Modern fitness bands are smart electronic devices which are usually worn on the wrist. These are used to track the fitness and health of the wearer by counting the number of steps taken, heart rate, overall physical activity, and sleep cycles. Fitness bands can be connected with a smartphone or even a website. This helps you to track your progress and make changes in your lifestyle for the better.

Fitness bands help the user set realistic goals for themselves by using the self-monitoring feature. It helps change your overall behaviours for the better. By judging the usability and the accuracy of these bands, one can select the best fitness band for themselves.

What exactly is a fitness band?

A fitness band lets you track your activities and your workouts. Fitness bands or wearables are also known as activity trackers. Simple fitness bands count the number of steps you have taken while high-end ones are made for triathletes.

What is the difference between fitness bands and smartwatches?

There are two types of wearables for the wrist available in the market. These are fitness bands and smartwatches. The difference between the two is that the first one tracks your health patterns as well as your fitness, while the second one delivers your notifications and helps you communicate.

There are some devices which appear to look like smartwatches but in reality, are fitness bands which have the feature of notifications as well.

See: 5 Best fitness bands under 2000

Do you need a fitness band?

Before going to a fitness band, it is essential to know whether or not you need it. If you just need your steps to be counted, there is no need to invest in a fitness band. Your smartphone can do the job, and in turn, you also end up saving money.

However, fitness bands provide better results. These can accurately measure the number of calories burned by measuring your heart rate continuously. Fitness bands are also used to track your sleep cycles and automatically detect any workout that you are doing.

With smartphones, you can have your basic movement tracked; however, with high-end wearable technology, you can have your entire workout process tracked and measured.

See: 5 Best Fitness Bands Under 5000

Features of fitness bands:

● Heart Rate:

This feature is found in almost all devices currently. It is rapidly being adopted in those bands which do not have it already. This feature gives you a detailed as well as precise insights into your day to day routine workouts. Some fitness bands even provide details on every activity that you have performed.

● Breathing:

Some fitness bands monitor your breath, as well. They help you stay calm and focused, and thus, healthy. Good bands measure variations in your recorded heart rate and determine a breathing rate that is comfortable for you. Many of us forget to schedule a deep breathing routine in our daily lives; fitness bands can help you do that.

Fitness bands usually schedule sessions with breathing exercises, and according to the timer that you have set, the group alerts you and helps you align your inhaling as well as the exhaling process.

● Calories:

Fitness bands have the functionality of counting the calories you have burnt. Depending on what your workout is like, the group provides you with a measure of the calories you have burned during that period. The more calories you burn, the better the body feels, and the healthier it gets. It is also an efficient way to keep your weight in check.

● Cardio Fitness Level:

Some fitness bands offer the feature of measuring and tracking the cardio fitness levels. This includes the calculation of the amount of oxygen taken in by the body while performing various activities or exercises. Thus, it shows how well the body’s organs are utilizing oxygen to function correctly. The higher the score is, the better your cardiovascular performance is.

● Sleep

Many fitness bands track your sleep cycles. We all know that rest depends on as well as affects your fitness and your mood. These bands monitor and track the duration of your sleep and quality. You can then review this information and help you get your sleep cycle back on track.

● Alarms

Some bands have come up with a silent alarm feature. Loud alarms are annoying and frustrating. Thus, some manufacturers have come up with this feature to wake you up peacefully. It is a buzzing alarm feature which sends quiet vibrations through your tracker.

● Smart Devices:

Fitness bands are increasingly adopting several new smartphones-like features. Other than just regular activities like running or walking, some groups can even track movements, including hiking, swimming, yoga, and biking, among others. All these activities are then added to your daily routine.

Bands can also be synced with your phones and, thus, can then notify you regarding incoming messages, calls, and sometimes even notifications from social media platforms. Some can even inform about important calendar-related alerts.

Which aspects of a fitness band should you be looking for?

This section talks about the different factors you should be considering while buying a fitness band.

● Comfort:

Remember that you are going to be wearing this fitness band for prolonged periods. Moreover, you have to wear it every day. Thus, you need to select one which is comfortable for you and also suits you. This includes whether the material of the strap suits your skin and even if the band sits on your wrist properly.

● Display:

Ideally, the display should be of appropriate size and should also be legible under the harshest lights, for instance, sunlight. The size is significant because the data it displays should be in regular font size as well as format.

● Notifications:

If your fitness band supports the provision of notifications, it is recommended that you check whether it simply vibrates or shows some data along with it. A caller ID feature is a useful addition to a fitness band.

