Fitness trackers and smartwatches are all the rage these days, and with good reason. Studies on habit formation suggest that consistency over time is instrumental in changing behavior and forming new, healthier habits. And by time we mean at least sixty days of committed action (5). But with day-to-day life, there are too many distractions that can get in the way of making a meaningful change. This is especially true when you can’t remember exactly what you did last week and how it correlates to your goals. That’s where the BetterMe Band comes in (1). It’s a fitness tracker that allows you to track your physical activity, sleep patterns and even your heart rate. That’s not all; this band also comes with an app that allows you to set goals, customize profiles, and keep track of your progress (1). This makes it easier than ever for you to create and stay on top of your health goals.
Here are 8 ways the BetterMe Band can help you improve your health (1):
Help You Move More
A sedentary lifestyle is a major contributor to poor health (8).
Spending hours each day sitting without moving can lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other conditions (8). And what a lot of people don’t know is that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to achieve better health.
Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT, is a term used to describe the light physical activities you do during your day. Think fidgeting, playing a musical instrument, going grocery shopping or even taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
These seemingly small activities can have a significant impact on your metabolic rate and calorie expenditure. In fact, a 2016 study found that fidgeting was associated with a lower risk of mortality in adults (6).
Unlike running or lifting weights, NEAT can be a little hard to track. Since you probably don’t really know how much you’re doing, and you might be under or overestimating your calorie expenditure.
The BetterMe band can track and record your levels of NEAT so you can see how often you’re staying active throughout the day (1). Use this data to find out what activities you need to do more of and which ones you should avoid. For example—you can increase your NEAT by using a standing desk instead of sitting all day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Read More: What Makes The BetterMe Band Special? 6 Benefits Of This Health And Fitness Tracker
Determine Your Level Of Exertion During Exercise
Any exercise is better than none. That’s why it’s important to find activities that you enjoy doing and stick with them. But there’s one problem: it can be hard to tell how hard you’re actually working.
Are you going at a leisurely pace or pushing yourself to the limit? Have you hit the sweet spot where you’re challenging your body without over-exerting it?
According to the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), the intensity of your workouts can make the difference between results and stagnation (11).
That’s not the only reason why intensity matters. ISSA lists the following ways exercise intensity positively affects your body (11):
- Increased energy expenditure – if weight loss is your goal, then increasing your intensity will help you burn more calories
- Improved insulin sensitivity – this helps your body regulate blood sugar levels and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Enhanced cardiovascular endurance – this means you can exercise longer before feeling fatigued. Over time, your body will become more efficient at using oxygen during exercise
- Improved heart health – vigorous exercise strengthens the heart and increases its capacity
- Better muscle development – higher intensity leads to greater gains in strength and endurance
There are several ways to determine how hard you’re working out. The “old school” and not so reliable way is to rate your perceived exertion on a scale of 1 to 10.
How out of breath are you? Do you feel like you can push yourself harder or are you at your limit now? The reason this method is not reliable is that it’s subjective and can change from day to day.
A more reliable measure is your heart rate. Have a target heart rate zone and make sure you’re staying in it.
The BetterMe Band is a helpful tool for tracking your intensity during exercise (1). It measures and records your heart rate so you can make sure you’re pushing yourself the right amount. This can help you maximize your results while avoiding overtraining.
Monitor Your Sleep Quality And Duration
Sleep is an essential part of our overall health and wellbeing. But believe it or not, most people don’t get enough quality sleep.
According to the Better Sleep Council, more than 60% of people don’t get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night (f). This can lead to a myriad of health issues, from fatigue and irritability to weight gain and weakened immunity (4).
The BetterMe Band can monitor your sleep just like it does for your activity levels (1).
It tracks your sleep quality and duration to give you a better understanding of how well you’re sleeping. The data is presented in easy-to-understand graphs and charts, so you can quickly see how your sleep is impacting your overall health.
Moreover, the BetterMe Band offers helpful distinctions between light and deep sleep, so you can associate changes with your lifestyle (1).
For instance—if you recently started exercising after work, the app may tell you that your deep sleep has improved while light sleep has decreased. This kind of insight can help you make better decisions about your lifestyle and sleep habits.
Some improvements to sleep hygiene you can make based on data from the BetterMe Band include:
- Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day
- Limiting caffeine and alcohol before bed
- Limiting or avoiding screen time before bed
- Cutting down on sugar and refined carbs in the evening
- Doing yoga or deep breathing to relax
- Creating a calming bedtime routine to signal your body that it’s time to sleep
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Help You Manage A Healthy Weight
Weight management is an important part of health and wellness.
A balanced diet, regular physical activity, and lifestyle modifications can help you achieve your goal weight and maintain it. But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start or how to stay on track.
Without knowing how active you are, whether you’re sleeping enough, or what your daily calorie intake is, it can be difficult to stay on track.
This is where the BetterMe Band comes in (1). It tracks your physical activity and sleep patterns, so you can adjust your routine accordingly.
You’ll notice, for example, that when you’ve slept poorly you’re more likely to crave unhealthy food or indulge in sugary snacks. Consequently, you can limit your sugar intake or substitute unhealthy snacks with healthier alternatives.
The BetterMe Band also tracks your heart rate and calorie burn, so you can see how active you’ve been and how many calories you’ve burned (1). In this way you will know if it’s time to step up your activity level.
If exercising intensely (based on your heart rate) late in the day makes you sleep poorly, you can adjust your routine to a lower intensity workout earlier in the day.
By tracking key metrics and providing useful insights, the BetterMe Band can help you make better choices to achieve and maintain a healthy weight (1).
When you purchase the BetterMe band, you can also subscribe to the BetterMe: Health Coaching app (2).
