With the explosion of smart, affordable and wearable fitness tech, you now have a huge array of possible fitness metrics to choose from.
What was once only available to the world of elite athletes is now in the hands of the everyday person who wants to improve their fitness.
As we exercise, we want to feel we are making some kind of measurable progress. Seeing tangible results is a huge motivator for many, and data is just as good a result and seeing visible changes in your body. Here are some of the best metrics you should be tracking.
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Heart Rate
Cardio workouts make your heart stronger. Fitness trackers can now measure your pulse from your wrist. This means you can measure your resting heart rate, and then your maximum heart rate when at peak effort levels.
Thebest heart rate watch models now let you program in 'heart rate zones' so you can suit your workout to your fitness goals. If you're running an endurance race, for example, you may want to jog only at 60% of your maximum for a while, and then switch it up to some sprints. This is called interval training, and heart rate monitors help us stick to the right levels.
Oxygenation
Pulse oximeters can measure how well your hemoglobin absorbs light. This determines how much oxygen is reaching your extremities.
The reason this is useful to know is it's an indication of how well you have recovered from your workout.
Steps and Pace
Pedometers and accelerometers in your fitness watch can measure exactly how many steps you've taken. Many fitness watches also contain GPS tracking for greater accuracy (and recording routes you've taken on a jog for instance). The GPS also helps measure your pace over the course of your walk or run. You can use this data to improve on your time on your next run.
This can be extended to other activities like swimming lengths, cycling or climbing. There are many highly specialized activities that fitness trackers can measure.
You can even set your device to remind you if you have a daily step goal and you've been sitting down being sedentary for too long during the day. It is recommended everybody should be getting at least 10,000 steps per day, while many Americans manage only about 2,000.
Calories
Exercise is one half of health, and nutrition is the other. You can keep track of your food in many different ways. While not all calories are equal, recording the food you eat and then the calories you burn may help you spot how your eating habits are affecting your health.
Apps like MyFitnessPal are popular because they are an all in one solution. Fitness trackers like Fitbit can be connected up and let you view how many calories you've really burned off compared to how much you've taken in.
Sleep
While not directly measuring your fitness as such, sleep is very important for health and sleep tracking is a growing trend in smart fitness trackers. You can measure the time you've slept and the quality of that sleep.
You may find that while you've been in bed for 8 hours overnight, you haven't gotten a full 8 hours of rest. Just the act of tracking is often enough to adjust habits. You may notice things like you're going to bed too late or without winding down enough (try not looking at screens or eating sugary foods an hour before bed). You can then start correcting yourself and seeing the improvement in your metrics.
Blood Sugar - Coming Soon
If you are diabetic, you may soon be able to use fitness trackers to monitor your glucose levels without requiring an injection. Sensors in the watch use infra-red light to measure glucose beneath your skin.
Even if you are not diabetic, it will be fascinating to see how your diet impacts your blood sugar levels over time and how this affects your health. Imagine drinking a soda and instantly seeing feedback in the form of a notification from your smartphone, which is connected to your Fitbit. This may be enough to stop you from going overboard, and even think twice next time you grab a sweet drink.
Whichever fitness metrics you choose to track, just the act of starting to track can be motivating and rewarding. Get started now and you'll be on your way to achieving your health goals before you know it.
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