Wearable digital devices that can count calories, steps, and heart rate are now an important part of how we manage our health. But should you use them?

Fitness trackers, whether they’re specialized wrist-worn devices or apps built into smartwatches, are becoming increasingly popular. This page examines the pros and cons of these digital technologies and answers frequently asked questions about them.

What’s on this page?

What can fitness trackers monitor?

Fitness trackers, also known as “wearables,” can monitor a variety of health information such as heart rate, oxygen levels, steps, and sleep. These days, most products can connect to an app to track your progress and trends. Some devices also include blood pressure monitoring and single-lead ECGs (a simple type of electrocardiogram with one electrode sensor) that can read heart rhythm and heart rate. However, these are not as reliable as proper medical tests.

Benefits of fitness trackers

These are useful for tracking physical activity and helping people become more active. Many people don’t realize how much less exercise they are doing per day until they start using a fitness tracker. It also helps people set and achieve fitness goals, stay motivated, and make it easier and more fun to move more often.

How accurate are fitness trackers?

Accuracy depends on which numbers are being monitored, which devices are being used, and what level of activity is occurring.

For example, step count is generally found to be the most accurate measurement. Numbers such as heart rate will vary depending on the tracker you use and the intensity of your activity. One review of the evidence found that the higher the intensity of exercise, the less accurate heart rate measurements.

You shouldn’t pay too much attention to one-time readings from your fitness tracker. The most important thing is the overall trend. For example, if you notice that your heart rate readings are lower or higher than normal, there’s probably no need to worry. However, if you regularly notice abnormal readings or if your numbers are trending up or down in an unusual way, let your doctor know.

Can fitness trackers detect heart problems?

Although fitness trackers can help you manage your health, it’s important to remember that they are not medical devices. They are not a substitute for medical tests and are not designed to make a diagnosis. These are primarily intended to help monitor your fitness.

However, it can be helpful in monitoring your health, so if you start to notice any concerning numbers or trends, let your doctor or nurse know so they can look into it.

What are the disadvantages of fitness trackers?

One of the biggest pitfalls of fitness trackers is that they can increase health anxiety. It’s easy to get too focused on numbers. Increased anxiety can temporarily increase your heart rate.

It can also negatively impact your lifestyle choices, leading you to eat unhealthy foods, smoke, and drink more alcohol. This can increase your risk of heart and circulatory disease. Anxiety can also have a big impact on your sleep and overall quality of life.

For some people, wearing a fitness tracker can be more detrimental to your health than not wearing it. In this case, you may want to have your number checked at your GP or pharmacy instead.

Atrial fibrillation and fitness tracker

Some fitness trackers include a single-lead ECG, which measures the heart’s electrical activity and can help detect abnormal rhythms such as atrial fibrillation.

However, the results can be affected by the position and movement of the wearable. It can also detect harmless extra heartbeats. All of these can affect the quality of the ECG reading.

Single-lead ECGs are not as accurate or detailed as 12-lead ECGs, the type doctors use to monitor patients. However, if you see any unusual readings, you should contact your doctor or nurse who will advise you if further tests are needed.

Choose the fitness tracker that’s right for you

With so many types of fitness trackers on the market these days, it can be difficult to decide which one best suits your needs.

Questions to ask yourself before making a purchase include:

• What do you want to track? Why?
• Will monitoring help or will it cause more worry?
• How much do you want to spend?
• Want an accompanying app?
• Is it easy to use for people with other health problems, such as visual impairment or poor hand movement?

Still not sure? Our online community may be able to help. It’s free to join, and you can ask members about their experience with fitness trackers to find a model that fits your needs.

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Published March 6, 2024