The Truth about Fitness Trackers 

This trackers were the key element for me to loose 100lb in 10 months, and stop being obese, but all my friends that decided to imitate me didn’t achieve it, because the other key element, diet and exercise, was not present.

What a great host Sher is! Subscribed!

Also something of note, there's a major difference between smart watches with fitness features vs fitness watches with some smart ones. I've had both and find my Garmin way more useful at just helping me keep track of my workouts.

2 Future Proof videos in the same day?! what have I done to deserve all of this? Amazing video, Sher, keep it up, please!

I just got a Fitbit for Christmas and I love it. While I am looking to lose a bit a weight and like the fact that it keeps track of my steps and all that, I’m mostly into it because of its heart rate monitor. For me, understanding how stressed out my heart is during various activities is the major health statistic I use to gauge how my body is acting and improving.

I really enjoyed the new host! Love to see the brand expand. I think this is a solid first video but I wish it went into more about the accuracy of the watches. There are so many features that are overall questionable like the heart rate monitoring accuracy. I'm curious how inaccurate data like that can influence people in their health decisions. I've used a watch for a couple years now and the biggest thing for me is to see how often I am moving and how often I'm standing since I WFM. I'm really excited to see future videos and what health topics you guys cover! I think something really interesting that ya'll could talk about is the trend toward meat substitutes. I feel like people are discovering that they're not all that healthy - but when has a burger (meat or non-meat) supposed to be healthy?

Love the mention of mental health problems related to tracker use. As for the privacy issues, I think most people have been conditioned to not care. Also outro music is 🔥. Congratulations on the new channel!

I was an early adopter of the Fitbit after watching a tech review back in 2010/11. Original I liked concept but started to get a little creeped out when the technology started to expand beyond counting steps, a watch and a heart rate monitor. I’ve since returned to my good old Casio watch.

Excited to see the future of this channel as well! It’s nice to see the health version of Future Proof!

Would love a deeper a dive on some of the tracking done by these fitness trackers. How accurate is the sleep tracking really? How useful are ECG or pulse ox measurements? What are some of the next health related things that might be tracked?

Bipolar disorder and divergent behaviour. I was diagnosed at 19; I’m now 37 and every day I have to wear my “normal person” custom. On the tracker topic, I am a teacher and I switched from my Fitbit to an classical watch 5 years ago. Peace of mind and simplicity. Happiness

Great hosting, thank you, Sher! And thank you for the body diversity in this video 😍

Great video! Here are video ideas: - the dark side of depression medication < why psychedelics are better - how big pharma makes money off of your pain - 4-day workweek leads to overall better health - yoga as fitness vs yoga as life/philosophy

Watching this while wearing my brand new fitness tracker 😬😄

I like your slower way of speaking it (in conjunction with the script) gives this channel a far more relaxed feeling than many other channels, keep up the good work

Was so confused when I got two notifications on my watch (yes fitbit) for two future proof videos, but then I remembered the second channel lol

Whoop, congratulations on the channel launch!

Hey in the other channel u said u were nervous, i feel like this video was amazing and im looking forward for mroe video!

Love this for a first episode. I used to have a Microsoft Band (upgraded to Band 2 later) and really loved it for the sleep tracking occasionally and seeing the average of my movement. Plus I loved it for messaging from the watch and controlling my music 😂 And no kidding about the tracking, it had a hiking mode to save a path of where you went to and included altitude changes, average speed, distance, and all the usual heartbeat and calorie stuff

Love the content! I use my Apple Watch for my anxiety, actually. The heart rate monitor helps me with visualizing myself calming down from panic attacks, plus knowing the time helps my ADHD-ass not lose track of time in my time blindness.

Very excited about this channel, it's something I personally am very interested in and i wish this video had been out a few months ago when i had to search around to come to the exact same conclusions.

Wall-e clip was absolute perfection.

