Fitness and weight loss seems to trending as conversation starter topics these days. Just walk into any social gathering and you’ll find that the talk invariably veers towards someone’s weight loss or weight gain and not to forget the umpteen number of unsolicited advices that are likely to follow. It’s also hard to ignore on the fitness bands people sport on their wrists these days and their claims of how the bands helped them lose weight or stay fit.
So, you decide to give in to the latest fitness fad and buy one for yourself. But wait, is it worth all the hype surrounding it? Let’s check out some facts first.
Fitness bands are wearable tracking devices that monitor your fitness activity such as number of steps you take in a day, heart rate, calories burned, calorie intake and sleep patterns to name a few. The bands are gaining popularity as they can be paired with a smartphone and allow users to track their activity at their fingertips. Their online platforms also throw in challenges and encourage them with virtual rewards for reaching their target.
The most popular fitness bands in the Indian market are Fitbit, Xiomi Mi band, Garmin, Goqii, and Fitgen. It’s interesting to see Fastrack jumping in the bandwagon recently. The price range could vary from as little as INR 950 to as high as INR 20,000.
As per recent reports:
21% of the population uses wearable fitness trackers.
Total shipment volumes reached 19.7 million units in 1Q16, an increase of 67.2% from the 11.8 million units shipped in 1Q15.
5% of the population is keen on purchasing a fitness band than a smart watch
Wearing a basic fitness trackers can increase a user’s activity levels by 30 percent!
Pros:
Seeing the numbers on their trackers motivates people to significantly increase their activity levels
The ability to monitor personalized goals is an added plus
Helps people watch their diet and regulate it.
Posting their activities on social media and being appreciated could boost their morale and help connect with fitness enthusiasts having similar goals or weight issues
Cons
People are wary of sharing personal information for privacy and security issues
The gadgets may not really show accurate information thereby throwing your fitness goals off the gear
The trackers are incapable of measuring all kinds of fitness activities
Thanks to evolving technologies, the gadgets could become outdated in no time!
In case you are still wondering if you want to go for it, go ahead and purchase one if you are confident and making the best use of it. Choose a band that offers the features you are most likely to use instead of going by the hype of the sales pitch.
My Final Two Cents:
Fitness bands are designed to make life better, they can help you monitor your activity and motivate you but can’t really exercise for you.
Change starts with in YOU!