What information do fitness trackers collect?

To get the full potential from your wrist-hugging workout companion, you need to know the basics. While they all boast varying features, they all fundamentally work in the same way - by measuring motion. Mechanisms include an accelerometer (to track your movement) and a gyroscope (to measure orientation and rotation). 

We all know these devices can count our steps, but there’s so much more to them than that. Let’s take a look at the other genuinely useful bits of information we can extract from our nifty fitness gizmos - so that you can make the most of your time and efforts. 

1. Location

Just like your iPhone, the GPS receiver in a fitness tracker locates your running, walking and cycling routes. This is hugely useful for mapping exercise, as well as reviewing factors such as terrain and hills - all necessary information for those meticulous about their results. For parents who worry about the safety of their child, this added function gives peace of mind as it tracks the location of their loved ones. 

2. Heart rate

Fitness trackers have the ability to track your heart rate - but don’t be misguided in believing this is totally accurate. The blood pumping they monitor works via shining light through your skin which is examined and returned. This leads to a basic heart reading, not one which is recorded by health professionals. Still, it’s super useful for sports and could be a handy feature when exercising outdoors or in a Holmes Place class (not on gym equipment that measures heart rate anyway).

3. Calorie logging and calorie burning 

Calorie intake can be manually logged into a fitness tracker, so you can keep an eye on what you eat, especially if you’re trying to cut down after the holiday season. Just like equipment at the gym, the calorie burning function estimates the calories burned during activity. The difference is that these devices estimate calories burned during the day (steps taken, stairs climbed, active minutes, stationary time etc) as well as physical activity. This is a very useful feature if you’re engaging in a weight-loss or toning programme. 

4. Blood pressure

Some of the latest fitness trackers are now able to monitor blood pressure - the strength of which your blood is being pushed around your body. Again, these recordings should never be taken as accurate. For sports and activities, this tool is useful, but if you have blood pressure concerns you should never take the results as gospel.

5. Body composition

This function is useful for those who want to monitor the changes to their body fat over time. Information collected is not totally accurate but is useful for encouraging motivation and giving us a good idea of the changes we’re making to our bodies. 

6. Multiple exercises on one gadget 

Voted as a top ranking fitness tracker of 2018, the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch is said to capture real-time statistics on more than 15 activities. An ultimate must have for lovers of various workouts and exercises. 

7. Sleep

Vital for wellbeing, concentration and performance - we know how important sleep is. Motion sensors in fitness gadgets give the waking dreamer guidance on how they sleep, how their sleep is interrupted and how much uninterrupted sleep they’ve had. 

From Fitbits to Garmins, fitness trackers capture a mammoth range of information - but each one is different. If you need more help on measuring your workout data, let one of our personal trainers help you. They’ll create a personalised workout plan, looking more specifically at your goals for a more effective results.

Check these 6 gadgets for data driven results.