Subbed before this came out. Nice to see your first ever video here. ♥️

I am subbed, I am all about this type of content. Suggestions: soaps (pure Olive oils vs coco oil...), Micro plastics, mental health benefits in the vain of fitness and struggle.

love the new channel! looking forward to seeing great content from Sher and this channel in the future :)

Thanks for this video and the reminder about privacy settings! Personally for me the biggest benefit of a fitness watch has been sleep tracking - I haven’t had a consistent sleep schedule since I was in high school, and having a Fitbit has really helped me be aware of periods of time when my nightly sleep isn’t meeting my goal, and gives me a useful push to prioritize sleep in those times. The step counter is nice too, though if it wasn’t for sleep tracking I’d probably be fine using my phone. I’ve barely taken my Fitbit off (except to charge) since I first got it for Christmas in 2018.

I’ve been waiting for this channel to officially launch and WOW what a great start! Love the new host too!

Couldn't agree more with this video! I found about a year ago after that lockdown ended that tracking my workouts actually started to de-motivate me. I was back to doing other less active hobbies and had a lot less time to dedicate to running, but my apps and devices stored all my records and previous higher speeds, which I just wasn't going to be hitting any more. I switched to a basic digital stopwatch to time workout duration, started listening to my body to gauge how hard I was working out, and now I'm back to enjoying my workouts! Also, I've concluded that I just don't need that level of scientific precision for fitness tracking -- probably only professonal athletes really do!

I'm always unsure about a RU-vid channel I like adding another channel with a new host, but this was a no brainer for me to subscribe. Great job Sher! I can't wait to see what topics you dive into. By the way, I stopped using my Fitbit a couple of months ago because it really didn't help me and I really didn't want yet another device tracking me.

Yes!!! I love this! I've heard that depending on the tracker you get, the metrics might not even be remotely accurate too. I love that you guys are digging into this stuff and expanding the brand. I am here for it!

I have def ended workouts earlier than I could’ve because I had reached my goals

Fantastic episode, looking forward to seeing more from you guys.

Great host! Suggestions: Fitness supplements (protein powders, creatine, etc.); Trendy diets

Great content , subscribed!

Wow great first video! Super interesting and Sher is a fantastic host. Love some nuanced nerdiness

I comment to please the RU-vid algorithm, so you can get more views. Excellent video 👍

Congrats on launching! love the host!

I've always loved walking vs traditional gym exercise but I could also go days without getting out of my house. Getting a fitness tracker was a game-changer for me to get out of my house and get those 10 000 steps even if I wasn't in the mood. After a month I felt significantly better and although I didn't lose much weight (I need to change my diet which is a bigger challenge) it was beneficial for my overall mental health bc I kept myself away from any screen or social media for at least an hour every day. Before I got my fitness tracker I would usually overestimate how much exercise I was getting but now I can easily see and change my behaviour bc there's (sometimes inaccurate) data I can rely on than a mere ''guess''.

Liked, subscribed, and hit the notification bell! Cool vid Future Proof Health team, can't wait for the content that is to come! Sher, you killed it!

Happy start! Great job! I study dietology and we are advised to do nothing about it

Great content! Thank you!

yay to first video!! def gonna watch this later! ((bookmarked!))

Thank you so much for this video. I am a yoga teacher, who always encourages her students to listen into their bodies. Sometimes I think these trackers encourage disconnection from feeling and I really appreciate you addressing that and the privacy issues here very well done thank you.

that one last bit about privacy settings with toggles tho had my eyes wide, am I the only one who hasn't seen privacy statements settings on phone with toggles (non-iphone user)

I started with a Polar watch in 2010, but it only worked during workouts with a chest strap. The point was to challenge and track my heart rate during interval training (to challenge and strengthen heart). I’m not entirely convinced by the accuracy of wrist sensors. Today my VO2 max is better than when I was a teenager.

Absolutely love the host! Can’t wait to see and learn more!

I am one of the users who did not buy a fitness tracker because I wanted to get fitter, but rather to see time and notifications on my wrist. But functions such as sleep monitoring could be useful and sometimes, I take a look at how did I sleep last night.

Congrats on the launch of the channel, y'all!

Wonderful video! You're off to a great start! Very well researched, beautiful and disarmingly charming hostess, I can't wait for the next one. I'm something of a health nut myself, so I simply couldn't help but subscribing.

Great first episode, great host, thank you for the content and your work!

I was just checking out what fitness watch to buy. This is so helpful to think twice and to realize if I really need it. Great video!

I use my watch to track how many km I cover during my games of field hockey, to time my 5k runs and most importantly on the golf course to record my score and tell me how close I am to the pin.

