It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by wellness.. Where does it come from? Which option to choose? What's best for me? It’s also tempting to discount something new when you haven’t dabbled with many traditional ‘wellness' exercises - why embark on a Himalayan Goat Yoga membership having not sampled classic, traditional yoga?
With stress levels rising - 79% of employees commonly experienced work-related stress in 2020 - it’s no wonder we're on the search for the next anxiety reliever. Not to mention the disruption of [cough cough] Covid adding to the increasing pressure of everybody’s day to day. The increase in the variety of wellness options means we’re also looking to track our progress levels. So what are the pros and cons, and could we be diminishing our wellness levels in the effort of its pursuit?
Smart phone, straps and watch brands promise to improve your state of wellbeing by monitoring everything from your heart rate to your sleep patterns - light, deep, REM etc. Its pioneering technology means we can count calories, follow running statistics and check ‘body battery’ efficiency, meaning we know when is and isn't optimum to exercise. We can also look at more intimate statistics, from the menstrual cycle to stress rates, and even our blood oxygen levels. There's no doubt these are the must-have accessory of fitness and wellness enthusiasts everywhere.
Our favourite feature of most fitness trackers is that they feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, meaning you can receive calls & emails without the distraction of your phone. It is a great way to stay connected, and means a close contact can keep an eye on your whereabouts in the absence of a phone. Phew! Whether you want to take 8,000 steps a day, or are doing a couple of sprints...Jumping on the spot anyone? These trackers will hold you accountable and become a bit of a workout buddy.
Alongside this, there's a lot to be said for honouring the human body's natural rhythm and inclinations. Sometimes your mood might wish to override a fitness tracker, and - we all deserve a break. If that's the case, try not to give yourself a hard time - metrics aren't everything. You’re also asking a lot of your mind - tracking and scrolling gives the brain a nice but short-lived dopamine hit, which can escalate into a cycle of work - reward - work - reward.
We love the idea of monitoring progress, but we also appreciate that there is more to wellness than numbers - it’s also about how we feel, our sense of safety, and nourishing the body with a balance of what it truly wants. Let us know if you use a tracker, which one and why?