What older adults learned by wearing a fitness tracker

So when I was offered the opportunity to use a Fitbit to track my exercise, I had to wonder: “How can an electronic device boost a force of habit that's already as strong as my daily

cup of coffee?" Well, not much. At least at first. On the first day, I strapped it around my wrist and set off for my morning walk. When I returned home, it told me that my usual route

tracked around 6,500 steps. After regular plodding throughout the day, the device vibrated at 3 p.m. I squinted at the mini screen to read a congratulatory message that I had taken 10,000

steps that day. How did that make me feel? Resentful. I don't need encouragement to exercise. And now there was yet another electronic device insisting on my attention: Synced with my

smartphone, it also alerted me to phone calls and texts; it told me when it needed to be charged; and it had the chutzpah to coax me to keep walking. But here's the upshot: By week two,

I was doubling my count to 20,000 or more steps each day, mostly by taking longer routes home or getting off a couple of subway stops early and walking the rest of the way to my

destination. I had to admit that the device was kicking my butt. That said, after wearing it for a month, I didn't see any real health benefits. Although I was walking more, my weight

remained the same (123 pounds). With the added exercise, I found that I was hungrier and eating more, even rewarding myself with buttery croissants from a French bakery I had discovered

during one of my lengthy detours. So it's au revoir to the activity tracker. From now on, I'll go the distance on my own. _–_ _Robin Westen, 69_ GARMIN VÍVOSPORT WHAT IT DOES: 

Built-in GPS allows for easy tracking of outdoor activity COST: $170 Justin Fantl DO I NEED A DEVICE TO WALK? I am a woman of a certain age, and things are starting to happen. My knees are a

bit creaky, my sciatica acts up when I turn a certain way and maybe that is a touch of arthritis in my right hand. Obviously, I am not a kid anymore. The question is, _Am I going to do

anything about aging gracefully?_ Not long ago a doctor told me something that stuck in my head: The more you maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout your life, the better old age you will

have. With that in mind, I have tried to watch my diet and to exercise regularly over the years. These days, I walk regularly, and I attend aerobics classes. More recently, I have taken on a

part-time job as a dog walker in Los Angeles; I'm proud to say that the other walkers could be my grandchildren. But is all this activity really accomplishing anything? I tried an

activity tracker, the Garmin Vívosport Smart GPS, to find out. Boy, it can tell you a whole lot about your fitness levels and activities at a moment's glance. As with so much

technology, I found that I didn't use half of the many functions it offers. I was particularly interested in specific readings: the number of steps I take, my heart rate, how many

calories I burn and my stress levels (by comparing resting heart rates). It was fun to have a tool that told me those things with just a touch. I was particularly pleased that I averaged

more than 10,000 steps a day. And that I was burning more calories in a day than I'd imagined. On one day I burned a low of 1,372 calories; on another day I burned 2,019! I must have

walked a lot of dogs that day — and gone to Zumba class! I got a particular thrill when I earned a virtual badge for achieving certain goals I did not even know I had; the device would set

goals for me each day, such as a number of stairs to climb or an activity intensity level, upping the ante based on what I had achieved the previous day. It was fun to see if I could match

or beat them. Thanks, fitness tracker, for keeping me on track. _– Katharine A. Díaz, 66_ MI SMART BAND 4 WHAT IT DOES: Tracks exercise, sleep and heart rate, and it's budget priced

COST: Under $40 Justin Fantl