Bit of a follow on from last weeks blog where I talked about the importance of NEAT and how it fits in with our daily calorie expenditure.
With so many fitness trackers out on the market it can often be lost to what are the real benefits to having them and whether they help our health. Some watches can have 101 different features and not all will be necessary/appeal to everyone.
What get's measured gets improved
I measure my gym progression with my weights and reps etc. So makes sense to track other areas in my life that will have positive effects of my health and well-being. I mean tracking your NEAT (calories burned through non exercise). Yes you don't need a fitness tracker to do this, your phone will track your steps for the day. However, and this is my opinion, having a fitness tracker makes me more accountable. I have a visual reminder on my wrist that i have to keep moving, it reminds me when I've not moved a lot within a certain period and I can see my daily steps easily.
You can tell when you're having days when you're more active and vice versa. Overtime if you become used to just being more active and having a high step count this will be the norm. Making it easier and improve the progress you'll be making (assuming you're doing everything right). I think the most important influence fitness trackers have is that it keeps you accountable and you're regularly updated which I have found important when in a deficit. When you're in a deficit you're less inclined to move because your body knows it has a limited fuel source through food. It'll want to preserve its body fat because its part of human survival. When you're dieting and you see that you're doing less and less steps, you'll see and think, damn I might park further or take the stairs. When you move less you'll be burning less calories so your deficit you were in might actually be maintenance for you now.
Life is about balance, you need to enjoy yourself every now and then. You could have a day when you want to treat yourself, maybe have a little snack (little snack not a full on binge). You have a look at your fitness tracker and see you've gone above and beyond your steps for the day. You now know that you can have that treat and it'll have little to no effect on your progress. Or if you want it you know you'll just have to move more for the rest of the day. Or third option, you really don't want to walk anymore, so resist the treat. Anyway all three scenarios are winners.
However something I think it's important to mention is that your tracker will most likely overshoot your calories burned during exercise. People will say they need to know exactly how much they're burning for a day so they can then see what they're 'allowed' to eat. For me that creates too many unknown variables, you just don't know what you can eat and can create an unhealthy relationship with food. For me I find the best way to gauge is if I'm hungry then my calories are probably too low, if I'm not making the progress U'm probably eating too much. Everyone is different so it's important to figure out whats the best way for you. Remember from a previous post EAT only accounts for 10% of your daily expenditure.
It maybe the cause a fitness tracker might be more important for runners, cycler's, swimmers etc. However for me a simple FitBit that just allows me to track my steps and other basic information is more than enough. No need to blow the bank.
That's my blog for the day, hope you've enjoyed it.
Thanks
Cameron
Additional Sources
James Smith - Do we need Fitness Trackers?
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMmM3nPMiE0&list=WL&index=6)
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