The wearable fitness technology industry has exploded and is a $45.66 billion industry.

Most trackers count steps and measure sleep patterns but some models also measure heart rate, blood oxygen level, skin temperature, perspiration, and body mass. The great appeal of these gadgets lies in their ability to offer insights into the inner workings of our bodies.

Are they Accurate?

To a degree. If you wear three different brands of fitness bands, you’ll end up with three slightly different step counts. There can be a difference of up to 22% between the actual number of steps taken and the steps recorded by these devices.

Keep in mind that if the tracker gets your activity level wrong, the number of calories burned will also be wrong.

These gadgets are getting much better at measuring everything, including sleep patterns. Some models are better than others and make assessments based on wrist movements, heart rates, and more. But even so, they are not accurate 100% of the time.

Why It Doesn’t Matter!

Before you throw away your fancy fitness tracker that costs a couple of hundred dollars or more, you should know that these trackers DO work – even if they’re not scientifically accurate.

The most important thing is not their accuracy but their motivational qualities.

We all know we should exercise more and sleep better but it’s not easy to stay on track.

These gadgets constantly remind you of what you’re supposed to be doing. Every time you turn on your phone you see your latest stats! You can even connect to a group and see your friend’s stats if they have a similar device.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter that your 10,000 steps may not actually be 10,000 steps. You’re still going to do all you can to hit that 10,000-step goal on your wristband! It gives you the motivation to go the extra mile.

The other reason why fitness bands are so popular is because they provide unbiased feedback. It’s very tempting to overestimate your activity level or the number of calories burned. But a tracker keeps you honest.

Should You Buy a Fitness Tracker?

It’s possible to enjoy all the benefits of fitness bands without spending hundreds of dollars. Your smartphone, with the right apps, can be just as accurate as a fancy wristband.

However, fitness bands are more convenient, especially when you’re running or biking. The last thing you want is to drop your phone and pay more to have it repaired than it would’ve cost to buy a basic fitness tracker.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether you need a tracker. You can always use your cell phone until you make your decision. But besides the cost, what’s the downside of giving a fitness tracker a try?  If it changes the course of your health journey in a positive direction, I’d say it’s worth every penny!

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We’re living in the age of health and fitness technology. From the fitness bands telling us how our workout is going to the calorie trackers telling us how our diet is coming along, technology has earned its place in health and fitness.

There are hundreds of thousands of fitness apps in the app stores, with more being developed all the time, making finding the best app for your lifestyle a real challenge.

Are Fitness Apps Any
Good?

It depends on what you expect. Although there aren’t many scientific studies, evidence shows that you can’t rely on them for the motivation to eat well or exercise.

Apps that track diet and exercise only work for people who are already committed to maintaining a healthy diet and are exercising regularly. If you’re not committed to a healthy lifestyle, downloading an app to your phone will do very little for you.

The Most Popular Health and Fitness Apps

• MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is the king of food trackers, and the most popular health & fitness app on iTunes. It has a comprehensive database of nutrition information for more than 5 million foods, which helps users keep food diaries.

The app is useful if you’re trying to lose a few pounds. Its barcode scanner makes it easy to log packaged foods, and it syncs with most fitness tracking devices.

The only downside is that, after a while, logging everything
you eat can be exhausting. In fact, many people only use it until they learn
the right portion sizes and how to balance their protein, fat and carbohydrate
intake.

MyFitnessPal offers a free version and a premium version for
$49.99 a year.

• Lose It!

Lose It! helps you achieve your fitness goals by tracking food and exercise. The app is very similar to MyFitnessPal in that it has a barcode scanner and can connect to other fitness trackers. However, it also has Snap It, a feature enabling users to log their meals using photos and any fitness challenges they participate in.

The main downside of this app is that it doesn’t track micronutrients, which is a big deal if you’re on a restrictive diet and need to make sure you’re getting all the micronutrients you need for good health.

Lose It! offers a free version and a premium version for
$39.99 a year.

• Strava

Strava is the go-to social fitness app for runners and cyclists who like a bit of competition. The app creates a competition between you and anyone else who runs or cycles the same route. It syncs with most fitness trackers and running watches, so you don’t need to bring your phone with you. The downside is that you must reveal a lot of location data to get the full experience.

Like many other fitness apps, Strava has both a free and premium version for $59.99 a year.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the most popular fitness apps. However, MyFitnessPal, Lose It! and Strava are good options for anyone looking to track their food and exercise.

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