How to do more with your fitness tracker

Unlock the Hidden Power of Your Fitness Tracker: Four Ways to Maximize Your Data

Fitness trackers offer a wealth of data beyond simple step counting. They monitor activity levels, sleep patterns, nutrition, and hydration, promising a healthier lifestyle. But this is just the beginning. By leveraging the right tools and apps, you can uncover deeper insights into your behavior and make significant lifestyle adjustments. Here are four effective strategies:

1. Harness the Power of IFTTT:

Most fitness trackers come with dedicated apps for data storage and display. However, what if you want to analyze your data differently, create custom graphs, or share your progress on social media? IFTTT (If This Then That) is a free service that integrates with many trackers (including Fitbit, Misfit, and Nike , but not currently Apple Watch or Android Wear). It uses "applets" – simple "if-then" statements – to connect apps and automate actions.

For example, you can create an applet to automatically log your daily step count to a Google Sheet, generating customized charts. You could also share your fitness achievements on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, or even receive text reminders if you miss your weekly goals. The possibilities are vast. Simply create a free IFTTT account, select your tracker, and choose the desired action.

2. Uncover Behavioral Patterns with Exist:

While tracker apps show your activity levels, they don't reveal the correlation between your activity and other aspects of your well-being. Exist is a powerful data aggregation service that connects various tracker accounts (Fitbit, Misfit, Apple Health, Google Fit), analyzing the data to identify patterns and correlations.

For instance, Exist can analyze how your daily step count affects your mood (if you log your mood daily), or how weather impacts your activity. It integrates with social media, email, and even Spotify to provide a holistic view of your lifestyle. Exist offers a polished web interface with intuitive charts and data exports. Note that Exist is a paid service ($6/month or $57/year), but a 30-day trial is available.

3. Boost Motivation Through Friendly Competition:

Share your fitness data with friends to enhance motivation and foster a healthy competitive spirit. Many trackers and apps offer social sharing features (though Google Fit currently lacks this).

Apple Watch users can share progress with friends (also requiring Apple Watch and watchOS 3). Strava, a popular running and cycling app, allows connecting with friends, viewing their activities, and sharing your own progress on social media. The social aspect helps maintain engagement and provides additional motivation.

4. Centralize Your Data with Apple Health or Google Fit:

Consolidate fitness data from multiple apps and devices using Apple Health (iOS) or Google Fit (Android). While they differ slightly in functionality, both integrate data from various apps and devices.

Apple Watch works seamlessly with Apple Health, and Android Wear watches integrate with Google Fit. Misfit and Withings trackers support both platforms. Note that Fitbit currently doesn't integrate with either. Many third-party fitness apps (Strava, Runtastic, Runkeeper) also support data integration with Apple Health and Google Fit. Consider this when choosing new fitness apps.

The above is the detailed content of How to do more with your fitness tracker. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!