Do fitness trackers improve my heart health?
- By One Heart Clinic
- April 04, 2019
Do fitness trackers improve my heart health?
You might have spotted more people in your local gym or park wearing fitness trackers in recent times. These gadgets can make you look the part, but which benefits do they offer; specifically to heart health?
A fitness tracker can help to improve your heart health if it is used to encourage a more healthy lifestyle. That’s because it can allow you to track the amount of physical activity you do on a daily basis. By consistently monitoring your physical activity, you can ensure that you are exercising as much as you should be.
Which fitness tracker would be best for me?
There are a range of devices on the market which measure physical activity – from Fitbits and pedometers to smartphone apps. That means you don’t necessarily need to fork out a large sum in order to begin measuring your walking and running. For those who want to analyse their progress in more detail, it can be wise to use tracking tools. There are a range of smartphone apps which can provide all manner of data when linked with a fitness tracker.
The type of fitness tracker which you choose can be dependent on your specific objectives. For example, if you are only interested in your running and walking distance, a pedometer can be sufficient. If you want to use your fitness tracker for swimming, it should have the right waterproof properties. And if you need to keep track of your heart rate, typically you would be advised by a medical professional on the right kind of device.
How should I go about using my fitness tracker?
For those with an objective of becoming more active, it can be a good strategy to wear the fitness tracker for a week before you start to make lifestyle changes. This will allow you to monitor how active you are currently, before taking steps to increase your physical activity week-on-week.
From then on, you can gradually ‘ramp up’ your physical activity. It could be a morning stroll to walk, an evening cycle, or you might choose to incorporate a team sport into your exercise plan. Your fitness tracker device will be with you all the way; helping you to plot the path towards improved cardiovascular health!