Fitness Trackers May Improve Joint Health
When the temperature drops and the weather is gloomy, it’s hard to find the motivation to exercise. Although it sounds appealing to stay inside, you need to exercise for your physical and mental health. Working out releases endorphins, increases immunity and combats seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression common in winter.
Most people need a little help and motivation to get moving. A good way to monitor your active lifestyle is by using activity trackers and fitness apps.
What Is a Fitness Tracker?
According to a poll, half of Americans use at least one kind of technology to track their health and fitness goals. Many people wear heart rate monitors and smart watches in the gym. Experts report wearable technology is the Top Fitness Trend for 2024 (ACSM).
A fitness monitoring device is a wearable gadget or mobile app that tracks physical movements. These movements include heart rate, calories expended and steps taken.
Physical activity is one of the most important components of health, but daily tasks often push exercise to the bottom of the list. Fitness trackers help because they give reminders and praise, two things to which humans respond positively.
Fitness trackers can remind you to “get moving” if you’ve been inactive for a period of time, or congratulate you, “You met your goal of 10,000 steps!” Accountability is essential when trying to cultivate any lifelong habit, and fitness trackers provide accurate, unbiased records about movement and activity in the day.
“Fitness trackers are a great tool for heart health,” says Johns Hopkins cardiologist Seth Martin, MD, MHS. “Being more active and changing your habits is important, but it can be difficult. Tracking likely helps a lot of people when combined with a clear goal to shoot for.”
What Are Some Benefits of Wearable Fitness Technology?
Many people say their fitness tracker makes all the difference in their day. Some favorite features of wearable fitness technology include the following:
- Staying motivated
- Activity awareness
- Heart health monitoring
- Sleep analysis
- Goal setting and the feeling of achievement
What Features Should You Seek in an Activity Tracker?
What you need in a fitness tracker depends upon your goals. If you are just tracking your steps and minutes of activity, you might need nothing more than a Fitbit. If you want to delve deeper into fitness and aerobic exercise, you may want a smartwatch or more sophisticated fitness tracker.
Here are some features of fitness trackers that may interest you.
Resting heart rate
Most people’s resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Exercise helps to lower your resting heart rate, which improves overall cardiac function and helps to reduce mortality rate. Therefore, resting heart rate is an important metric to monitor.
Heart rate during exercise
Heart rate zones, or HR zones, help you know how hard you’re training. There are five heart rate zones based on the intensity of your training with regard to your maximum heart rate (MHR). For moderate-intensity physical activity, your target heart rate (THR) should be 50 to 70 percent of your MHR.
If you’re not sure what your maximum heart rate is, it is based on your age. Your maximum heart rate can be calculated as 220 beats per minute (bpm) minus your age. This is just an estimate, and your doctor should help you determine your MHR.
VO2 Max
Your VO2 max is the volume of oxygen (O2) you can breathe maximally during a 60-second interval. VO2 max is a metric of fitness that correlates with your mortality risk. The higher your VO2 max, the healthier your heart.
Research shows that the most popular activity trackers are quite reliable when recording activity minutes and daily steps. Activity trackers can help adults meet the physical activity guidelines. Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderately intense activity per week and strength training two times a week.
Recent Research on Fitness Trackers
A study with 1,000 American adults found that wearable fitness devices greatly impact our health and overall happiness.
- 80 percent of the study participants said they felt better physically and mentally after using a fitness tracker.
- 50 percent said they increased their physical activity when they began wearing a health tracker.
- 25 percent said they use fitness trackers to increase accountability and motivation for meeting activity goals.
How Exercise Affects Arthritis and Joint Pain
Strong muscles can support and protect arthritic joints. Research shows exercise can improve symptoms of osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Exercise strengthens muscles around the joints and helps maintain bone strength.
“Exercise is good. But exercise intelligently,” says Bashir Zikria, MD, an assistant professor of sports medicine in Baltimore. “Low-impact exercises, like walking, cycling or using an elliptical machine are smart choices. If you run, play basketball or do other high-impact activities, avoid hard surfaces and don’t do it every day” (Arthritis.org).
An Orthopedist Can Help You Exercise Safely
Consistency is the key to making progress. We all need realistic goals, motivation to follow through and a way to track our progress. Fitness trackers and apps can provide all those things, but they can’t replace the expertise of a physician. Before you begin a new workout routine, talk to your doctor and create a customized plan.
If you are living with chronic pain, call your orthopedist to make an appointment. You may need physical therapy, medication or a procedure. Your doctor can also discuss options regarding procedures like total knee or total hip replacement, if necessary.