5 Reasons To Track Your Steps Every Day [+ Best Fitness Trackers]

I remember when my brother gifted me a fitness tracker 7-8 years ago for my birthday. It was such a nice gift + I know he got it for me because I have always been into wellness. But, honestly… I didn’t think I would use it. No one wore one + I really felt like it was kind of silly + pointless.

I wasn’t a runner anymore + really focused my fitness on workouts that were weight-based. But, about 6 months into having my fitness tracker I was absolutely addicted in such a good way. My friend also ended up buying one, too, + we used it to motivate each other to move more.

Since then, my love for counting steps has stuck to my lifestyle + I am so glad it did. Really, once I started focusing on moving more [paired with workouts I was already doing] I noticed a difference in my physical + mental results.

Now, 7-8 years later… I don’t go a day without wearing my fitness tracker! It is one of the foundations of my fitness routine + I can’t imagine not wearing it in the future.

That’s why I thought it was important to finally write this blog post for my community. So many people ask me every month about how to get motivated to workout + move more. Well, I definitely think getting a fitness watch is where you should begin!

In this post, I break down:

• 5 reasons to count your steps every day
• My fitness tracker recommendations

1 | You’ll Know How Much You Are Actually Moving

When you track your steps every day, you can actively see how much you are actually moving. This is really important because when working towards fitness goals, so many women feel like they stop seeing results + that they plateau.

Many times, not actively getting up + moving throughout the day is a major piece of the puzzle. Unless you do the exact same thing every day [which many of us don’t!], your steps vary. So, unless you actively track them, you have no idea how far you’re walking + how many steps you’re really taking.

• Related: HACKS TO GET MORE STEPS EVREY DAY

2 | It Will Motivate You To Move More Throughout The Day

For me, this reason for why you should track your steps every day is major. Now that I have been wearing a fitness tracker to count my steps consistently for over 7 years, it’s a very normal part of my routine to check my steps throughout the day. I probably look at my step count 10-15 times a day [which isn’t a big deal because it’s on my arm + I just flick my wrist + it pops up].

When I see that I am behind on where I know my steps should be, I start cleaning, taking the dog for a walk, take a break at work to move around, play with my daughter, etc. It will give you that motivation you’re always looking for to get up + move more so you can feel satisfied at the end of the day when your goal is met or surpassed!

• Related: 10 WAYS TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO WORK OUT

3 | It Will Help You Build Lifelong Exercise Habits

You know I PREACH PREACH PREACH how important focusing on habits is because that is the KEY to building a lifelong healthy lifestyle. If you track your steps every day with a fitness tracker, it will help you reach your exercise goals + get in the habit of doing more physical activities every day [without just relying on a crazy long + difficult workout].

If you follow me on Instagram, you see on my stories every day that I pretty much just do 25-30 minute workouts + I am able to still reach my fitness goals. That’s because I move move move a TON throughout the day. Once I made a habit of actively tracking my steps daily, I found I was doing more activities outdoors, getting off the couch more, + having a more active lifestyle, overall.

4 | It Will Hold You Accountable

Accountability is so important when building any habit on your journey to create a healthier + happier lifestyle. Click HERE to read my post on the importance of having daily accountability. When you track your steps every day with a fitness tracker, that is a form of personal accountability that can skyrocket your physical + mental progress.

Most fitness trackers sync with an app that stores all of your movement data, as well as a lot of other categories of wellness. You can always log on, sync your progress, + look at charts they provide to hold yourself accountable for how you’re doing each day, week, or month. It will help you see whether you’re hitting your targets or if you need to move more/tweak something.

• Related: WHY YOU NEED AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER TO CHANGE YOUR HABITS

5 | You’ll Inspire Others To Be Healthy, Too

While many of you are probably reading this article because you personally are looking to create healthier everyday exercise habits, I know you also want to inspire others you care about. Tracking my steps has encouraged my husband, family members, + many of my friends to also invest in a fitness tracker.

It makes my heart warm because a healthy lifestyle is something everyone should strive for to have longevity + more everyday happiness in life. When your loved ones see you wearing your fitness tracker + see you moving more, there is a good chance you’ll inspire them to move more, too. You can be a ripple effect for those around you to take the time to work on healthier everyday habits around moving.

• Related: HOW TO USE STEP CHALLENGES TO MOVE MORE EVERY WEEK

My Fitness Tracker Recommendations

Below, I give my top recommendations for fitness trackers. They are all the same brand because I have consistently purchased mine over the years from this company + stand by their price/quality! Most of my friends/family also only purchase from this brand + swear by them.

Below, I provide a brief description of each when it comes to how much they are + their different features. I also found one for kids if you’re looking to inspire your kids to build healthy habits around moving every day!

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

1 | VERSA 2

This smartwatch option tracks steps + activity, calories burned, floors climbed, sleep, heart rate, + female health. It auto-recognizes exercise, reminds you to move, has 20+ exercise modes, has on-screen workouts, + syncs with GPS. Smart features include: Amazon Alexa, calls, texts, calendar + app alerts, hundreds of apps, spotify control, + fitbit pay. Plus, it’s swimproof!

Price: $$$

2 | VERSA LITE

The Versa Lite is the same as the Versa 2, but does not include the following: floors climbed, on-screen workouts, Amazon Alexa, Spotify control, + FitBit pay. So, if you don’t care about those features you can save a little money.

Price: $$$

3 | CHARGE 4

The Charge 4 is great if you’re looking for a lot of great features in the SmartWatches, but you want a slimmer version. It’s similar to the Versa 2, but doesn’t include: on-screen workouts, Amazon Alexa, + apps.

Price: $$

4 | INSPIRE HR

The Inspire fitness trackers are the entry-level bands. Really, these are all you need if you’re just trying to focus on getting steps. My husband has this ne + loves it! I still have the Alta [which I love], but this is the updated version. It includes: tracking steps, calories, sleep, heart rate, female health, + has guided breathing sessions. It recognizes activities + tracks them, reminds you to move, + has built in GPS to track distance. It also syncs with texts, calendar, + smartphone app alerts. Bonus: it’s swimproof!

Price: $

5 | INSPIRE

The Inspire is the same as the Inspire HR, except it doesn’t track your hart rate, has limited sleep tracking modes, doesn’t have guided breathing sessions, + doesn’t have built in GPS. If you’re a runner, the HR is a better option because GPS will help with more accurate distance measurements. But, this would be the one I would choose if I were in the market for a new one!

Price: $

6 | ACE 2 [KIDS OPTION!]

I absolutely love that FitBit came out with an option for kids! This will inspire kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle at a young age. It’s recommended for use of 6 years + older. It simple tracks steps, sleep, reminds you to move, + allows for call notifications. It’s also swimproof!

Price: $