Loved this!!

i whole-heartily enjoy my Galaxy Watch, not tired of it at all. i find myself walking more with it on than just using my mobile. thank you for this & iam looking forward to future episodes.

great video, thank you

Love it!!! The future proof style with a new host talking about new things! I love levi but he can share the spotlight 😂 great work!

Good luck Sher! I love Future Proof and health topics always kept me interested, so it’s so nice to watch you

Such a great first video!

I think it can sometimes be really helpful to have a step goal, to motivate you to get moving, but it definitely doesn’t have to come from a fitness tracker, all of our phones do this pretty much automatically. But, as someone who has used both a phone and a Fitbit tracker, I always found the Fitbit to have much higher step counts. So either there is more of my day than I anticipated where I’m moving without my phone, or the Fitbit isn’t counting steps the same way as the phone… but on the tracking our data front, at least with my Fitbit, it really doesn’t get that much more data than my phone does about me, and there’s no way that’s private 🙃

Just got a Fitbit! I appreciate knowing much more about it ❤thank you

Hi! Do you have any recommendations for people looking to track their heart rate? Also- this is an excellent video! Can’t wait to see more stuff!❤

For me, I got my first fitness watch because my alarm clock was so loud, it made the entire household upset. I saw the prices on the watches going down, and got one that could at least send me notifications, and the vibration was enough to wake me up without blowing the house with sirens. Over time, I became more interested in how the data all worked, and that in turn got me into figuring out how to apply the information elsewhere. I used it less to track fitness and more to see what was happening inside, if anything at all. That, and I still get my notifications, which itself was the bigger reason I wanted it anyway. Everything else is just a bonus I learned to work with.

OK I subscribed! I've been wearing a Fitbit for years and did not know about the motivation issue. I sorta knew about the lack of privacy issue, but this was more in depth. Thanx. I don't wear a Fitbit for absolute accuracy, but as a tool to recognize patterns so I can assess which patterns affect my health and fitness. I walk 5 miles a day and it has NOT helped me to get fit or lose weight, but I've found that sleep and deep sleep matter. Diet matters, but I have a notebook to track meals and crossfit workouts. Extrinsic motivation not needed.

Excited to see where this channels journey goes!

This is a great video! I appreciate the time and information provided. I want to offer some feedback. I get what you're saying when you point out the devices are "spying" on you. However to call it spying makes it sound they're conducting illegal activities. Spying has a nefarious connotation. These devices that people purchase monitor specific behavior. The behavior is monitored and collected legally and with permission given that the consumer bought it. Now if a hacker infiltrated the software to collect information without the company or the user being aware, that, by definition, is spying and illegal. It's not fair to connote the two behaviors because they're not equivalent. (Yes, few to no one reads the T&S so users may be agreeing to more than they realize but even that is still not technically spying and it's legal.)

Awesome video, Sher! I remained fully engaged the whole time. 💕

Nice job on the first episode:)

I'm a fitbit charge user for almost 8 years. I really like to keep track of my stats and it keeps me motivated during my trainings.

Let's comment for the algorithm!!!

You're coming out of the gates with a new channel blazing hot. Can't wait to see what's in store for Future Proof Health.

Okay LOVE Sher. Looking forward to more!

Good job on the new channel and video. For me, my smart watch is almost as important as my phone. I am a healthy athletic person + a tech lover, the data is just useful for me. And I use it to compare myself to myself YoY, MoM.

I definitely think there is a risk of attempting to "buy" health -- if I buy this thing, I will be healthy. Totally agree about the losing the intrinsic motivation - you've got to set your own goals and know your why. I use several different "trackers" -- some wearable and one is an app. But I try to think of them as tools to achieving my fitness goals. I want to get stronger in the gym -- my app keeps track of my progressive overload. I want to run a half marathon -- my watch helps me measure the intensity of my runs to see if they comport with the intensity of my training program. I do look at the data to assess whether I pushed hard enough or whether I need to rest -- but I try to do a self-assessment first and consider the data after. I also just like seeing numbers -- like how many miles I hiked last year! I think keeping a solid perspective on what trackers can and can't do is important and to know/understand the risks for certain individuals. I don't look at my alleged "burned' calories at all, I don't think the metrics are accurate or helpful -- I'd rather not go down that rabbit hole. I can't focus on streaks -- it hurts my motivation more than it helps. I don't care if I close my rings every day, it's an arbitrary metric. I've heard that sleep trackers can cause people to be anxious about their sleep -- probably the opposite of their intention to track their sleep! As far as the privacy/security concerns -- I think we need stronger privacy rights in the US and that will have to come from legislation. Unless you're willing to not carry a cellphone and never use email or credit card, I feel like the cat is out of the bag on companies wanting and obtaining your personal information.

