If you are at least a basic adherent to the principles of a healthy lifestyle, then you have heard the phrase about 10,000 steps a day. Various gadgets help us keep track of our activity: from the simplest step trackers to the Apple watch, which give a slightly expanded picture of how you train and spend your day in general. But the problem is that gadgets initially set us very high goals, and this is what scares us away. We asked XFIT trainer Anastasia Yurkova to tell us how to use the step tracker and Apple watch so that it would be useful.
Step tracker
In general, electronic gadgets and activity trackers are a great tool for motivation and control. Even the simplest fitness bracelet contains a step tracker. You can start with it, because you will already feel better. It is believed that the daily norm of a person is 10,000 steps, but this is conditional. I recommend setting personal goals and not comparing yourself to anyone. If you have a generally sedentary lifestyle and start with 2,000 steps a day, then 10,000 at the initial stage is not realistic. Start with what is achievable: move 15-20% more for a week or two (that is, 2300-2400 steps), gradually increase activity to the norm (that is, 10,000). And then maybe you will get a taste and “step” further or you will maintain your level. Both are excellent!
Activity Rings
Apple watch shows three rings: “mobility” – how many calories you burned, “exercise” – physical activity (training), “with warm-up” – how many times a day you got up and moved for at least one minute per hour.
All these indicators are excellent and motivate for different activities. But even here it is important to set your own personal goals, and not focus on the norm, because it can be extremely difficult for a beginner to “close” all three rings.
If you’re looking to lose weight or feel like you’re gaining weight, it makes sense to control your mobility circle. And correlating the result with the calories consumed is great if you start a food diary (one of the most popular fat secret).
If the weight suits you, then this indicator is secondary and you should not get hung up on it much.
The “exercise” circle works well for those who train: you motivate yourself to exercise regularly, but set realistic goals here too. Of course, only athletes and those who train to achieve some goal should close this circle every day. For an ordinary person, this is not so important. But if you train actively, then most likely you have another application. For example, more advanced for runners (for example, strava) or My zone club sensors. Then just sync the data.
Well, the most interesting, in my opinion, circle, which I have not seen in any other gadget, is the blue “warm-up” ring. It seems to me that this is just a must-have for office workers who suffer from physical inactivity, posture problems and lack of energy due to long sitting. This circle is ideal for motivating yourself to get up from the computer regularly, at least once an hour for 3-5 minutes.
Therefore, the main advice: compare yourself with yourself, set your goals and achieve them. Gadgets are just assistants that digitize and visualize the results. Before you set any sports goal, consult with a coach – everything is very individual.