Activity Trackers-Making Fitness Fun

According to one study, the average American only takes about 5,117 steps a day, half of the 10,000 step recommendation. So how do we begin to increase more movement throughout the day? Many of us have at one point in our lives have used a pedometer, which is a great place to start. Pedometers are inexpensive and help people realize the amount of steps they take in a day, but for some they’re not enough motivation to change old habits.

With the increase in tablet and smartphone popularity, there’s hundreds of apps and activity tracking devices to track movement and calorie intake. These devices offer a wide range of calorie tracking software and reinforcement strategies that suit an array of abilities. Many studies have found that these devices, for the most part, are pretty accurate at calculating movement and more important, they turn fitness into a game. Each day is a fun challenge, whether you’re trying to make your step goal by 6:00pm, beat your friend’s best step score, or working towards a 2 week “streak”, these devices are an exciting twist on the old-school pedometer.

Now let’s take a look at some of my favorite devices and apps.

Garmin Vivofit