that’s perfect for you, commit to wearing it every day. It can motivate you to move more, eat better, and live healthier.