Wearable technologies have modernized fitness coaching by offering valuable tools to enhance the journey and optimize outcomes. Fitness trackers and smartwatches enable tracking progress, setting goals, and staying motivated. However, limitations exist including variations in accuracy and the inability to verify efficacy through testing due to the manufacturer’s proprietary algorithms (Shei et al., 2022, p 1976). It is essential to interpret wearable technology data cautiously, considering the guidance more like a grenade rather than a sniper. Despite these limitations, incorporating wearable technologies into programming and coaching can promote awareness, instill accountability, and foster healthy habits for long-term success. Two best practices for utilizing wearable technologies are tracking daily steps and being consistent with activity. These practices promote awareness and accountability, foster healthy habits, and drive long-term success in achieving fitness goals.
For anyone working toward a goal, using wearable technology to track daily steps has many advantages. It encourages physical activity awareness by tracking and logging daily steps. This increased awareness motivates people to actively include more physical activity in their everyday routines. Setting step goals and monitoring your progress gives you a sense of accomplishment and inspire you to set greater goals. The quantifiable information gleaned from counting steps also enables efficient goal-setting and progress monitoring, allowing clients and trainers to evaluate performance and objectively modify training programs.
While step-counters have numerous benefits, it’s important to consider their limitations. The accuracy of the steps, as they represent the actual physical activity, differs depending on the activity performed, device placement, and measuring mechanism. According to Chen et al. (2016), wrist-worn devices may incorrectly record steps when doing activities like folding laundry, cleaning one's teeth, or wearing them on one's dominant wrist instead of another. On the other hand, some steps are taken without wrist movement, such as pushing a stroller while walking (Chen et al. 2016). Step trackers can also be demotivating when life presents unexpected events and circumstances that can disrupt our daily routines. Instances such as illness, travel, or busy work periods may hinder our ability to achieve daily step goals consistently.
Opting for weekly step tracking, rather than daily, offers a broader perspective that presents benefits for our physical activity goals and mental well-being. By examining the step count on a weekly basis, we can gain deeper insights into our overall activity levels, mitigate daily fluctuations, and sustain motivation for long-term commitment to an active lifestyle.
Another best practice for using fitness trackers is to focus on the frequency and duration of activity. While tracking training HR, HRV, and VO2 have limitations on accuracy, there is little dispute about whether and for how long an activity was performed. As well, most wearables such as the Apple Watch and FitBit celebrate milestones for completing a specific number of active minutes, maintaining a daily or weekly activity streak, or achieving a fitness target. This positive reinforcement strengthens motivation and reinforces habit and consistency (Bailey, 2017).
Wearable fitness trackers market data-driven opportunities to optimize fitness endeavors. Unfortunately, the unadvertised limitations of accuracy may lead to individuals overworking or underworking. Either outcome can lead to demotivating consequences where the person blames themselves, reducing exercise participation and adherence. Clients should be aware of the influences that can muddy the data they are tracking and make appropriate changes to lessen the negative impact. Adopting weekly step-tracking goals and the psychology of “winning the week” with consistency offers valuable advantages in pursuing a healthier and more active lifestyle. By mitigating daily fluctuations, averaging out inconsistent patterns, fostering flexibility and adaptability, and celebrating milestones we can establish sustainable habits and maintain long-term commitment to physical activity. Ultimately, our commitment, dedication, and use of these tools will drive our consistency, help form lasting exercise habits, and lead us toward a healthier and more active lifestyle.
References
Bailey, R. R. (2017). Goal setting and action planning for health behavior change. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 13(6), 615-618. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617729634
Chen, M., Kuo, C., Pellegrini, C. A., & HSU, M. (2016). Accuracy of wristband activity monitors during ambulation and activities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(10), 1942-1949. https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000000984
Shei, R., Holder, I. G., Oumsang, A. S., Paris, B. A., & Paris, H. L. (2022). Wearable activity trackers–advanced technology or advanced marketing? European Journal of Applied Physiology, 122(9), 1975-1990. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-04951-1