Fitness bands, smart watches, and even smart rings have flooded the market in recent years.
These popular devices use sensors to help wearers track a variety of health metrics and can be an effective tool to kickstart or monitor your fitness routine, says Dr. Daniel Silovitz, an Internal Medicine Physician with White Plains Hospital Physician Associates.
While step counters are one of the most popular features, modern trackers can monitor more, so wearers should decide what they want to keep track of when shopping for a device.
Some models can be used to keep an eye on important variables in your overall health including:
- Heart rate
- Sleep duration and quality
- Cardiorespiratory fitness levels (helpful for serious workout enthusiasts looking to increase their VO2 max, or maximum oxygen consumption, which it estimates based on your heart rate and distance traveled).
“These devices can be a great way to keep track of your overall health and performance, but they do have limitations,” warns Dr. Silovitz. “They shouldn’t replace going to see your physician.”
Many devices can detect an irregular heartbeat, which may indicate Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), which may have no symptoms and can increase one's risk of stroke and heart failure. Dr. Silovitz also points out that the more you wear these devices, the better they’ll become at synthesizing your personal health data, so consistency is key.
Dr. Daniel Silovitz is an internal medicine physician at WPHPA of Harrison, specializing in preventive medicine and the management of chronic conditions. To make an appointment, call 914.835.0073.