Fitness Trackers- A Different sort of review

I've been using different fitness trackers for quite a while now. I had jumped onto the tracker bandwagon when it was at its nascent stages, when it was neither a style statement, or a must have fitness accessory.  

I got into discussions, provided Usability reviews, documentation, bug reports, enhancement requests, etc.  for quite a few fitness trackers. These trackers were wrist bands, pedometers, smart watches, heart rate monitors, smart scales, and quite a few I am sure I am forgetting.  

Some of the products I can remember are the MI Band(s), Fitbit Flex, Wahoo Tickerx, Moto 360, Yunmai smart-scale, the list goes on.  The same applies to the health and fitness apps, not only the ones associated to the hardware mentioned above but others like My fitness pal, Runtastic, Strava, Drink Water,  Google Fit, Motobody, and many, many more. 

Am I trying to establish that I'm an expert? No. I'm an informed enthusiast, at best. Am I trying to boast about the amount of cool stuff I have? Nope. Well yeah, but nope.  

Am I going to provide you kind folk with an insightful review of all the trackers, health apps, smartscales, what have you? No. And I'll tell you why. 

It's because you want what's best for you, right? You want to get fitter, leaner, sexier. You want to cut fat, build muscle, "lose weight", look better naked, fit into your favourite dress, lead a healthier life, not get a look of disapproval from your doctor.  

I know of a great fitness tracker for that. It's the one you can afford to buy, like and can get quickly. Yes. ALL trackers work. They're pretty near accurate, and buying them/ installing them does not mean you need to obsess over each calorie ingested, each workout/ run tracked, or each days' sleep.  

What these trackers/ fitness apps do, what they did for me, is make me more aware of my need to move more, eat right, sleep well. They bought in a lot of accountability as well. They got me closer to a set of people that do give a damn about their health and well being, and don't just talk about it, but do something about it. They allowed me an opportunity to measure and track my results, and inculcate a discipline. They made me get into conversations about trackers, health and wellbeing and fitness in general with people, which ensured the out of sight, out of mind gig didn't happen.  

Do I need one to remind me it's time to sleep? Do I need one to religiously document the nutritional value of the last vada pav I ate? Nope. I'm not saying they won't help, they will, but not everyone is a fan of that. And investing into this doesn't mean you will have to. It serves the purpose of tracking, measuring, observing metrics, reminding you to stay on track, motivating you, holding you accountable, initiating discussions hence encouraging you and others, and at times, making you look pretty darn good.  

They have many advantages. All of them. The ones you can buy, wish to buy, can afford, and like when you look at them. Each and every one may have their own pros/ cons, and if you wish, I can discuss them with you. However, please do remember that waiting for the newer version, a cheaper version, a better version is merely procrastination. All of these critters will work for you, and in many wonderful ways. 

Go online, or to a store, buy/ install one. And prepare to be held more accountable for your own health and well being. Prepare to join the fitness bandwagon. Cuz, you know, it's good for you.