Leveraging Fitness Trackers to Enhance Performance and Wellbeing While Maintaining a Connection with Yourself
Our forebears used their senses to evaluate their health, while we are increasingly reliant on technology.
Today, if you have a curious mindset, you can track your heart rate, step count, workout intensity, and sleep quality—often all through a single sleek device.
Ideally, these devices forge a link between your personal sensations and empirical data.
This is, in general, a captivating and remarkable advancement.
Though our individual feelings and assessments carry weight, they are not always the most precise. Humans frequently find it challenging to accurately quantify our experiences and actions.
For example, a coworker believed he was eating a small number of calories, but after monitoring, he found he was actually consuming an extra 500 calories each day—just from barbecue sauce.
Nonetheless, some people excel at self-evaluation more than others.
Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was recognized for his skill in predicting his 100-meter time within a tenth of a second of the actual stopwatch reading.1
This is outstanding performance, but it prompts the inquiry:
How effectively can you evaluate yourself?
And how can you improve your precision through the smart application of technology—such as fitness trackers—to make informed health choices?
In this article, we will delve into these questions and also discuss:
- How precise are data trackers?
- When is monitoring advantageous? (And when is it not?)
- Can you condition yourself to judge things more accurately by intuition?
Let’s begin.
First, how precise are data trackers?
Not all data holds the same value.
Some brands offer superior products compared to others, which encompasses not just their hardware but the caliber of their software and datasets.
Additionally, not all metrics are equally simple to quantify.
For instance, heart rate and step count data are generally reliable,2 whereas many other metrics—such as calories expended or speed of movement—can exhibit substantial margins for error.
The chart below demonstrates the dependability of varying tracking devices.
(For additional information on the accuracy of different progress indicators, refer to: Are Fitness Trackers Worth It?)
Next, when is tracking genuinely useful?
The positive aspect: Tracking devices furnish us with more data regarding our behaviors and bodies than ever previously.
The downside: Tracking devices can also inundate us with more information than we can effectively manage.
“What’s truly astonishing,” states computer scientist Samantha Kleinberg, “is that even a modest amount of extra information can adversely affect our decision-making.”3
This represents the paradox of tracking: Insufficient detail makes it difficult to make the right choice, but excessive detail does as well.
This can be conceptualized as an inverted U-curve, with the ideal point at the pinnacle.
Nowadays, it’s surprisingly easy to become inundated with information.
Consider the analysis paralysis you experience after reviewing numerous evaluations for taco restaurants in your locality. (All you sought was a decent el pastor, yet now you’re uncertain which taqueria to select!)
Finding the precise amount of information needed to make prudent decisions is an art—especially in health and fitness, where it appears that everyone is striving to provide more science, personalization, and complexity.
However, when all that information becomes confusing and lacks a clear direction, what should you do?
Begin by posing a straightforward question to yourself:
Does tracking improve my well-being and performance?
If the response is a clear yes or no, you determine your next course of action. (Either continue tracking as you have been, or discard the device.)
If your answer is uncertain, here are three signs to assist you in determining whether tracking is advantageous.
Sign #1: Tracking alleviates your stress and affirms your methods.
When Zak’s coach emphasized the advantages of zone 2 cardio, it resonated with him. However, once he commenced running, Zak began to question everything. He felt proud of his capability to
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