8 Must-Haves for Tracking Your Health and Fitness Goals

2021-12-30 05:08:02 By : Mr. Ryan Liao

Record—and celebrate!—your progress with these essentials.

Working toward a few long-term health and fitness goals? Plenty of studies have shown it can be helpful to break them down into smaller, more attainable steps. But as determined as you may be to achieve that big goal, it's easy to lose focus and motivation, especially if you're not seeing any results along the way.

Writing down your goal and recording your progress can help hold you accountable—studies show this, too!—and help you celebrate the small steps you've achieved. For example: Hit your hydration goals without even trying! Got in more steps this month than last!

From a Bluetooth-enabled scale to a wellness journal, these eight products can help you start tracking and crushing your goals.

In addition to your bodyweight — which can fluctuate constantly due to a variety of factors — this Bluetooth-enabled body analysis scale measures your body fat percentage, body water percentage, bone mass and muscle mass. Sync it with your iOS or Android phone to track your changes over time. Bonus: If you’re a WW member, the scale syncs with the WW app.

With up to seven days of battery life, this tracker can make it through even the most active of weeks. Not only does it track your activity, steps, workouts, and heart rate, it also tracks your sleep. The watch's alarm vibrates for a less-abrupt start to the morning, and even has a smart wake feature, which senses when you're in a light sleep stage before going off.

Use this 12-week journal to note your workouts, habits, and thoughts of gratitude each day. Each page, which is dedicated to a single day, has prompts for your daily intentions, sleep, meals, water intake, self-care practices, and activities. It’s a great way to be able to visualize goals, mark progress, and reflect on how far you've come.

Your bodyweight certainly isn’t the end-all, be-all when it comes to health and fitness goals, but if you want to track it as part of your wellness journey, you'll need a trusty scale. This one's got easy-to-read numbers, thanks to the 1.5-inch display with blue backlight, and requires a simple tap with your foot to turn it on. Factor in the affordable price point, and it's a great option for those wanting to add a scale to their wellness toolkit. If you're feeling too tethered to the daily number, shift your weigh-ins to weekly—or monthly—events.

Did you know that up to 60% of your body is made up of water? This BPA-free, vacuum-sealed, stainless steel smart bottle is a handy helper in the hydration department. The sensor on the bottom glows to remind you when it’s time for you to drink. And the bottle relays your water intake info to the accompanying app when you pair it via Bluetooth. It has a rechargeable battery, and a carrying loop to make it easy to tote around. Choose from 17 or 21 ounces.

Slip this swim-proof, crack-resistant smartwatch on your wrist and track your workouts, using the continuous heart rate sensor and built-in GPS. The watch can also monitor your sleep, and send you reminders to do your daily breathing exercises or stand up after a long period of sitting. Sync it with your phone to receive texts, emails, phone calls, and app notifications.

Select your favorite food from this scale’s database of more than 2,000 entries. Place your item on the scale and you'll not only learn its weight, but also its macros (protein, fat, carbs) and nutrition stats like calories and fiber. Can't find one of your go-tos in the database? You can add up to 99 more yourself.

Even if standing tall isn't on your list of goals, it's worth adding. Improved posture has been shown to help with balance and proper exercise form, leading to fewer injuries. This discreet tracker sticks directly on your upper back using the included adhesive. It detects when you’re slouching and vibrates to remind you to sit or stand upright.