Fitbits, Nike+ Sportbands, and other similar products are popping up on the wrists of more and more students across campus. These fitness bands can do it all: track calories, miles, steps, heart rate, sleep, and more. Fitbit has even solved the issue of style for fashion-forward woman by pairing up with Tory Burch to create a chic new model. They are on track to exceed designer watches in style, but are these bands really helping with health?
Students campus-wide have found that Fitbit is generally beneficial to their health. They have said that it has made them more aware of their eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. In this case, skipping a few workouts here and there won’t put you totally off track. Fitbit can pick up where you last left off, making you more aware of slumps in your workout schedule, or when you have repeated cheat days.
The band can motivate you to reach a target calorie count or step count for your routines. This feature encourages you to work a bit harder on those days when you might be less active or feeling not-so-motivated. Ashley Roth, an active Fitbit user and runner says, “I actually really like it. If I haven’t hit 10,000 steps for the day it makes me go for an additional walk.” This increased awareness of your normal routine can really push you on the off days.
Although positive health changes were widespread, benefits often differed from student to student. Some students seemed to think Fitbit was encouraging and helped their health habits significantly. Other students’ use was more limited to making themselves simply more aware of habits, rather than changing their lifestyles. Overall, almost all students agreed that fitness bands improved their health, and are worth the investment.