Healthwise: Getting back to basics


Larry R. Miller
For the Headlight

You’ve decided that not being able to do the things you really like to do has to change. I did back in the late 1970s and haven't regretted it. I did take some side roads that proved not to be the answer for me but all things considered, it's been worth every drop of sweat. Everyone who decides to get healthy through exercise wants to get the most from their workouts in the least amount of time.

Columnist Larry R. Miller

This brings up the question: do fitness devices work?

When you look at the ads, they tell you if you buy their device you can track your workouts for more efficient, quicker and easier success. But, they're expensive, require maintenance and can be inconvenient to wear while working out.

Do these devices really work as claimed?

The Journal of the American Medical Association recently published an article on fitness gadgets. Evidence didn’t support the “tracking” or “benefits” of fitness trackers as reported in the ads.

Researchers put a dozen of the most popular fitness devices that are worn on the body to the test. There were 19 study participants, each wore all 12 devices during the tests. The two research techniques used were the metabolic chamber method (MCM) and the doubly-labeled water (DLW) method, the “gold standards” for this type of testing. The fitness devices results were compared to the MCM and DLW results.

Researchers concluded that “most wearable devices do not produce a valid measure of total energy expenditure.” Researchers also found that each device tracked results differently and didn’t show similar numbers from device to device even though they were all worn at the same time by the same person.

Michael Joyner, MD of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, told MedPageToday, “There is little evidence that extreme monitoring improves outcomes” or that “these devices are going to motivate long-term behavior change.”

Which takes us back to the basics of diet, exercise, sleep quality and the knowledge of how to benefit from hermetic, also spelled hormetic stressors.

Gimmicks, even fancy high-tech ones, just aren't worth the costs when compared to results gained.  And, you have to wear them, maintain them, repair and remember to use them. My experience and that shown in research is: you might as well skip them and return to basics.

My advice is to make a personal commitment to lead a wellness lifestyle. You don’t need to track everything; just do them as often as you can. Ninety percent of the time I don't wear a watch or use a timer during training periods other than when doing HIIT or SIT to time the sprints and the intervals in between.

Brisk walking, power walking, race walking, jogging, jumping rope, using a rebounder, swimming, rollerblading can all be done without hi-tech devices. Pick the exercise that's fun for you (you’re more likely to stick with it) and do it as often as you can.

Park at the other end of the lot and walk, go to the mall or to school and walk or use the track. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Join a yoga, t'ai chi, walking for wellness or aerobics class if a group atmosphere works best for you.

Eat fresh, whole foods, organic if possible. Drink plenty of water. Avoid energy drinks, all those packaged and prepared foods, especially ultra-processed and fast foods. Sleep well at night and practice breathing deeply five times every hour of the day and posture, posture, posture, which is especially difficult if you work at a computer. Over time your habits will change and your health will improve. .

One thing is worth mentioning again: personal commitment is the key to long-term health.

Larry R. Miller has been a freelance writer on health, fitness and athletic performance since 1982.