Everyone’s using fitness tracking these days, and that’s a good thing. We love it when our patients tell us they are paying attention to their health. You can track many, many, MANY things with a fitness watch. At our Golden Chiropractic office, patients ask questions about what to track and why. Here's what we recommend:

Track your heart rate.

One of the ways doctors measure heart fitness is by tracking your heart rate. A fit heart pumps more blood per beat. This delivers more oxygen to the body per heartbeat. Our bodies use oxygen for fuel.

A normal heart rate should be between 60-100 beats per minute—bpm for short. The general rule is the lower the better. Some performance athletes can have heart rates even lower than 50 bpm.

Your heart is like any other muscle in the body. Regular exercise makes it more healthy and efficient.

As your heart gains strength, your likelihood for serious heart disease or heart failure goes down.

Diagnosis of arteriosclerosis, diabetes, and heart attack are less likely when you train your heart muscle. This is due to the improvement in the heart’s ability to contract and send blood around the body.

Keep your heart giving your tissues the necessary fuel to keep you healthy, and you’ll get more life to enjoy.

Track your steps.

The American Heart Association recommends taking at least 10,000 steps a day. If you want to improve your heart function and fight a sedentary lifestyle, track your steps.

Take a load ON.

Taking steps loads your weight-bearing joints and moves them through a range of motion. The movement promotes the exchange of fluids and keeps your joints healthy.

Placing this load on your bones lays down calcium. This promotes the strengthening of your bones.

Step-up to healthy bones and joints.

Strengthening bone tissue helps counteract the effects of diseases like osteopenia, and osteoporosis. These conditions have shown to weaken bones and increase the likelihood of fracture.

Steps also help fight osteoarthritis by making sure that your joints have what they need to stay healthy. The best way to keep a joint healthy is to take it through a full range of motion every day. Tracking your steps is a great way to ensure that this happens.

Track your calories burned.

If you’re trying to lose weight, gain weight, or build strength—count those calories.  Watch the number of calories you burn and compare it to the number of calories you eat.

Fitness watches are great tools for watching your calories.

A fitness watch allows you to tailor the calories needed for your daily activities. This ensures that you have done all you need to reach your fitness goals.

Track calories whether you are overweight or underweight.

If you are overweight, decreasing the amount of calories in your body leads to a decrease in weight. Losing weight can decrease the strain you place on your joints and heart.

If you are underweight, increasing the amount of calories in your body leads to weight gain. Gaining weight can promote organ function and brain function.

Eat the right amount to avoid bodily harm.

Tracking calories burned and calories consumed helps avoid nutrition deficiencies and organ dysfunction. This ensures that you eat enough food to meet your goals, but not so much or so little that it harms your body.

Remember — Exercise Smart and Track Smart!

Choose the right fitness tracker for your individualized needs.

You can talk to us about your fitness goals. We’ll help you look for fitness tracker features that help you track what’s important to you.

Golden Chiropractic is not affiliated with any specific brand of fitness tracker. We make recommendations based on individualized needs. We do not intend to promote any particular brand or product.

Work with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate exercise program.

Always consult a health care professional before beginning any exercise program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition. We don’t intend to replace your healthcare professional’s advice.

If you experience any pain or difficulty with any exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider.

Mild soreness may be experienced after beginning a new exercise. If the soreness does not improve after 2-3 days, contact your physician.

Want to start tracking for your health goals?

We support our patients in getting, and staying healthy. We are always happy to talk to you about your health goals and advise on the best smart watch features for you. 

Next time you come to visit our chiropractors in Aptos, ask us for what we think will work for your best healthcare plan. You can book your appointment online at this link.