OR CRUSHING YOUR MOTIVATION? Is Your Smartwatch Helping You Crush Goals …
The Bottom Line When they help, smartwatches turn workouts into engaging, measurable achievements. They can nudge you off the couch, track your progress, and offer health insights beyond exercise, like sleep or stress. On the other hand, they can trigger feelings of failure, promote unhealthy comparisons, or lead users to fixate more on screens than sensations. Tips for Using Your Smartwatch Wisely • Set personal goals rather than chasing generic benchmarks, and create alerts that feel supportive, not punishing. • Check data context and observe trends over time rather than obsess over daily ups and downs. • Measure impact by asking, “Does this encourage me to be more active and feel proud?” If it’s more stress than it’s worth, consider stepping back. • Protect your data, review privacy settings, and research how your device handles health information.
You strap on your smartwatch before every workout, trusting it to track your heart rate, count your steps, and celebrate your calories burned. But here’s the catch: Is it actually helping or silently sabotaging your fitness efforts?
distance, and even sleep analysis give you the data to fine‑tune workouts and recovery habits. Where Smartwatches Can Backfire For some, the numbers can become a source of stress. If the daily totals fall short or your progress plateaus, it’s easy to feel discouraged, anxious, or even unmotivated. And for older adults or users less passionate about exercise, this pressure sometimes leads them to ditch the device entirely. Plus, accuracy issues can skew the data. Optical sensors may misread heart rate during fast or uneven motion. One study flagged error- prone heart-rate variability readings, especially during movement, though newer algorithms can help correct this. Moreover, privacy can be a potential concern. Many devices collect sensitive health data, which is often stored in the cloud and may be shared or misused without complete transparency.
The Case for Smartwatches as Workout Allies
First, smartwatches can be powerful motivators. A broad review of fitness- tracker studies found that using them generally boosts motivation and increases physical activity, especially among people who are already inclined to exercise. Features like step goals, alerts to move, badges, and challenges create a sense of structure and accountability that can turn daily movement into a game. These wearables also offer real‑time physiological feedback. Reliable heart‑rate sensing (especially during steady cardio), GPS tracking for Slow Cooker Brisket INGREDIENTS • 1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup mix • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 3-lb piece of beef brisket (flat cut)
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • 1 lb baby golden potatoes • 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges • 2 1/2 cups beef stock • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs • 8 whole garlic cloves • 2 bay leaves
DIRECTIONS
A Fond Farewell After seven wonderful years, our office manager Laura has moved on to an exciting new job opportunity. While she and Bailey will be dearly missed, we wish them all the best in their next adventure!
1. In a small bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over brisket. 2. Place meat, fat cap side down, into an 8-qt slow cooker. 3. Top brisket with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. 4.Whisk stock, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker. 5. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours until tender. 6.Remove to a cutting board, fat side up. Remove thyme and bay leaves. 7. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. 8.Serve with vegetables, drizzled with gravy from the slow cooker.
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