Health

Five secrets for getting more out of your fitness tech

Oct 30, 2018

Research shows a third of people discard their wearable fitness devices after just six months, but there are things over-60s can do to get get more from their fitness tech. Source: Pexels

The good news about fitness tech is people are more likely to commit to these life-changing devices than the gym, where studies show a whopping 80 per cent drop out just five months after joining a gym during January.

Yet while people are more likely to stick with their fitness tech, research company Gartner suggests one third of people still abandon their devices within six months. What are some secrets to keeping connected with your fitness tech, and creating long-lasting, positive change toward better health? Consider the following tips:

It needn’t be expensive

You can spend hundreds of dollars on a wearable fitness device. But cheaper options are available, because any smartphone can also act as ‘wearable tech’. Using clever free apps such as Kinrgize, which provides exercise ideas and algorithms to measure and rank your daily activity, means you can access professional wisdom at low cost.

If you stick with the smartphone option for a period of time and prove you’re able to commit, there’s no reason why you can’t spend up on a different wearable option later.

Use it to keep you accountable

Lack of accountability is a key reason why people discard their wearable tech (and gym memberships). But we don’t all have access to a workout buddy or personal trainer to keep tabs on us.

Fitness tech can be the next best thing by tracking your fitness regime and interacting with other programs and apps. Look for any ways the technology can track and rank your exercise – seeing your progress is a wonderful thing, and you may see some interesting patterns emerge.

Embrace the transparency – fitness technology provides brutal honesty. It won’t flatter or deceive you, making it a friend to your health.

Engage with useful apps

A good app will allow you to measure various forms of exercise, the intensity of the exercise, and things like sleep. It will both provide a roadmap for exercise and reveal your performance and show where you might improve.

Some apps will also reward you for your efforts, providing access to discounted health and fitness product. Look for apps which have sufficient depth to help keep it interesting. And if you tire of one app don’t give up – see what else is out there and try another.

Use the tech as a cue

Making exercise a routine is a sure way to stick with it. Your tech can provide cues to exercise – for example, if you’re trying to become more mobile and less sedentary, you can establish various cues as a reminder to get up and go for a walk do some stretches/spinal rotations.

Cleverly using cues can help with everything from posture – for example, every time you check your phone it’s a cue to sit upright – or for reminding you to go for a run or swim.

Incorporate low, medium, and high intensity exercise using the tech

Forget the fads. The best, most effective programs incorporate a mix of low, medium and high intensity exercise, and fitness tech can ensure you get all three. By incorporating three intensities of exercise every week (for example, low intensity exercise every day, medium intensity five days a week, and high intensity three-five days a week) you keep it interesting and increase your chances of committing to health.