Fitbit

What it does

A Fitbit is a personal fitness tracker, worn around your wrist, that counts your steps, tracks the intensity of your exercise, counts kilojoules and measures your heart rate. It also functions as a wristwatch. What started as a simple step counter, has become a nearly complete health tracker.

The app, which uses Bluetooth to connect to the tracker, uses this data to measure your overall health. It records how much exercise you have done each day, what your quality of sleep is like and how far you have walked each day. It also has additional trackers which require manual input, such as a period tracker and a food and water log. If you have a Fitbit scale, it can also keep track of your weight.

How it helps

I find Fitbit to be the most effective weight loss tool. It uses the very simple principle of kilojoules in vs. out. The device tracks the kilojoules you burn throughout the day and you add in everything you eat and drink throughout the day. Your goal is very simple – to eat fewer kilojoules than you burn. The simplicity of this method means you are more likely to sustain it, you don’t have to actually cut anything out, but you start to naturally cut back on high kilojoule foods. 

The period tracker is very simple, and not very accurate in predicting your cycle, but it does the job if you just want to record your cycle days. While the tracker can be quite pricey, mine is two years old and hasn’t given me any issues. There are also a few retailers that let you pay it off monthly. It’s definitely worth it.  

What other users say

“I am absolutely hooked on my Fitbit! I bought the Charge 3 and I hate taking it off. I love the notifications it sends if I haven’t moved from my desk each hour, I love the fact you can challenge other friends and colleagues to weekend, or weekly challenges as well as track your own performance. It’s got me more motivated than any exercise book, or personal trainer. The only downside I find is that it’s not 100% accurate.” – Jane, Eastern Cape

What the experts say

“The Fitbit app isn’t just for counting steps. Use it to track stats like kilojoules burned and active minutes, monitor your heart rate, record workouts, log your food, measure hydration, see how you sleep, and much more. The goal is enjoying a healthier, more active life, and the Fitbit app syncs wirelessly to computers and more than 200 other devices to make that happen.”- Healthline.com