Have you ever noticed that it seems like everyone in Singapore wears a watch? It’s one of those de rigueur things that everyone takes for granted. We all know how important time is and we need our watch to help us schedule our tasks, keep our appointments, and meet deadlines. I’ve seen so many people, personal trainers in Singapore included wearing all sorts of fitness wearables that tracks steps take, hours of deep sleep achieved, etc.
But nowadays a lot of people are wearing watches that do a lot more than just tell time. Fitness wearables, such as Gear Fit, Fitbit2, and Jawbone, are becoming much more popular because it helps us keep track of things that can help us stay active and become healthier. Here are some reasons why fitness bands are much better for you than just a simple wristwatch.
They are stylish. Admit it, the way a watch looks in your wrist is important, and that’s why Rolex watches are so expensive. They do a lot for our self-image and confidence. And the looks of these fitness bands are extremely dashing and smart. They tell everyone who sees it that you care about health, and that lends a lot to your attractiveness. Fitbit even has social networking features.
Besides, they work as constant reminders. They don’t just tell you the time, but they tell you that you need to be conscious of your health. They can motivate you to work hard for your health. In fact, they can even vibrate as an alarm, to tell you when to wake up and when to work out.
They keep track of various metrics that define your fitness activity. For example, you may pay attention to the distance you run when you jog, but you may not notice that you are walking all over the place all the time. That counts as a fitness activity too, even though you are dressed in office wear. And fitness bands like Jawbone can keep track of each and every step you take, so that you have a much clearer idea of how much you move around. It can even note how many miles you “travel” on a bike.
The fitness band then computes the calories you burn. This can tie in with your diet plans, because now you have a more accurate idea of how many calories you actually need for the day.
For a truly comprehensive picture of your fitness situation, the fitness band even tracks the hours you sleep and even notes the quality of your sleep.
With all this data, you can then have a better sense of your normal day today routine, and you can tailor your future fitness plans to improve what needs to be improved. Your workout, diet, and sleep can then be made better so that you can be much healthier.
You can then set reasonable goals for yourself. For example, if you are reasonably fit, then you can measure your fitness activity for a few days so you know how much activity you need to maintain. But if you want to lose a few kilograms, then you may want to step it up a bit (if you’ll pardon the pun).
What you need to remember is that your goals should always be about gradual progress. Maybe you can add a few hundred steps each day. This goes for your plan of cutting down on the calories and gaining more sleep.
Slow progress is much better, because aiming to improve too much too soon is ineffective. It can tempt you to give up much too easily. With realistic goals you bolster your confidence by being able to achieve them.
It’s also less likely to shock your system. You can’t expect to suddenly double your activity overnight, as your body needs time to get used to it.
Make sure you reward yourself. Once you see yourself meeting a goal for the day as tracked by your Gear Fit, you can then give yourself a small treat to reinforce the feeling. A small treat won’t threaten your diet, but can actually give you the strength to carry on. It’s the fitness version of one step backward, two steps forward.
Some say that fitness bands are fads, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some thought the fitness craze was a fad, and yet it’s something that has been going on for decades. And while fitness bands may one day lose popularity, the idea that technology can help us get healthy is something that will stay with us for a long time to come.
Coach Sharm, MSc