Looking forward to many more health related videos!

I’ve been using an Apple Watch for a year literally today. I quite like it. I get geeked on stats so seeing my sleep and exercise. So for me the only time it is off my wrist is when I’m showering or it’s charging.

Very pleasant and informative way of presenting. A new favorite.🏆

I literally started wearing my Fitbit again this week omg

First video review? Brilliant! Great tone, info, presentation and message. All while remaining respectful and modest about the potential accuracy of all data shown and its importance. Excited to hear more and Sher seems like a great person to communicate it to us! Good energy all round. I've always been hoping for a Future Proof video on the effects of alcohol, especially on young adults and ESPECIALLY on "Hard Seltzers" - White Claw, Bon V!V, Trust etc. - we're at a point in their development and social acceptance now that I think we're starting to see a lot of interest and backlash in their content and intention. In the 18-25 demographic I'm seeing a lot of my friends and colleagues start to turn away from excessive drinking and "going out" in favour of other activities or a "quiet one" at home, and want to know if it's part of a global trend. Are we finally starting to drink less? Especially at bars and clubs? Or is there a quiet majority who'll never change? Will alcohol always be so socially acceptable and widespread, despite its massive health and social implications? Why is it still a "cool" thing to not remember the expensive fun you supposedly had the night before and have a whole day wasted on a hangover? Since the Liquid Death video I've been praying for this to come true, please make it happen, Sher and team! Thanks for being a voice of positivity and education in a world full of so many modern dangers. I hope to keep learning from you guys to inform my own decisions and shape my life for the best.

I was once a runner . Then serious health issues made me stop suddenly . I went from running marathons to a pretty sedentary life . I got a Pixel smart watch and it has the Fitbit on it . I knew I had to get more steps in . I realistically had to set the goal of steps much lower than 10000 a day . I built up . Slowly trying to get to that 10000 step goal . It has helped tremendously with my physical therapy goals . I had to set the goals to my level . It has been a good addition in my life .

I actually bought a low tech fitness watch on Amazon a couple of years ago. It has no wifi and has a few features, but the step counter is all I use it for. It's cheaper, private, and something simple.

From my experience with a Garmin, then an Apple Watch, I found out that neither one would allow you to setup your own activity clock. What I mean is, I work 12 hour nights. So, when the watch day ends at 12 midnight, when I'm my most active, everything would either reset to the next day, or make it difficult to determine true numbers for the hours I was active. Most of the time my Apple Watch thought I was lazyAF and or constantly sleeping. 😂

Nice one. Just subscribed

it made sense to have a fitness tracker just for stress monitoring to keep myself in check the steps and the goals don't a lot and it's a plus to track ur workout for the sake of it 🤷🏻‍♂️

So, I've never had a Fitbit or any of these things before and from watching your video I was thinking of getting myself a Fitbit Luxe just to monitor my heart rate and steps, and mostly since it tells the time use it as a watch while walking and out and about. What is your opinion on something like that? I read that the Fitbit Luxe doesn't have any GPS so I should be fine no? Also, do I really need to download the apps to use a Fitbit Luxe or not? P.S. been walking without a fitness tracker or watch for a long time and that's because I reminded myself not some tech reminding me to walk or get my steps.

I've used my smartwatch for close to 3 years and while the numbers of steps I do daily is a metric I keep track of because some days I really feel bad for doing less than 5k (and going on a short walk helps), what I enjoy the most is keeping an eye on my heart rate when working out, to see if I'm working hard enough or not. I've gained, lost and gained weight with it but one thing that has made me overall, is more active as a person. Even with COVID and peak lockdown I made an effort to workout at least 3 times a week, which is way more than I did the ages of 18-25.

