Are you on a quest to shed some unwanted weight? A wearable fitness tracker may be the key to your long-term success.

Set, Track, Achieve: How Fitness Trackers Help You Reach Your Goals

While fitness trackers (think FitBit, iHealth, etc.) aren’t a magic solution for weight loss, studies have shown that wearing one can help people with excess weight lose pounds more effectively. Trackers are great for accountability and can also help us create and maintain healthy lifestyle habits, such as taking a minimum number of steps each day or getting at least seven hours of good sleep at night.

“A fitness tracker acts as a constant reminder to pursue health-related goals, be more active and stay attuned to personal health data like heart rate and sleep quality,” says interventional cardiologist Sushant Khaire, MD, FACC at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “When worn consistently—ideally for a period of at least 12 weeks—these devices have been shown to help obese and overweight individuals reduce body weight and lower their total body mass index, or BMI.”

Sync, Track, Transform: How Healthier 901 Can Enhance Your Fitness Journey

Healthier 901 has created a free wellness app to help Mid-Southerners achieve a better quality of life. Users can seamlessly integrate data from any of the following fitness tracking devices into the Healthier 901 (a simple system “sync” should do it!): 

• Apple Watch

• Fitbit

• Garmin

• iHealth

• Map My Run

• Pulse HR

• Withings

• And more!

Three Ways a Wearable Fitness Tracker Can Support Your Weight Loss Journey

For those looking for extra support to stay accountable on a weight loss or fitness journey, Healthier 901 is highlighting three ways a wearable fitness tracker can come in handy:

1. Fitness Trackers Help You Set Specific, Realistic Goals

While losing weight might be your ultimate desire, it’s not a clear goal because no specific numbers or timeframes are involved. Is it getting 10,000 steps every day for two weeks, however? That’s a timebound, measurable goal that will bring you one step (actually, thousands of steps!) closer to your target weight, energy level, etc. Ditto the above for establishing specific, measurable weight loss goals, such as aiming to lose 1 pound weekly for six weeks.

Pro tip: It’s important to discuss any major weight loss goals with your primary care provider before starting on a diet or fitness plan.

2. It’s Easier to Track Your Progress on The Road to Wellness

Once you’ve established your specific and realistic goals, you’ll want to be sure you can measure them! Measuring your progress is a critical part of process improvement and personal change—and most fitness trackers offer insights into a range of vital signs and stats, including heart rate, step count, calories burned and sleep patterns. You’ll also gain insights into your NEAT, or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which tracks the calories we burn with movements outside of “formal” exercise (think: fidgeting, running after the bus, reaching for items on the grocery shelf, etc.).

3. Most Devices Include a Built-in Support System

Big changes can be challenging (small ones, too!), but that doesn’t mean we have to go it alone. Many wearable fitness trackers come with the added benefit of creating a sense of community, increasing our accountability and even fueling a little healthy competition. By setting up weekday, weekend or monthlong steps or “active minute” challenges between yourself and a friend—or a larger group of community members—you can tap into a deeper well of motivation to help you reach your goal.

Pro tip: You can also tag in on steps and other challenges within the Healthier 901 community. Just log in (or create an account for free today!) and enroll in the active challenges of your choice.

Take Your Fitness Journey to the Next Level

In addition to syncing your fitness tracker with the Healthier 901 app, you can also access free workouts on demand—from barre and kickboxing to yoga and strength training—when you’re ready to expand your fitness routine beyond a daily step goal. Join the movement at www.healthier901.com today to take advantage of free fitness tracking, on-demand workouts, tailored lifestyle challenges, healthy recipes and more!