How to use your fitness tracker to actually get fit
You have taken your first step towards a healthy lifestyle and bought a fitness tracker. Well done. But, is that enough? Of course not. Merely buying a fitness tracker will not magically help you lose that extra weight. It would be nice if it was that simple!
It’s a bit like joining a gym. Just taking a membership will not solve your issues. You need to go regularly and do all that is required to shed those pounds and achieve the body you have always dreamt of having. Similarly, your brand new, shiny and trendy fitness tracker is only a gadget that can help you with your goals, provided you actually put in the effort and work hard. Otherwise, everything will stay the same.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
The device on your wrist is a tool that has been designed for a specific purpose – to help you improve your health and fitness. But if you just bought a Fitbit or Garmin to fit in with the tech savvy crowd, without using it for its intended purpose, you are missing out on its amazing benefits.
Here are a few tips to take advantage of your fitness tracker and get that sculpted body.
Set a goal every day and achieve it
One of the best features of a fitness tracker is that you can keep track of how much you walk, run or workout. And as you see your daily progress, you can start setting micro goals for yourself.
Set achievable goals – increase the distance and speed gradually. Don’t set unrealistic goals as if you don’t achieve them, you will end up feeling depressed. Move the bar slowly so that you can make steady progress.
On a fitness tracker, you can set how many footsteps to cover or miles to run each day. Many people set a target of 10,000 steps per day. But you don’t need to aim that high. Start low and once you have achieved/mastered a certain target, push yourself to do more.
Track what you eat
Keeping track of what you eat makes you more conscious of what you consume. This will help ensure that you follow a healthy diet and keep track of how many calories you have eaten each day. You will be able to regulate what you’ve eaten and how much.
Your activity tracker estimates the number of calories you consumed, but you can also sync it with a calorie counting app. The apps allow you to not only enter the foods and drinks you’ve consumed manually, while others also allow you to scan barcodes of items, enter weights and quantities, for more precise calculations.
Keep your band with you all the time
Okay, I know a gadget needs to be charged, but you can always refuel it when you are taking a shower or a quick nap. At other times, make sure to keep it on. This way, you are constantly keeping track of your fitness.
 | Fitbit Charge 5 |  |
It is generally recommended that you wear the band on your non-dominant wrist. This is to avoid confusing the tracker as your non-dominant wrist moves less. But make sure you give your wrist some holiday time to avoid rashes. Either remove the tracker or switch it over to the other hand from time to time.
Work it until you sweat it
Now for the ultimate one. You cannot expect your tracker to help you unless you are putting in full effort. Push yourself to exercise until you sweat it. Don’t go easy on yourself. You need a challenging mindset and motivation to get fit. Give the tracker something to track! Run that extra mile with the right attitude and energy, and you will get fit in no time.
Essential reading: Choosing the right Fitbit tracker
These were a few handy tips to use a fitness tracker. You can also get social and enlist the support of your family and friends to make your fitness journey a fun affair. Go on and get fit with your fitness tracker!
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