Looking back, the 1990s elicit a lot of nostalgia for people my age. For those of us who remember that time, we recall our astonishment with a new technology called “the internet” and all the possibilities it offered. Our collective excitement that we could send someone a message anywhere in the world and they would receive it instantly sounds quaint today, but back then it was a shining example of how internet-based technologies would change the way people interact with the world. Few of us back then could’ve imagined the world we live in today. We are all more socially connected than ever. We have the world’s knowledge base at our fingertips. We can buy music and movies without ever leaving our homes. We can even passively track our activities, workouts and nutrition with little to no effort.
In 1996, I began dabbling with the concept of “Quantified Self,” but the methods were primitive compared to today. Back then, I would borrow my parent’s Chevy station wagon and use the odometer to quantify my running route. When it was time to run, I would write down my start time on a note card, then start along my route. When I made it back home, I would write down the end time on that note card. A little bit of math, and I could quantify my minutes-per-mile improvement week after week. If this sounds like a hassle that only the most committed would stick with for any significant period, you’re absolutely right.
Many people faced the same struggle — quantifying my progress as a runner was a hassle, riddled with guesswork, and what I captured only represented a fraction of the things I was doing to reach my health and fitness goals. I had no daily activity information, minimal nutrition information and no way to quantify most workouts. The effort wasn’t worth the insight I gained, so I abandoned the idea. But fast-forward 20 years, and things have changed significantly.
Today, I can wear a watch that tracks my daily activity with no effort from me at all. I can track my running routes — minutes per mile, live distance and GPS insight — using a simple smartphone app. I can track my nutrition by scanning barcodes and instantly know the impact of my food decisions. I can go to my local gym or the indoor bike in my basement and work out on equipment that tracks the vital information automatically. All of this information can be instantly aggregated in one spot for quick and easy insight into everything I am doing to take care of my health and fitness. No barriers. No secretary work. No mental gymnastics. The barriers to my sustained self-quantification efforts are essentially gone, and I’m hardly alone in taking advantage of this powerful capability; just ask the hundreds of millions of people who use fitness apps and wearables in their daily lives.
With the barriers gone, some may ask, “Why bother?” That’s a fair question. Studies from numerous sources have shown that people who track their nutrition, exercise and daily activity usually experience higher levels of success in reaching their fitness goals. But why do those who track their fitness data experience such great results?
We tend to overestimate the caloric burn of our workouts and underestimate the caloric intake of our nutritional choices. Putting hard numbers on those things helps exercisers become increasingly aware of just how sedentary or active their lifestyles are, how hard they’re working out when they exercise, and the quality of the food they’re putting into their bodies. This increased awareness drives the hundreds of little choices we all make each day. Choices like taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Going for a walk at night instead of sitting in front of the TV. Reaching for an apple instead of the Doritos. Taking the kids to the pool more often instead of playing video games. The hundreds of little choices we make each day all add up to a lifestyle.
Over time, those who quantify their health and fitness efforts consistently find that their overall health, their fitness, and their goals remain at the top of their mind. When you’re talking about activity levels, fitness goals or nutritional intake and competing against yourself or your family and friends, it’s on your mind day in and day out. It’s a topic of conversation. It becomes part of your inner dialogue and turns those hundreds of little choices into healthy ones. Over time, those consistently healthy choices become habits. Then those habits become a lifestyle, which delivers results that no fad diet or New Year’s resolution could. That lifestyle is what delivers the results.
We live in truly amazing times where the barriers to creating a healthy lifestyle are essentially gone. As we embark on 2017, many of us are renewing our commitment to our health and our fitness. We all start out believing the best in ourselves; “I’m not going to fizzle out and skip the gym or hit the drive thru like I did last year and the year before. This is my year!” The reality is that not everyone will make it to December 31, 2017 still making good on their New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions don’t transform lifestyles; people do. For those hoping to improve their lifestyle as it pertains to health and fitness, give quantified self a shot. Get a wearable or download free smartphone apps. When you work out at home or at the gym, push that data to the app you prefer. Track your food in MyFitnessPal. Stick with it long enough, and your 2018 New Year’s resolutions will most likely not have to include “establish a healthier lifestyle.”
Have a healthy and fit 2017!
About the writer: Matt McConley is the Digital Product Manager for Johnson Health Tech.