![\"fitbit\"](\"http:\/\/fatlossaccelerators.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/fitbit-300x168.jpg\")
<\/p>\nI get a lot of questions about new fitness tracking devices on the market today.<\/p>\n
Fitbits, Fuelbands, Jawbones and many others can enhance your health by accurately monitoring the number of steps, calories and sleep patterns.<\/p>\n
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But according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)<\/em>, the apps on your smartphone do the job just as well\u2026or even better when it comes to measuring your steps and calories burned.<\/strong><\/p>\n Read that last line again.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the scoop\u2026<\/p>\n Researchers at Penn compared the Top 10 best-selling smartphone fitness applications and pedometers with wearable devices, tracking 14 healthy adults as they walked on the treadmill.<\/p>\n Seriously, I was shocked by the results!<\/p>\n Wearable devices had up to 22% variation in the range of step counts vs the observed number of steps taken. But there was only a 6% difference in the range of the step counts of smartphones vs observable steps.<\/p>\n In order to accurately estimate the number of calories burned, the number of steps is REALLY important. The apps and devices track your steps by the shifting position of your body.<\/p>\n If your smartphone is just as accurate, why spend $100 bucks on a fancy bracelet?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n That is an excellent question, cool cat.<\/p>\n The main objection is that your smartphone is hard to carry if you\u2019re doing intense exercise. And let\u2019s be honest. If you drop your brand new iPhone while out running\u2026 you\u2019re in big trouble.<\/p>\n Now for the record, I\u2019m not telling you to trash your fitness tracking device. To me, it means you\u2019re somewhere on the behavior change spectrum and taking action to improve your health.<\/p>\n But the problem with every fitness tracker is that they rely on very limited metrics\u2026 you only get stats about your steps, calories burned, distance traveled, movement when you sleep\u2026some even measure your heart rate\u2026 which gives you a very skewed analysis about your health.<\/p>\n Your overall health depends on so many factors \u2013 your genetics, culture, whether your children let you sleep at night \u2013 that I find it so interesting how many people are completely obsessed with these tracking devices.<\/p>\n JAMA also reported that one third of people who own these devices completely stop using them after only 6 months.<\/p>\n In fact, I was using a Fitbit last year for around 6 months. And yep, I was one of those people who fell off the wagon\u2026<\/p>\nTurns out the smartphones were just as accurate and consistent as the wearable devices.<\/h3>\n