Do Fitness Trackers Really Work?

 

This past Friday, the Apple Watch hit stores.  I’m not going to lie, I want one because I want to see how well it works as a fitness tracker (plus there is something cool about having a computer on your wrist).  I’ve been using Nike Running for years now to track runs, and really like to see all that historical data.  I also won the TomTom Multi-Sport from Nadia Murdock Fit, and I’ve enjoyed using it during bike rides and to track my heart rate during soccer games.

But with all of these options for fitness trackers, a couple of questions come up.  Do they actually work and which one is the best?

1. Do they work?  Short answer – kind of.  ACE performed a study that found generally, these activity trackers do a pretty good job of counting steps; but there is a wide variation on the calories burned, and underestimated the number of steps and effort when doing agility drills.
2. Which one is best?  It all depends on what type of activity you’re looking to do. Most all of them do a good job to tracking steps, and each one has different features and benefits for motivating people to move.  But if you’re looking to track more sports specific activity, then there isn’t a clear cut winner on the market.

Will Apple rise above these other trackers?  Time will tell, and I’m anxious to find out.  The bottom line is that being more mindful of the amount of activity you’re doing through the day is always beneficial; so no matter what device you chose, if it motivates you to get up and moving, then it definitely works.