Let's talk about tracking. Probably not the kind you're thinking about.
In today's world, everything is already tracking you. AI, social media, spam callers, your car, your TV, your phone. Everything wants your attention. Everything wants your data. And data is a hot commodity.
It's seriously overwhelming sometimes.
But fitness trackers? Fitness trackers are the most intimate and invasive of all of them. Always on. Always collecting. Always producing feedback. It's a lot of information for the human brain to process.
(Also — side note — where exactly is all that data going? As the sign in my office reads: "IDK. Ask Google." Insert ominous music.)
A Priest On Your Wrist
Workout time, perceived effort, HRV, respiratory rate, cardio rhythms, oxygen levels, calories, steps — all with a score. A score that can make or break your entire day if you're goal-oriented or even mildly competitive by nature.
Did you sit too much at work or in traffic? Not enough movement every hour. Strike 1.
Did you have a glass of wine? Lowers HRV. Strike 2.
Grabbed a snack before bed? Higher resting heart rate. Strike 3.
"Forgive me, tracker, for I have sinned."
Scores that can set the tone for your whole week. Scores that will stick with you. The tracker knows all — like a priest on your wrist.
A Brief History of Wrist-Based Guilt
1965 — The Manpo-kei pedometer introduces the 10,000-steps-per-day goal in Japan.
1982 — The Polar Sport Tester PE2000 brings real-time heart rate tracking to athletes via chest strap and wristwatch.
2009 — Fitbit launches its first clip-on device and changes everyday activity tracking forever.
2014 — Apple Watch Series 0 is unveiled.
2015 — WHOOP 1.0 and Oura Ring both launch, targeting serious athletes and sleep-focused users.
2020 — Oura Ring explodes in popularity during COVID, accelerated by celebrity endorsements.
In ten short years, we went from guessing our health to seeing a daily score on an app in our pockets. You can now track AFib and possible sleep apnea. That's genuinely remarkable. The question is what we do with all that information.
The Problem With Knowing Everything
Too much information can lead to overload and burnout. And I think fitness trackers — for all the good they genuinely do — forgot one important thing.
The daily mindset of human beings fluctuates. We cannot control outside circumstances or whatever phase of life we're navigating. No algorithm accounts for that.
I often wish my tracker would start every morning with one question: "Tell me your mindset today — and I'll give you exactly the right amount of data to help you have your best day."
It doesn't ask that. It just scores you.
Three Trackers. Three Different Answers.
I wear three fitness trackers. I do this intentionally — because they all three say different things on the same day.
I once read that a doctor suggested: if your fitness tracker is consistent in its findings, don't stress about the absolute score — just know it's reading you as best it can.
So it's educated guessing. And if the guess is consistent, I'm supposed to roll with it as truth?
I'll be honest. I have a hard time accepting that — especially as a truth-seeking, research-driven, deeply inquisitive Type A woman. Who is also, she says with full self-awareness, extremely emotional.
I want answers. I want a guide. I want an instruction manual for how to stay healthy in this body, at this stage of life.
That instruction manual does not exist inside a fitness tracker. And we have to make peace with that.
You already know the habits that work for you — and the ones that don't — without needing an app to confirm it. I don't need an algorithm to tell me I woke up five times last night with hot flashes. Or that the last glass of wine at 9pm probably wasn't the best idea. Or that working until 8:30pm meant dinner at 10pm, which meant a higher resting heart rate.
C'est la vie.
Fitness trackers are a tool. But like any tool, they require context. Watch the trends over a long period of time. Take the daily score with a grain of salt. And please — do not let a number on an app set the tone for your entire day.
"Forgive Me, Tracker, For I Have Sinned"
My husband will tell you it's no secret that I live with anxiety and depression. I've had both for a long time and I've learned to manage them as best I can.
Trackers help and harm in equal measure when you're in that headspace.
When I'm having a stressful week and can't get my sleep score into the green — it wears on me. When I don't hit a strain or step goal, I can feel like a failure that day. And that feeling is completely disproportionate to what that number actually means.
What I've learned, slowly and not without difficulty, is this: I have to give the best I can give on any given day. My best today will look different from my best tomorrow. That is not failure — that's being human.
Sometimes on vacation, I take all three trackers off and give them absolutely nothing to work with for an entire week. (OK — three days max. I just have to know. But I try.)
I call it my reset. Because how you speak to yourself matters. It's self-care for my mind.
If you need to step away from any habit in your life — do it. Life doesn't pause for your recovery score. And a fitness tracker cannot possibly account for a death in the family, a new baby, a career change, a move, or a sickness. All the things. All the real things.
And sometimes you just gotta eat like a raccoon in the pantry.
Don't pretend you don't know exactly what I mean.
Self care is not selfish.
I'll say it again. Self care is not selfish.
They'll Follow You. But They Won't Walk Beside You.
Fitness trackers are addictive — especially when life feels chaotic and a perimenopause brain is struggling to know right from left. We want direction. We want a map. We need the green win. We need to close the rings.
But we don't really. We need to trust ourselves. Trust our bodies. And treat them with respect and love.
Some weeks you'll hit it hard. Other weeks, life takes hold and you ease off. Use your fitness trackers. Enjoy the data. Just remember — their numbers won't move if you don't. And although they'll always follow you?
They'll never walk beside you.
Here at Real Lyfe Fitness, we've been working with real people, real lives, and real complications for a long time. No gimmicks. No broken promises. No guessing. Real programs. Real accountability. A real human in your corner.
— Ashley C. Simpson, Co-Founder · Real Lyfe Fitness
Frequently Asked Questions
Are fitness trackers actually accurate?
Fitness trackers provide estimates, not clinical measurements. Their value lies in consistency over time, not in the precision of any single reading. Where they fall short is in accounting for the full context of your life — stress, hormonal shifts, illness, and everything else that makes you human.
Can fitness trackers cause anxiety?
Yes — for people prone to anxiety or perfectionism, constant score monitoring can create a cycle that actually undermines health goals. If your tracker is making you feel like a failure on hard days, it may be doing more harm than good.
Should I wear a fitness tracker during perimenopause?
Trackers can help identify patterns in sleep, heart rate variability, and activity during perimenopause. However, hormonal fluctuations can cause significant day-to-day variability in your data — meaning scores may swing for reasons entirely outside your control. Use tracker data as one input, not a daily grade on your health.
What is the best fitness tracker for women over 40?
Popular options include the Apple Watch for its broad feature set, WHOOP for recovery and strain tracking without a screen, and the Oura Ring for sleep and readiness scores in a discreet form factor. The best tracker is the one you'll wear consistently and interpret without obsessing over the daily score.
How do I stop obsessing over my fitness tracker data?
Focus on weekly and monthly trends rather than daily scores. A single bad sleep score does not define your health. Consider taking intentional breaks — a few days without data can reset your relationship with your tracker and remind you that your body's own signals matter more than any algorithm.
Is it OK to take a break from your fitness tracker?
Absolutely. Deliberate breaks from fitness trackers are a healthy practice. They remind you to listen to your body directly rather than filtering everything through a score. Many people find that periodic breaks reduce anxiety, restore perspective, and help them return to tracking with a much healthier mindset.
Done Letting an Algorithm Decide Your Day?
Real Lyfe Fitness offers something no tracker ever can — a real human in your corner. Join Real Start at $19.99/month and let's build a program around your actual life.
Get Started — $19.99/mo