Wearable Wonders: Can Fitness Trackers Really Help Improve Your Health?

• 9 views
• Posted On January 2, 2026

About a decade ago, fitness tracking devices were considered to be unreliable. And the main reason behind this notion was the inaccurate and inconsistent data that these devices used to showcase.

Cut to the present, statistics show a significant increase in worldwide smartwatch shipments! From a mere 37 million units back in 2016, the shipments are supposed to go up to a whopping 402 million units by 2027!

The number alone is enough to prove that the devices have become more accurate, and therefore, have become essential components of a healthy lifestyle!

But the question is, can these fitness trackers improve health? And if so, how is it possible? Well, in this blog, we’ve discussed every little detail about fitness trackers and their role in enhancing our overall well-being. So, let’s stick till the end to learn more!

Are Fitness Trackers Worth It?

Standing in 2025, we must say that a fitness tracker is worth its price! Why so?

Whether you need to keep track of your daily step counts, measure your heart rate, or monitor your calorie burns, a fitness tracker does it all! Not just that, but Fitbits, smart rings, smartwatches, and fitness tracking apps can also help monitor your sleep patterns and track your blood-oxygen saturation levels effectively. Therefore, investing in a fitness tracking device like a smartwatch or a Fitbit is definitely worth it.

What are the Health Benefits of Fitness Trackers?

Now that you know what fitness trackers are capable of, let’s take a look at the health benefits that these devices are associated with.

So, a study published in Johns Hopkins Medicine has revealed that if you stay consistent in using a fitness tracker and have set a daily goal, it might help increase your daily step counts by more than a mile!

How does this happen? Well, we don’t usually have access to data regarding our daily movement or activities, which brings setbacks in our routine! Once we get to see the real-time data about our daily movements and goals, it offers a sense of encouragement, which motivates us to bring healthy changes to our daily schedule.

On top of that, the activity trackers in these devices also prove to be helpful. According to a 2022 study published in The Lancet, it has been found that activity trackers have actually helped enhance physical activity and fitness levels among users. Those 2,000 extra steps, or 30 extra minutes of HIIT training, have enhanced the user’s health manifold!

Along with this, researchers have also pointed out that people who’ve focused on the metrics, like daily step counts and overall moving or idle time, have chosen active lifestyles, and have also made exercise snacks a crucial part of their daily schedule.

What’s best is that, setting these physical improvements aside, fitness trackers have also helped improve our mental well-being! How so?

Well, supposedly, you’re at the gym and are struggling to get through those sets. At this point, taking a look at your performance metrics in real-time can help you stay encouraged. That’s exactly why you may see many people checking out their overall performance mid-workout! It gives a certain mental boost that helps drive away fatigue and lets you conquer those sets effectively.

So, these are some of the many benefits that health fitness trackers can bring to your life!

Tracking Health Issues with Fitness Trackers

If fitness trackers are so useful, can they help find out health issues?

Well, every fitness tracker has one common feature- heart rate measurement. And almost every single device nowadays shows this data correctly. In that context, fitness trackers can actually help you identify issues by showing your heart rate.

For instance, if your fitness tracker shows that you have a steady 150 BPM heart rate even after you’ve been resting for 10 minutes in between sets, it means you need to see a doctor immediately!

So, although it has a limited scope, fitness trackers can not just improve your fitness levels, but also tell you about your ongoing health issues effectively. This proves the fact that the benefits and uses of fitness trackers are multi-dimensional!

Tips for Choosing the Right Fitness Tracker

There are several companies out there in the market, claiming their fitness trackers to be the best devices you can get your hands on! So, if you are planning to buy one, the decision-making process can become quite overwhelming.

So, to assist you, here are some tips and hacks that can help you choose the right fitness tracker-

• Make a list of the features that you need the most in your device.
• Don’t forget to compare battery life and compatibility.
• Make sure to check the app ecosystem.
• Set a clear budget, and don’t compromise with it.
• Check for user ratings and reviews before finalizing your decision

Wrapping Up

We want to end this blog addressing one very extensively asked question- fitness trackers vs. smartwatches- what’s the best choice?

Well, it depends on your usability. As we often highlight in Write For Us Fitness & Health, smartwatches are versatile, all-in-one gadgets that deliver everything a fitness tracker can and more. However, if you don’t like to put your watch on charge, and still need something to track your fitness goals, a fitness tracker is going to be the optimal device!

F.A.Qs

1. Does a fitness tracker improve health?

Yes, it does! Fitness trackers offer real-time data on your heart rate, calorie counts, daily steps, calorie loss, etc. When we see this data, it encourages us to push ourselves a little more and also motivates us to make healthy choices. So, in a way, fitness trackers do help improve your overall health.

2. Do cardiologists recommend smartwatches?

Yes. Many cardiologists across the world recommend wearing smartwatches with the heart-rate tracking feature. This allows the user to keep track of regularities/ irregularities and also helps them to detect abnormal rhythmic patterns, which might help them take quick actions during conditions like a Holiday Heart Syndrome.

3. What are the downsides of fitness trackers?

Fitness trackers are indeed helpful. But they come with their fair share of disadvantages as well. For instance, many users have complained about the inaccuracy of different types of data, like calorie estimates, sleep tracking, blood-oxygen saturation levels, etc.

Added to that, concerns about data privacy come with the package! Also, the constant reminder to meet your daily goals might increase anxiety issues and lead to obsessive behavior!

4. Do wellness trackers have any real benefit?

Yes. If used correctly, wellness trackers and smartwatches offer significant real-time benefits. From promoting physical activity to encouraging users to lead a healthy lifestyle, to early detection of certain issues through heart-rate monitoring, wellness trackers bring a swarm of benefits in our daily lives!

Eliza Gordon

Eliza Gordon is a seasoned writer for the health industry dedicated to providing fact-based health information. She sources concise facts from authoritative sources to ensure maximum credibility and shares guidelines to lead a healthy lifestyle.