Your Fitness Tracker Could be Adding Miles to Your Run
I have been trying very hard for the last month and a half to create and maintain a daily workout schedule. I know that every step I make away from the couch is a step towards physical fitness.
Lately, I have been considering the tools for measuring my progress - and a FItbit or similar product is pretty high on my list. The handy gadgets have a whole suite of apps and features to help you collect data on your performance, and ultimately track your progress. Unfortunately, some of the most trusted digital trainers have been proven to be less than accurate. Consumer group Which? recently tested 118 trackers on subjects running the standard marathon distance (26.2 miles) on a treadmill. The results are all over the place - some models would tell you that you reached your goal a few miles before you got there, and others would add over 10 miles to your run!
According to the BBC, the research firm found that, although the overall winner wasn't exactly the cheapest on the list - price wasn't necessarily the demarcation line between the good and the bad either. The overall winner was the Apple iWatch, particularly the series 1. That particular model only overestimated distances by 1%. The worst offender was the Garmin Vivosmart 4, which added a cruel 10.8 miles to run. The watch I was most interested in didn't fare well either. The Samsung Gear S2 added 10 miles to the run, finally letting the exhausted tester stop after 36.2 miles.
I think I may just count laps.