Studies have found that more than three-quarters of people who set New Year’s Resolutions related to fitness give up before meeting their goals. Sometimes people fall short because their goals are too lofty or they start off on their journey too aggressively and burn out. A great way to prevent these outcomes could be a fitness tracker. Over the last decade, fitness trackers like Apple Watch, FitBit, and MyZone Heart Rate Monitors have become extremely popular in our data-driven culture. So why get one, and how do you reap the benefits? Find out why and how to get the most out of your fitness tracker from the experts at Xponential Fitness GO!
Measuring Progress
How do you know if you’re moving in the right direction toward your goal or improving upon your performance from a previous workout without data? How you feel during a workout is simply not as effective a measurement as numbers to inform how you’re performing.
“There’s no better feeling than seeing hard data proving that you’re hitting faster speeds or higher mileage than you have in previous classes,” said Lauren Reid, XPRO for STRIDE GO. “Constantly improving running speed, strength, and endurance is what STRIDE is all about.”
A fitness tracker can monitor everything from your heart rate to calories burned to more specific measurements like mile split times while running. Perhaps you are using STRIDE GO to train for a marathon – you will definitely benefit from a fitness tracker that can track your average pace. These metrics give you benchmarks to strive for every time you embark on a new sweat session.
Social Sharing and Motivation
Whether you are working out in a boutique fitness studio like Pure Barre or CycleBar or trying an at-home fitness program like Club Pilates GO, fitness trackers can keep you connected with your peers. Data sharing enables you to see when your friends finish a workout or compete in friendly fitness competitions. Noticing your friend complete a workout in the morning might motivate you to do the same, especially if you share similar fitness goals. Maybe you notice that they just completed a workout with AKT via Apple Watch and you’ve never heard of that brand before - social sharing becomes a way that you can discover new workouts from your friends. And, if your fitness tracker shares that you finished a tough workout, often friends will comment and congratulate you on the progress, which can help keep you motivated to continue on your fitness journey.
"I love being able to motivate my friends all over the country using fitness trackers,” said Mindy Sartori, XPRO for CycleBar GO. “It holds everyone accountable, which is a great tool to have when you need motivation to begin a workout.”
Holistic Wellness
Aside from activity, most fitness trackers can monitor things like sleep, nutrition, and hours you stood each day. Being healthy comprises so much more than just exercise, so these are great features to keep you holistically well. When you start tracking various aspects of your life, you may open your eyes to unhealthy habits you have picked up over time and now have the opportunity to change.
“Sometimes in order to see long lasting changes and results, we need to be willing to break old patterns and habits,” said Allyson Gottfried, XPRO for Club Pilates GO.
You can find all kinds of incredible fitness trackers online or at your local boutique fitness studio, including Xponential Fitness locations which carry Apple Watches. Consult with your friends or your favorite instructor to figure out what works best for you, and start chipping away at your fitness goals!
