117. Using a fitness tracker can help you be more active
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Using a fitness tracker can help you be more physically active, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers from Denmark compiled data on over 16,000 participants from hundreds of studies and trials using exercise monitors, like phone apps and Fitbits. They found that using fitness apps increased physical activity by over 1,200 steps a day. Moderate and vigorous physical activity jumped over 48 minutes a week. Just having a smartphone or wearable device to track your activity is good, but you have to use that data to make sure you get off the couch. Try writing down your steps and recorded exercise in a notebook every single day. Even better, send that number to a friend each day as a form of accountability, and encourage them to send you their activity data. Even consider rewarding yourself for hitting weekly and monthly goals.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
