Disadvantages of Using Fitness Monitor to Track Your Daily Workout (2)

Disadvantages of using a fitness tracker 

Some days  ago, we wrote about the benefits of having a fitness tracker and using it for routine workout.
 Read part one here
1. You get fixated
Although tracking your progress can be very useful, and motivate you to keep going and achieve fitness goals, it has some downfalls, as well. It is relatively easy to look at numbers and look down on yourself if your speed is a bit slower today than the day before, or when your walk is a little shorter. If you end up becoming fixated on continuously outdoing yourself, then the metrics becomes a tool we use in judging ourselves. I know it is good to continue progressing in a positive way, but an off day once in a while is nothing to worry about. We all need to take it easy occasionally. Pushing yourself past your limit day after day is likely to result in injury or even burnout.

2. It can kill the joy in working out:
One important factor that determines whether or not you will be able to maintain your routine over time is how much joy it gives you. Finding a kind of exercise that you enjoy is crucial. But when you give too much attention to numbers, you can sap a lot of fun right out of your workout. Going for a jog, for example. You are less likely to stick to your exercise routine when you feel like it's a lot of work.

3. It's expensive:
Fitness trackers are often free. However, quality ones are difficult to get in the open section. However, some of the wearable techs can be pretty expensive. Imagine buying an expensive tech and end up not liking it that is money spent in vanity. So if you are thinking of purchasing any of the wearable fitness trackers but you aren't sure which is right for you, then it's a good idea to try out a free or very cheap app first, so you get a sense of how it is to keep track of your fitness metrics.

4. Comparing yourself with others:
As mentioned in part one, the social sharing option many trackers offer have many benefits. They can connect you with your friends and family who are most likely to provide support and encouragement. However, the flip side of this coin is this; Social media sharing can turn into another way that we start to compare our metrics to that of others. If you notice that the weekly stats of your friends jogging mileage is drastically higher than yours, you may start feeling inadequate. These kinds of negative feeling can be very discouraging and can even cause you to stop working out altogether.

Just like virtually every other thing in life, there exist several benefits as well as downfalls to using fitness trackers to track your fitness metrics. If you use trackers in a healthy way, and you approach your metrics with positivity and self-love, you will likely benefit from fitness trackers. On the other hand, it can be rather easy for our self-judging mindset to slip to the dark side of fitness tracking, and that is something want to be aware of when using a tracker.