Aside from being health conscious, fitness trackers are trendy and stylish now that you have different colors, bands and faces to choose from.
The types of activities monitored vary by tracker, and can include number of steps taken, calories consumed, hours of sleep, and heart rate, but are they doing a good job of helping you stay fit or just taking your money?
“People like to show off like ‘oh yea I have my fitness tracker,’” Dr. Linda Ly from Kelsey Seybold said.
Ly wears a Garmin Vivoactive, which has a gyroscope to determine if you're standing, running, swimming or biking, to make workout tracking accurate.
“People tend to overestimate, and they think that 'oh yea I walk so much at work, I don't need to exercise' but then when they actually have a tracking device,” she said, “They look at the steps and 'Oh that's not much at all.’”
ConsumerReports.org (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/fitness-trackers/buying-guide.htm) says they use sensors and algorithms to gauge workouts. Consumer Reports recently compared 29 fitness trackers by overall score and price, plus categories like water resistance and step count accuracy.
Ly’s Garmin Vivoactive came in 16th for overall score with a score of 65. The Fitbit Surge ranked number one with a score of 87. It’s also the most expensive: the price tag: $250.
Consumer Reports says don’t pay for more features than you’ll use.
All-day trackers simply count how many steps you take each day and calories burned. Training trackers do that plus give you details on speed and pace and can be tailored to your favorite sport. Also, Consumer Reports says if swimming is part of your workout, make sure your tracker is water proof. The devices they tested ranged in price from $22 to $250.
But keep in mind, the precision isn't perfect, even with ones that include heart rate monitoring.
“If it's not in the right position, it might not be that accurate, but overall I don't think it's about exactly how much is my heart rate? How high is it going when I’m exercising? But it's more of a motivational, motivational tool,” Ly said.
The good news is, Ly says the goal of these trackers worldwide is working: People are moving.
“It kind of serves as a little nudge to push you to be more active and more healthy,” she said.
Some activity trackers let you sync with external heart monitors, bathroom scales and other devices that offer more precise readings.
Don’t forget to make sure the tracker you buy works with your cell phone. Some only work with Apple and some only work with Android.