Fitness Data Obsession: How Much Is Too Much?

Quick ahead practically 20 years and greater than 200 races later, and I now have 24/7 entry to a dizzying array of metrics—coronary heart fee variability, stress stage, sleep phases, and extra—due to not one however two private health trackers: a Garmin Fenix 6S ($700) and a Whoop band ($239). These are simply two of dozens of units designed to assist shoppers optimize and monitor wellness knowledge—however is that this gamification of our well being wholesome? Sure and no, says Alissa Paladino, CPT, an Atlanta-based licensed private coach.

“Fitness trackers present accountability and motivation and can provide consciousness and essential perception into your habits,” Paladino says. “Folks can achieve a number of confidence and vanity once they see no matter metric they’re monitoring enhance, whether or not that’s a daily step count, weekly lively minutes, or operating tempo and mileage.”

This was my precise expertise after I obtained my first Whoop band in 2019. I discovered that I used to be solely sleeping six hours (if that) an evening. So I began limiting my night display time, slicing again on my alcohol consumption, and utilizing a meditation app to wind down at night time (all good issues) and my sleep improved dramatically. All of those led to the next restoration “rating”—a quantity from 0 to 100 based mostly on the standard and period of sleep, coronary heart fee variability (HRV), resting coronary heart fee, and stress.

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On the time, I used to be in my early 40s and coming into perimenopause—the hormonal transition resulting in menopause and the tip of menstruation—and all of this subtle health knowledge felt like a hack to fight efficiency decline. And for some time, it did.

As I made life-style modifications to get higher sleep and cut back my stress, my efficiency improved. My operating paces and race occasions began dropping. I had extra vitality in the course of the day and began touchdown writing assignments with dream publications. Information like excessive resting coronary heart fee and elevated pores and skin temperature even alerted me to sicknesses like meals poisoning and on a regular basis colds, which jogged my memory to take a step again from coaching as an alternative of pushing by means of like I might have earlier than. I rearranged exercises and lengthy runs to optimize excessive restoration days and caught to yoga and Pilates on decrease ones. And these habits solely intensified in the course of the pandemic, after I had limitless time and a versatile schedule to “optimize” my well being.

I noticed that the very knowledge that was supposed to assist me enhance my well being was beginning to turn out to be dangerous.

However even a number of years after shelter-in-place orders have been lifted and I used to be totally vaccinated (and boosted), my so-called “wholesome” rituals—no meals after 6 p.m., lights out at 9 p.m. nearly day by day naps to hit my “sleep want,” minimal alcohol—began to turn out to be borderline obsessive.

I used to be distraught anytime I obtained a “pink” restoration or obtained sick, blaming myself for not following my wholesome rituals or placing within the work to get the “proper” numbers. I panicked if I needed to race or do a tough exercise on a “dangerous” day, which in fact, put me in a adverse psychological state and set me as much as fail. I continued to isolate myself from different individuals, turning down invites for occasions I deemed “too late,” skipping concert events I used to be trying ahead to attending, checking metrics a number of occasions in the course of the night time—after which getting even extra anxious in regards to the high quality of my sleep.

Finally, I noticed that the very knowledge that was supposed to assist me enhance my well being was beginning to turn out to be dangerous. And I’m not alone. “For some individuals, the quantity of information and fixed entry to [fitness trackers] can begin to really feel overwhelming, and relying too closely on exterior suggestions can result in dropping contact with your individual inner cues and trigger anxiousness and stress,” Paladino says.

And whereas I didn’t ditch my health trackers altogether, I finally discovered to do what I had carried out all these years in the past after I began operating and even a mile appeared unattainable—I began listening to my physique.

How I discovered to enhance my relationship with health knowledge—and relax

1. Go analog

Today, after I’m touring internationally, returning to coaching after an sickness, or simply having a late (for me) night time out with mates, I take off the health devices and go away them at house (plus, nothing ruins the look of a elaborate gown greater than a cumbersome operating watch!). Similar if I’m out strolling my canines or taking a Pilates class—I need to have the ability to tune into my physique and environment, not fear about what number of energy I’m burning.

When you don’t wish to go utterly analog, Paladino recommends doing the occasional exercise with out a watch. “Transfer by really feel, take heed to your physique, and you might be shocked how liberating and pleasurable it feels,” she says.

And in the event you nonetheless need entry to knowledge however don’t wish to stress about it within the second, my private hack: Begin your watch and go away it on elapsed time, or open your health app, then stash your cellphone in your pocket. That means, you’ll nonetheless have all of the metrics after your exercise.

2. Set boundaries

Atlanta-based psychotherapist and psychological well being coach Deana Panza, LPC, RYT recommends setting boundaries with how usually you have interaction with health info, whether or not that’s limiting time on health apps like Strava or solely reviewing metrics a couple of times every week.

“I’ve seen purchasers make the most of the blood sugar knowledge that they collect from no matter app and system they use and routinely attribute it to their weight-reduction plan,” she says. “And whereas that may play a task, so can hormones, sleep, and different components, so it’s essential to have a look at the complete, extra holistic image over time,” she says.

Now, I preserve my cellphone in one other room at night time and infrequently don’t verify my sleep knowledge till later within the day so it doesn’t affect how I method my work—or exercise. And until I really feel actually sick, I strive to not stress a couple of single day of “off” metrics. But when I discover poor high quality sleep or a excessive resting coronary heart fee for a number of days in a row, I alter my conduct by skipping exercises or prioritizing sleep.

3. Choose your metrics

Whereas my Garmin Fenix 6S is filled with info—coronary heart fee, physique temperature, even a “coaching standing” that alerts me when an exercise is “unproductive”—I’ve discovered to disregard metrics that don’t matter to me and take away them from show settings.

Paladino agrees. “I wish to see my tempo and distance throughout runs and my day by day step rely, so I don’t put on [a device] to sleep, I don’t pay any consideration to the center fee knowledge, I ignore when it tells me I’m harassed, I don’t even know the way it’s calculating my VO2 max nor do I care,” she says. “Mainly, I extract from it the metrics which can be significant to me, and ignore the remainder.”

4. Hearken to your physique

I’ve had days when all of the metrics level to a “good” restoration and felt like full trash throughout a exercise, and different days when the numbers are utterly off, and I’ve felt superb. “All the info and all the know-how that now we have at our fingertips all ask us to proceed to give attention to the knowledge round us as an alternative of the knowledge inside us,” says Panza.

So, in the event you really feel sick or drained, take it simple or relaxation. When you really feel rested and the numbers say in any other case, belief your physique and get transferring as an alternative. And understand that sooner or later of lacking your step aim or Peloton streak or staying out late to rejoice with mates gained’t derail your long-term health objectives. However obsessing about these issues completely will.