Do we really need these tech toys? Surely, with millions of Fitbits, Mi Bands and other wearables sold alone sold in the past few years, these wearable fitness coaches are motivating a lot of us to get moving, at least while all that data is shiny and new. But surprising new research shows that you might not have to look past your smartphone for cheaper (much cheaper) tracking that'll get you moving. So, what do these bands do (and don’t) and does it make sense to buy one?
What do activity trackers do?
Most of them count steps, track distance traveled, show you calories burned, measure sleep quality, and sync this data to an app on your phone that presents the information in a way that’s easy to read. The majority of fitness trackers are compatible with both Android and iPhone (except for smartwatches). The more “advanced” (read: expensive) devices can track heart rate. Even more high-caliber trackers have GPS that use satellite to track your location and altitude.
Will they make me fit?
The answer to that question is simple - It depends! If you spend most of your day sitting down at a desk job or in college, eating out a lot, and hardly ever work out, then challenging yourself to 10,000 steps a day (the standard goal for most trackers) could be a good way to make a difference! But steps alone won’t improve your overall, long-term fitness. You need to look at other aspects of your life too, like sleep, diet, and workout regimen. Most trackers measure sleep quality (living a healthy life means making sure you’re getting enough rest) and have food-logging features in their apps.
If your goal is to lose weight, you’ll also need to look closely at what you’re eating and the type of exercising you’re doing. This means doing a lot of your own research, in addition to wearing the tracker and making sure you’re hitting your step goals. If you’re already active and want to get even fitter, you’ll need to incorporate workouts that get your heart rate up and/or challenge your strength. Having a tracker won’t guarantee that you’ll meet your goal, but can be a good way to keep track of what kinds of exercises you’re doing.
Are activity trackers accurate?
It’s a complicated question. Since they’re not medical devices, they don’t have to be as accurate and precise. What’s more, fitness trackers are constantly changing, usually faster than independent, peer-reviewed, scientific studies can evaluate them, and depending on where they’re worn on the body, some devices are better at measuring certain things than others. Companies also don’t reveal the proprietary algorithms that measure your biometrics, and tend to provide limited access to the data they collect, making their products harder to scrutinise.
Smartphones win at counting steps
Wearables are a data-lover's dream with all those metrics, but if you're all about the step count, you might not need anything more than the right app. A few years ago, a JAMA study by University of Pennsylvania researchers, smartphone apps did a bang-up job of nailing the accuracy of steps taken. And accuracy, say the study authors, is the main thing to look for. Phones came out on top when it came to accuracy of measuring steps. Smartphone apps had less variability than wearable devices. That, coupled with the facts that many phone apps to track steps are free (and trackers most certainly are not!) and that a large percentage of urban and rurban Indian adults already carry smartphones, makes a strong argument for just following your movements via phone.
You don't need a wearable to track heart rate and sleep
A wearable is more useful than a smartphone for situations that are smartphone-challenged, like when you're swimming in a pool or doing aerobic activity. But your smartphone can monitor heart rate by using its flash and camera in a process called photoplethysmography (although you'll have to stop what you're doing to get a reading, and it won't be as accurate as wearing a chest strap or another high-tech wearable). It can also track sleep with apps.
The bottom line is that the technology in today's trackers is good but not perfect. Until GPS tracking becomes the norm in fitness trackers use them as motivational aids rather than scientifically accurate monitors. If you’re just working out a bit here and there, going to a gym every few days and coupling that with light walks etc, then a fitness tracker doesn’t make sense, not just from a usage standpoint but from a financial point of view too. A good fitness band will cost upwards of Rs 10,000. Do you really want to spend that kind of money unless you’re training for a marathon or working hard towards a goal, like major weight loss etc? Think about it.
