Health and fitness tracker companies have increased sales in the past few months. Whether it’s a smartwatch, wristband or smart ring, social media has led many people to feel they need these devices to live a healthier lifestyle. As the development of these devices continues, the community has forgotten that fitness used to be about feeling good and was a personal path for the majority; now it’s displayed on our tracking wearables and shared openly with friends or on social media. Fitness trackers have turned wellness into a lifestyle brand. Having a tool that tracks multiple body variables isn’t a bad thing; tracking everything without necessarily understanding the data correctly is a waste of time and financial resources.
Traditionally, fitness trackers were designed for athletes and consistently active individuals. For them, these devices make sense because they’re used for training, monitoring performance, tracking sleep, heart rate, calorie burn and overall strain. However, the way companies promote these wearables today has created the feeling that everyone needs one, regardless of their lifestyle or goals.
The boom in media promotion and brand partnerships has made fitness trackers more popular than ever. Devices like the Oura Ring, Whoop band, and Garmin watches are currently at the top of the market, and most require a monthly subscription to unlock full access to data and software features. Without a doubt, it is a significant financial investment; still, on college campuses and in the community, people are buying these trackers for their fashionable look or simply to avoid missing out. There are countless new accessories for those devices, making people more interested in acquiring different wristband and smart ring colors, which are slowly becoming another feature that draws the non-traditional buyer onto the fitness tracker train.
A health tracker should be an investment in your body, not just another daily trend. The purpose of these devices is to help users understand their own health data, learn from it, and make lifestyle changes if needed. Wearing a bulky ring or wristband just to check your sleep score once a day and share it with a friend misses the point entirely.
Social media heavily influences perceptions of these devices by highlighting athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Cristiano Ronaldo wearing Whoop bands, or Jalen Brunson and Alex Morgan partnering with Oura Ring. The media creates the illusion that devices are universally effective and simple because high-performance athletes use them. But what’s often overlooked is that these athletes are paid for those advertisements, and they also maintain training schedules and physical demands far beyond those of the average person who works, studies and actively participates in activities throughout the week.
Buying a fitness tracker should feel like entering into a committed relationship, where you aim to wear it daily with a purpose; it goes beyond the thought of “If I get this Whoop band, I’ll sleep better and work out more.” If all the users of health trackers aren’t on the right track to achieving a fitness goal and becoming consistent with their habits, the device becomes irrelevant. A tracker should inspire improvement and provide valuable insights, not serve as a fashionable piece you wear daily.