Health experts share how to mindfully use health tracking tools to optimize your health without obsessing.
While tracking things like your weight, your workouts, and what you eat may be something you’ve been familiar with for a long time now , but there are now so many other metrics you can keep tabs on to monitor your health, guide you with making changes, and note progress over time.
To avoid getting sucked into unhealthy patterns with your tracker, she says, practice moderation. “Avoid obsessively checking metrics; instead, use the data as a general guide.” It’s also important to listen to your body and, if needed, “Consider device-free days to prevent over-reliance and promote a balanced relationship with technology.”
“The first thing to be aware of is that tracking your cycle alone in an app—so only marking the dates of your period—will only accurately predict ovulation in about 13% of the population,” says Dr. Rose. “Without the additional information of basal body temperatures, changes in cervical fluid and additional signs of ovulation, period dates alone will not be enough information to know the fertile window.
Sometimes she recommends clients take a short break from tracking their cycles and instead focus on “creating a foundation for healthy hormones, and a solid mindset.”“I recommend women take a closer look at their nutrition and activity habits when it comes to optimizing their health and fitness,” she says. Having a place to log what you’re eating can help you make sure you’re eating enough fiber to support heart health or how much progress you’re making towards your steps goal.
If you’re someone who easily takes things to extremes, she explains, “using your tracker as a tool for check-ins versus daily entries may be a better option for you. This may mean you evaluate your dietary habits 3-days every week, alternating between work and weekend days so you see your trends.
“Some people might want to explore the impact of a specific habit on their sleep to see what behavior changes might give them the biggest bang for their buck. Alternatively, others might be interested in determining what about their sleep helps them feel or function better. By monitoring sleep data and pairing that with a journal or log, patterns might emerge that can help people identify what aspects of their sleep affect things they care about during their day.
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