Can You Be Addicted to Fitness Tracker?

By Kendra Cherry

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become popular due to their utility in tracking health indicators but some experts worry that these devices may lead to addiction. Using a fitness tracker a bit too much may lead to signs of being addicted to the fitness tracker.

Fitness trackers not just provide detailed information on behaviors; they are also designed to encourage you to make healthier choices. The goal is to get you “hooked” on the device so that you rely on its feedback and use that information to set goals, stay motivated and stick to your fitness plans.

Recognize the Signs

You may be addicted to a fitness tracker if you keep increasing the length of workouts because your tracker makes you feel like you need to keep doing more. Neglecting friends and responsibilities in order to get more time to work out, feeling anxious or upset about not being able to use a fitness device, and using it more than you intended are some other signs of addiction.

Using the device excessively and feeling very upset or even ashamed when you don’t reach your daily activity goal are also indications that you are getting addicted to the device.

What You Need to Do

Set limits, use distraction, skip wearing your device, and remove fitness apps from your phone in order to stay away from the addiction. Make an action plan to reach your goals, step by step. Do a little each day, and then slowly work your way up to a more ambitious goal.

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