How Fitness Trackers Can Change Your Life

Fitness trackers have been out there for a while. From the pedometers that you could put at the bottom of your shoe to the heart beat sensor that you strap to your chest, people have been interested in their fitness progress. With all the access to technology that we have at our finger tips today, it's hard not to give it a try. It can actually be a little addicting, which is not a terrible addiction to have.

Here are some great reasons to jump on the fitness tracking bandwagon:

Sleep Detection

 Some great heavy hitters like Fitbit and Jawbone do this very well. The tracker automatically detects your sleep by measuring your movement. If you haven't moved for an hour, the tracker assumes that you are sleeping. This data is then transmitted to your device or computer to let you know how many times you were restless in the night and how many minutes you were awake. You'll be surprised how many times you actually toss and turn in the middle of the night.

For best results wear your tracker a little higher on your forearm.

What's the point of tracking your sleep? It lets you know how efficient of a sleeper you are. If you are sleeping between 7-8 hours a night, you are doing well and will probably have a lot more energy during the day. If you are getting under 6 hours of sleep per night, get some rest!

Want the most accurate sleep detection? Try the Fitbit Charge or the Jawbone UP24



Heart Rate Monitor

Although fitness wearables are not as accurate as a chest Heart Rate monitor, they are pretty damn close. The Heart Rate monitor that straps to your chest will use little electrodes to detect your BPM. On something like a Fitness tracker, little LED lights send pulses that reflect of your skin to detect your capillaries as they expand and contract.

For best results wear your tracker a little higher up on your wrist. Use two fingers width to find the sweet spot. Also, make sure the tracker is on snug so the sensor is close to your skin.

Want the most accurate HR monitor? Try the Fitbit Charge HR



Competition

Every fitness wearable comes with it's handy companion app to give you your results at a glance. This is also a perfect networking experience to challenge your friends, family and co-workers.

Many companies have started step challenges to keep their employees healthy and more productive at work. Nothing says motivation like trying to outdo everyone on your friends list. The notifications that remind you how far behind you are, are also a great motivation factor.



For myself, the Fitbit has kept me motivated when I feel like doing absolutely nothing. I find myself getting up from my desk and walking around a lot more to try to maintain my goals and stretch my legs out. I am also very competitive, so to see all my friends destroying my step count gives me more motivation to keep trucking on.

Source: Fitbit, TELUS

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