Is Your Fitness Tracker Controlling Your Life?

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wearable technology is considered the number one fitness trend in 2016. But after New Year's resolutions become a daily reality, is your new fitness device destined to become part of your everyday routine or collect dust on a shelf?

Dr. Sam Zizzi, professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at West Virginia University, Fellow and Certified Consultant of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, provides insight on how your new fitness tracker may hurt or help your performance and how to make it work for you.

"Individuals can break out of the negative cycle that their fitness devices might create by using the data from trackers only as information, not as a judgment of their effort or worth. The idea of 'failure as information' links to a more mindful approach to health behavior change where the individual says 'OK, I am going to be a healthier person no matter what. I am going to try out some different routines and figure out what I like best and how often I can do these things. I'll use the app/device as a friendly feedback tool and keep making changes until I find something that sticks.' This is definitely not a common attitude, but it is one that works," suggests Dr. Zizzi.

In an interview with Dr. Zizzi for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology he touches on:

• Ways individuals can benefit the most from fitness trackers
• How fitness trackers motivate people in the short and long-term
• How fitness trackers sometimes contribute to "false hope syndrome," when high expectations lead to demotivation

The full Q & A interview can be found here.

The Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) promotes ethical practice, science, and advocacy in the field of sport and exercise psychology. Since 1986, AASP has been an international, multidisciplinary, professional organization that offers certification to qualified professionals in the field of sport and exercise psychology. With more than 2,000 members in 54 countries, AASP is a worldwide leader, sharing research and resources with the public via its website, www.appliedsportpsych.org.

Contact: Marissa McDaid, Yopko Penhallurick
440.543.8615 / [email protected]

SOURCE Association for Applied Sport Psychology

Related Links

http://www.appliedsportpsych.org