● Accuracy:

It is crucial to carry out thorough research before selecting a fitness band. By going through different blogs and reviews sites, you can understand which fitness band is giving the maximum accuracy within your decided budget range.

● Heart rate monitoring

Decide whether the heart rate monitoring feature is essential to you. While many fitness bands do offer this feature, it does augment the price of the device. If you figure that measuring the number of calories burned is sufficient for you, then you can select a device accordingly. This will help you stick to your budget range as well.

● GPS:

Global Positioning System or GPS is an essential component of any fitness band. It is a must for accurate tracking of distance (movement). This could be during whichever activity or exercise you are doing, for instance, biking, running, walking, and such. Not every fitness band has an accurate and reliable GPS chip, thus, it is essential to go through the reviews of several fitness bands before deciding on one.

● Waterproof:

This is quickly becoming an important feature to have for all fitness bands. If you are planning to buy a fitness band for exercises that include water, for instance, swimming, having a swim-proof fitness band is a must. It is crucial to have a fitness band which a basic level of waterproofing to protect it from uncertain weather conditions as well. Thus, you can use it when you are stepping out in the rain.

● Battery:

The battery life of a fitness band is one of the most critical features to factor in a while choosing a fitness band. Again, during your research, you can find out about the battery lives of various fitness bands and take a call accordingly. Usually, for basic groups, the battery life of one week is a good figure.

How to use fitness bands efficiently?

1. It is important to use the fitness band consistently, i.e., every single day.

2. Set a goal for yourself and make it a point to achieve the daily target. Do not set unrealistic goals as this can work against your good health. Instead, opt for attainable goals and go ahead with those.

3. Understand which exercises interest you and you like doing. This will help you sustain with them over the long term. These also become easy to incorporate into your daily life as you will look forward to exercising.

4. Exercise with friends or family. By working out with known people who are using fitness bands as well, you can foster a sense of healthy competition amongst yourselves, which will push you to achieve your goals.

5. Always be accountable for your actions. Keep an eye on your daily numbers and track your performance.

Advantages of a fitness band

1. A fitness band will make you realize if you are very inactive. These devices show the amount of exercise you have done in a day and for how long you have been inactive. Thus, they can act as a real eye-opener for people.

2. Fitness bands push you to be more active. By counting your calories and tracking the daily activity, one can get encouraged to start working out and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

3. It can also help you regulate your sleep and get your cycle back on track. Irregular sleep can affect both health as well as your mood. By tracking your sleep, your fitness band can help you regulate your sleeping cycle and help you become healthier.

Disadvantages of a fitness band

1. Inaccuracy is the primary concern when it comes to fitness bands. It can be possible that the distance measures or the number of calories burnt may be recorded incorrectly. The Basal Metabolic Rate or the BMR is calculated based on many factors, including weight, age, height as well as energy. However, these factors may not be taken into account while calculating the calories.

2. Owing to inadequate GPS chips, it may happen that your fitness band may not measure the distance appropriately covered. It has been proven that different fitness bands show different readings for the same range as well as the same time.

3. Fitness bands are expensive. They are a significant investment. Thus, if people do not use it regularly, it is money wasted. Moreover, for many, fitness bands are an unaffordable commodity.

Fitness bands are increasingly becoming popular owing to the rising disposable income globally. They measure various elements, such as caffeine intake, steps taken, calories burnt, sleep duration, and quality, among others. They are also known as activity trackers or monitors.

Fitness bands also offer the wearer the motivation of kickstarting a healthier lifestyle and holds them accountable for the same. You can even use them to send out an alert to you when you have been sitting for prolonged periods of time. As we all know, sitting for so long is highly derogatory for the health, and one should keep moving around every once in a while.

Fitness bands can also be used to track your daily food intake. However, they require a mobile or even a desktop interface to do the same. Some brands even come with a barcode scanner using which you can import the calorie information of the meal you are having.

Thus, fitness bands are very useful if you want to lose weight efficiently. They help you monitor and track your progress and analyzing the data provided by them; you can alter your weight-loss program as well to gain better results.

Fitness bands help increase health awareness. These bands keep you informed about your inactivity and also your heart rate. For instance, if you have been inactive over a duration of time, your resting heart rate goes high. This can be a significant concern. Thus, fitness bands can keep reminding you of the same and therefore, push you to work out.

For an average person looking to maintain a healthier lifestyle and get fit, a fitness band is an excellent investment for them. They can be connected with desktop and mobile interfaces to gain insights about your daily routine.