Really enjoyed this. The host is very good. I’d like to see a video about all of the weight loss programs, ie: NOOM , WW, KETO, Nutrition system, Do Fasting. Would like to see some reviews on exercise equipment ie Pelaton..

I mean, my old Samsung S10e was able to count steps on it’s own. Got an Apple Watch for Father’s Day a few years ago. Seemed really cool, but then my doctor totally downplayed the Apple Watch’s heart monitoring functions. Watch: 1 sensor. Real EKG at least half a dozen that get placed all over your body, not just one wrist.

Good job sher!!

My phone's stat tracker app helped me take 14000 steps a day on average or about 5.6 million steps last year, so I can vouch for not needing a dedicated fitness tracker. Great video, and well presented by Sher.

Sher is great! A topic I'd love to be covered is sleep tracking apps which was briefly mentioned! I've heard mixed things about them and due to a big company releasing their own (chough Pokémon sleep), there's been an increased interest and enthusiasm. So I'd love for y'all to potentially cover it!

Oh oh oh, video idea, sugar is in EVERYTHING in places like North America. There are also seems to be a confusion that people think that there are sugars that are healthier (honey, maple syrup, organic sugar, etc) when the health benefits are very minimal in comparison to white sugar. Actual healthy alternatives would be like sweet fruit with fiber and other things our body needs, ie mango, ripe bananas, unprocessed sugar cane, beets, etc.

In my experience, fitness trackers can be beneficial if you think of it as an *optimization* tool. I like walking on its own, but I tend to default to being sedentary if I don't remind myself to move. I feel much more motivated to walk when I can quantify my progress (my personal goal is 7,500 steps since the benefits tend to stop around there, not 10,000). Additionally, I enjoy knowing how many calories I've burned during intense exercise, because I want to have a realistic idea of how much I can and should eat (including eating back at least some of the calories I've burned). I track my food so that I can maintain my weight, build muscle, and ensure that I'm getting enough protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. I've even been monitoring my heart rate and stress levels. I had an extremely difficult adjustment period recently, and I'm so relieved knowing that my heart rate is finally starting to go back down to its previously tortoise-esque levels. I couldn't monitor this so easily without wearing my fitness tracker! I don't rely on it for everything (the sleep tracking is still kind of iffy), but I prefer being informed about these details.

This was great! I would love to see an episode on "barefoot" shoes and the health care claims they make. I know O.G. future proof did one on the vibram five fingers, but they have expanded hard! Is it just a hipster fad or is there something behind it? I have a pair because I was curious.

Absolutely fantastic work from Sher. fastest i’ve ever taped subscribe

Great video

this is why i got a cheap fit-bit knockoff - it has decent heart rate monitoring and OK-ish step counting - I mostly just use it to remember approximately how much phsysical activity i've done in a week. I won't lie, I do get a kick out of the moment when it vibrates to let me know I've walked X miles, or hit X number of gamified Heart Rate points, but I've been able to make it a sustainable part of how I keep my health up because its not outsourcing my motivation, its outsourcing my sense of time and frequency (which, with ADHD, asking myself if my walk to the park was 3 days ago or 2 weeks ago can sometimes get..... fuzzy)

Although my Apple Watch did encourage me to exercise more regularly, the longer I kept up the streak the more I pushed myself uncomfortably out of my limit to close those rings. It stopped being fun and I found I was starving myself some days to “keep the weight off”. It was a huge relief once I stopped paying attention to the rings and now I exercise when I feel like it. I still like the Apple Watch because of the convenience it brings over just a regular quartz watch: not worrying about the battery dying in a few months, time doesn’t get out of sync regardless of time zone, control music playback, notifications, and activating Siri Shortcuts. Started as a health tracker and turned into more of a Swiss Army knife gadget.

I'd love it if you discussed 'disability tech'. I have a smartwatch, but only use three tools: a timer, an alarm, and the most important one: Fall Detection. (The timer and alarm are also for medical purposes.) It'd be very interesting to learn what's out there. Though I don't know if that's the sort of thing you use in your channel.

Amazing work Sher! You've nailed it! Been looking forward to the first video since you've created the channel. It would be great to see a video about fitness supplements

Great video to start with Sher. Keep up the good work. I think a video going over veganism as an ethical choice versus balancing your essential amino acids and the time investment to figure out all things dietary