Wearable fitness trackers like the Fitbit can track your step count, heart rate, sleep patterns, dietary habits and the number of stairs you climb per day. But are they really an ideal exercise incentive? In a recent study, women who used Fitbits demonstrated an increase in healthy decision-making with regards to diet and exercise, such as taking longer routes to get more steps in or ordering less takeout. However, many reported experiencing guilt when they couldn’t meet their goals. That guilt takes a toll: More than 50 percent of those who buy fitness trackers stop using them; a third discard them within six months.

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