Through this, you will have access to resources that can help you achieve your health and fitness goals. From tailored meal plans to personalized workout regimens, the app provides everything you need to succeed (2).
Help Increase Energy Levels
If you’re waking up tired, needing a caffeine boost, going through the day sluggish, or experiencing the dreaded afternoon slump almost every day, you might need to look at your overall health and lifestyle.
The BetterMe Band can help you understand the root cause of your fatigue, which might be (1):
- Poor dietary choices – on days you’ve not eaten enough, eaten highly processed food, or skipped meals you find yourself feeling tired and lethargic
- Underactivity – exercise often boosts energy levels and helps to balance out hormones
- Lack of sleep – if you’re not getting enough restful sleep, your body won’t have time to repair and restore itself
- Stress – too much stress can leave you feeling exhausted
The BetterMe Band tracks your physical activity, sleep, heart rate, and calorie burn so you can make adjustments to your lifestyle (1).
For example, if the data shows that you’re sleeping poorly, you can focus on creating better sleep hygiene. This could mean adding in more physical activity during the day, avoiding screens before bedtime, and adding in a calming bedtime routine.
By tracking your data and making lifestyle changes where you need to, the BetterMe Band can help you increase your energy levels and feel more alert during the day (1).
Read More: How To Choose The Right Sports Bra: 7 Tips From Women’s Fitness Experts
Help You Drink More Water
Whoever said water is life wasn’t kidding!
The human body is made up of approximately 60% water and needs it to survive (9). Without adequate hydration, your body can’t perform at its peak.
Water helps to regulate your temperature, lubricate joints, and flush out toxins. It’s also essential for digestion and metabolism (10).
The problem is that many of us don’t drink enough water. This could be because we forget to, or it’s a habit we haven’t developed yet.
The BetterMe Health Coaching App (which you get free access to when you purchase the BetterMe Band) helps you to track your daily water intake so you can keep up with your hydration goals (2). You can even set personalized hydration reminders to ensure that you’re never going thirsty.
Provide Support And Motivation
If you set New Year’s resolutions or personal health goals only to fall off track, you’re not alone.
Research into habit formation has found that it can take more than two months for a new habit to stick (5). Unfortunately, life gets in the way, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you have too many tasks to juggle at once.
This is where the BetterMe Band comes in (1). It makes staying consistent easier by providing support and motivation. That’s because you get access to BetterMe Health Coaching, a personalized app that provides the tools and resources you need to stay on track (2).
For one, the app is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is a form of therapy that helps you identify and change negative thinking patterns.
Research has found CBT to be an effective way of lifestyle modification, which means it can help you stick to your goals and make healthier choices (3).
The app also connects you with health experts who can provide personalized support and give you advice (2). Having an experienced professional on your team can make it easier to stay consistent and motivated.
Last but not least, the app is an avenue to connect with a community of people who are working toward the same goals as you (2). Knowing that there are people out there with similar struggles can be reassuring, and it can also provide the motivation and support you need to stay on track.
With the BetterMe Band, you get more than a fitness tracker; you get access to resources that can help you make better choices and get the support and motivation you need to stay consistent (1).
Want to build an attention-grabbing bubble butt, blast away fat that’s stored in all the wrong places, spring-clean your diet, turn back the clock on your skin, skyrocket your self-confidence and shatter your insecurities? Check out the BetterMe app and set this plan in motion!
How To Use The BetterMe Band Efectively To Reach Your Goals
A downside of health and fitness trackers is that they can be overwhelming. The data is useful, but it’s easy to get bogged down in the numbers. And unless you know how to use the data, it can be hard to make meaningful changes.
Follow these tips to make the most of your BetterMe Band:
Track Consistently
An accurate pattern can only be formed if you track consistently. This means measuring your data each day and having a goal to strive for.
Once you have a baseline of your daily data, it’s easy to identify trends and make changes where you need to. Skipping days can make it hard to get an accurate picture of your health.
Don’t Just Focus On The Numbers
It’s easy to get so wrapped up in numbers that you forget about how your body actually feels. Pay attention to how your workouts make you feel and other factors such as sleep, stress levels and energy levels. These will give you a better overall picture of your health.
Set Realistic Goals
It’s important to set realistic goals that are achievable. Don’t pressure yourself to hit unrealistic targets or compare your progress to someone else’s. Everyone progresses at their own pace. A realistic goal for you might be too easy for someone else, and vice versa.
Don’t Use Data For Medical Purposes
The BetterMe Band is intended for general health and fitness tracking, not medical purposes (1). It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. If you have any health-related concerns, please consult with an appropriate healthcare professional.
The Bottom Line
The BetterMe Band is an excellent tool for tracking your health. With the support of the app and the backing of health professionals, you can stay on track and reach your goals. Use the data to inform your decisions and make lifestyle changes that will lead to long-term success.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.
SOURCES:
- BetterMe Band (n.d., betterme.world)
- Create a Bio-Individual Lifestyle (n.d., betterme.world)
- Effects of lifestyle intervention using patient-centered cognitive behavioral therapy among patients with cardio-metabolic syndrome: a randomized, controlled trial (2016, nih.gov)
- Health Risks of Poor Sleep (n.d., hopkinsmedicine.org)
- Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice (2012, nih.gov)
- Sitting Time, Fidgeting, and All-Cause Mortality in the UK Women’s Cohort Study (2016, pubmed.gov)
- Teens and Sleep (2018, bettersleep.org)
- The dangers of sitting: why sitting is the new smoking (n.d., betterhealth.vic.gov.au)
- The Water in You: Water and the Human Body (2019, usgs.gov)
- Water – a vital nutrient (n.d., betterhealth.vic.gov.au)
- Why is Exercise Intensity Important? (2021, issaonline.com)