HEALTH Stay on Track

SPONSORED BY BAPTIST HEALTH

Baptist Health/Milestone wellness

Keeping track of your exercise is a great way to stay motivated and make sure you are getting the most out of a workout. Fitness trackers are a highly effective way to increase engagement in exercise and adherence to exercise. The benefits of logging and tracking your workout makes it more likely to reach and surpass your fitness goal. A tracker can provide valuable data that allows you to see what you are accomplishing. It collects your health and fitness information, reads your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, steps per day, sleep quality, water intake, general activity you perform throughout the day, and much more.

TYPES OF FITNESS TRACKERS

Once you have decided to take charge of your workout, you will want to choose the best tracker for you. There are many different options including: Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin. There are three basic types including: Basic trackers (counts number of steps you take and calculates the distance you have traveled). Heart rate monitoring trackers (do the same as basic trackers plus monitors heart rate which determines number of calories burned). Heart rate trackers with GPS (great if you are hitting the trails; these trackers collect data by measuring motion).

WHERE TO BUY A FITNESS TRACKER

Check out Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. All smartwatches and fitness trackers can pair with an app on your phone. Most wearable watches can be used with both iphones and Android smartphones. Many can be connected independently from a smartphone. Progress your workout through a fitness tracker to stay motivated. Think of it as your own personal trainer on your wrist. Sync it with friends and family for a friendly competition. Holding each other accountable keeps the motivation.

CHECK OUT THESE APPS FOR OVERALL FITNESS MOTIVATION:

• MyFitnessPal • FitOn • Beachbody on Demand • Burn.Fit • Jefi t Alison Cardoza, B.S. Exercise Science and Sports Medicine with a Minor in Health Promotions from University of Louisville. ACSM Certifi ed Personal Trainer and Fitour Group Exercise Instructor at Baptist Health Milestone. Former UofL Ladybird and NFL Colts Cheerleader.

photos by Dick Arnspiger