Fitness trackers and wearable devices can encourage healthy behavior by measuring everything from heart rate to sleep quality, but some people find that their wearables also can lead to unhealthy behaviors, The Washington Post reported Dec. 21.
Here are three:
1. Becoming obsessed with tracking
Some people may become so fixated on achieving numeric tracker goals that they become obsessed.
2. Becoming demotivated
Trackers can reduce the desire to exercise and be more active for some people. One client told nutritional therapy coach Steph Gaudreau that if she knew she couldn't meet her 10,000 step goal, she felt demotivated to even try for a lesser goal.
3. Ignoring body cues
Trackers can sometimes encourage users to ignore body signals of fatigue and soreness. This can lead to exercising too much, or thinking that they slept poorly even if they feel well-rested.