Health, Wellness and Beauty: Keep track

Q: A lot of my friends are wearing those new fitness trackers. Do they really work? Are they accurate? I’m considering purchasing one—can you make any recommendations?
—Tom Richardson

A: Tom, great question! These new devices, which you can wear on your wrist like a watch, are not like the pedometers of my youth. They track steps, calories, sleep patterns and, in some cases, blood pressure and heart rate.

I suggest you decide which of those features suits your needs the best, and choose accordingly.

The device alone does not “do the work,” but it does appeal to one’s competitive nature. You can compete with yourself or with others via social media. The trackers sync with your smart phone and/or computer, and they are extremely user-friendly.

What I really like about them is that they can show you how much or how little you are actually moving throughout the day. These devices track your cumulative movement, so there are no starts and stops.

I suggest setting a minimum goal and committing to reach that minimum each day. Anything above that will be “icing.”

I use a tracker, and I have most of my clients wearing them so I can encourage them and track their progress even when we aren’t together.

Depending on your age, health and fitness level, I generally recommend that a currently sedentary person start with about 3,000 steps per day. If you are already fairly mobile, up that minimum to 5,000 steps. If you are currently active, challenge yourself with a 10,000- to 15,000-step minimum; athletes can do 15,000-30,000 steps minimum. Remember, the sky is the limit, and you have the power. Good luck!

225 fitness adviser Nickie Jordan answers your queries about healthy living. Jordan operates RecFit, a business that includes personal training, motivational speaking, corporate wellness consulting and more. Email your questions for her to [email protected].