You’d be hard-pressed to not spot a fitness tracker on someone’s wrist these days. With their skyrocketing popularity in recent years, fitness trackers are now a common sight as they help millions keep tabs on their step count, activity level, sleep patterns, and heart rate—all in the pursuit of wellness. Major market players such as FitBit, Jawbone, Garmin, Samsung, and Apple, to name a few, have manufactured a vast array of devices capable of meeting these needs.
Promoted as aids to achieving fitness objectives, these trackers boast multiple features that can provide valuable insights into your lifestyle. Surprisingly, they can also contribute positively to your financial health. Let’s explore how fitness trackers can help boost productivity while also supporting your fitness and economic wellbeing.
REINING IN YOUR DIET AND GROCERY BUDGET
Many fitness trackers provide the useful feature of allowing users to monitor their dietary intake. Fitbit, for example, empowers users to log their daily consumption and set a target calorie intake. Essentially, it’s akin to keeping a digital food diary.
There is a prevailing belief that weight management depends 80% on your diet and only 20% on exercise. Logging your meals and snacks into your tracker’s system will enable you to be more mindful of your food choices and recognize the total calories you consume daily. Surprisingly, the very act of recording every item you consume tends to motivate healthier eating choices. After all, admitting to frequent fast-food indulgence can be discouraging.
Regarding finances, you may be startled to learn that your eating habits significantly impact your budget. Despite the temptation of a $5 fast-food meal, grocery shopping and home cooking often prove to be cost-effective in the long run. Groceries may appear expensive at first glance, but they stretch further creating multiple meals. Additionally, home-cooked meals often yield leftovers, reducing the need for additional food purchases or eating out—which ultimately saves money.
WALK MORE, SPEND LESS
Many fitness tracker enthusiasts aim primarily to monitor their steps, aspiring to take 10,000 steps a day with devices like Fitbit. Fitness trackers also record the duration of exercise, encouraging a less sedentary lifestyle. The push to meet these goals often results in choosing to walk, bike, run, or rollerblade, depending on where one lives. This not only promotes health but is also eco-friendly, saving both on gas and money.
WIN AND EARN
The shift towards healthier lifestyles and the use of fitness trackers has sparked a spirit of competition. Friendly contests aiming to achieve the most steps have escalated into various fitness challenges, often rewarding winners with prizes or money. These competitions have become increasingly popular among friends, families, coworkers, and organizations, leading to increased physical activity and the potential for extra income.
HEALTHY LIVING, HEALTHY SPENDING
The ultimate aim of using a fitness tracker is to encourage a healthier lifestyle by providing greater awareness of your nutritional intake and physical activity. This lifestyle shift could reduce the occurrence of injuries, illnesses, and medical visits, saving you substantial healthcare expenses—even for those insured, as medical bills tend not to be inexpensive.
POSITIVE IMPACTS LAST
Creating positive changes in one aspect of your life often triggers the desire to replicate this positivity in other areas. A fitness tracker could help foster this ripple effect. Initiating a healthier lifestyle can lead to improvement in other areas such as your work productivity or financial management. As a result, both your physical health and finances may thrive.
While a fitness tracker may not solve all challenges, it can certainly increase your awareness, guiding you towards a healthier, more balanced life. The benefits of fitness trackers extend beyond physical wellbeing, potentially influencing your finances, among other aspects of your life. This positive synergy has the potential to radiate across all spheres once you start feeling healthier and more energized.
