Image source: Fitbit

Streamline your fitness routine with wearable technology

More and more of us are walking around with fitness bands and smartwatches strapped to our wrist. These numbers are only going to keep growing, since wearable technology is clearly a major up-and-coming fitness trend.

Essential readingTop fitness trackers and health gadgets

Even so, it’s important to understand that today’s best offerings in wearable tech are so much more than just novelty gadgets. When used properly and consistently, they can really help take your fitness game to the next level. Here are some features that can help you make progress towards your fitness goals.


Enjoy smoother workouts without interruptions

Naturally, there are lots of ways to burn more calories and drop a few of those unwanted holiday pounds. Putting in at least a solid half hour of uninterrupted moderate exercise a few times a week is one of the best ways to improve your health. This is according to the latest official guidelines for Americans.

But, relying on your smartphone to help you stay on track can lead to distractions when you check and recheck it multiple times, compromising the quality of your workouts. Switching to a wearable option can help you break that habit.

Image source: Fitbit

You’ll be able to monitor, record, and track your workouts in exactly the same way but without the interruptions. Today’s options also come complete with built-in heart monitors and advanced workout metrics, making it easy to take your routine to the next level.


Keep yourself accountable

If you find it easier to keep striving for your fitness goals when someone else is holding you accountable, you’re not alone. Millions of people find it easier to push through obstacles and stay consistent when they work with a coach or hit the gym with a friend. However, not everyone is the type who wants to put their social face on every time they want to get in a little exercise.

Essential reading: Boost your gym session with these gadgets

Many activity trackers and other types of wearable tech do an excellent job of doubling as a coach or a workout buddy by helping you compete against yourself. They can keep tabs on your goals, monitor your progress, encourage you to push yourself a little harder every day, and remind you to get back with the program if you’ve been slacking. For many people, that makes a huge difference as far as how active they are and how hard they’re willing to push themselves.


Help fitness fit seamlessly into your life

For some, fitness is something they’re focused on when they’re at the gym but don’t think much about the rest of the time. One of the best things about wearable technologyis that they’re “set it and forget it” ways to make fitness a constant part of your life.

Image source: Fitbit

All you need to do is put them on and go about your business. They do the hard work of keeping track of everything you’re doing, whether that’s setting the elliptical machine on fire or simply going through your day at work.

The advantage here is that you’ll become more aware of how active you really are (or aren’t), putting fitness on your mind more of the time. Many people find that becoming more aware about their habits is all it takes to make better decisions every day, not just when they’re focused on working out.

They take the stairs when they could have taken the escalator. They get up and move around on their lunch breaks when they could have simply sat and scrolled through Facebook on their phone. Those may sound like little things, but they’re really the first steps to becoming a habitually active person.


Take the guesswork out of challenging yourself

Figuring out how to get the most out of your workouts every single time can be tricky. The key to success is to keep turning the dial up when it comes to the intensity level so that your body stays consistently challenged. However, that’s easier said than done.

Image source: Fitbit

Wearable tech options like heart rate monitors simplify the process for you by letting you know when your workout needs an upgrade because it’s no longer challenging your body in the right way. On the flip side, they can tell you when you’re pushing yourself too hard too fast and might benefit from slowing down a bit. You’ll never have to wonder whether or not you’re working out hard enough again.


Learn how to set better fitness goals moving forward

Image source: Fitbit

Perhaps the best thing about wearable fitness tech is the sheer amount of information you are able to access about your daily habits, heart rate, and behavioral patterns. The more you know about how you workout, diet, and manage your routine, the better equipped you will be to build on your progress and decide where to take things next.

Essential reading: Choosing the best Fitbit tracker

Plus, fitness technology makes it easy to determine how well your routine is working for you. Did switching from aerobics classes to self-regulated HIIT make you want to work out more often? Just how much has that new lifting routine helped your endurance levels when it came to your cardio routine? The answers to all of those questions and more will be just a few button touches away when wearable tech is in your corner.

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Carole Klein

Carole Klein is the manager of social media and content for Unique Fitness Concepts located at their headquarters in Vernon Hills, IL. She has a B.S. in exercise physiology and is a fitness industry expert with more than 20 years of experience as a competitor and personal trainer. Before joining Unique Fitness Concepts, Carole worked as a group fitness coordinator at a nationally based health club.

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