There are plenty of times in life when a firm grasp of the numbers is key (As financial planners, you can trust us on this!). 

From your annual tax return to planning for retirement, accurate understanding and forecasting of numbers can make a huge difference. But becoming beholden to numbers and data has its problems too. 

You might find yourself making daily checks of your investment portfolio, for example, monitoring the troughs through periods of short-term volatility. But when you do this, remember that something more important is happening. You’re losing focus on your long-term goal. 

The same can be true of your exercise regime.

Health-tracking apps are flooding the market 

Back in 2021, the American pharmaceutical company IQVIA calculated that there were more than 350,000 health apps on the market. Many of those will feature a tracking function of some kind.

In fact, you might already be using one. Maybe you track the number of steps you do each day using a pedometer app? Or track the quality of your sleep via an app that wakes you at the optimum point in your sleep cycle? You might simply be logging calorie intake, or the amount of alcohol and or caffeine you drink.

It isn’t just a matter of tracking though. The apps work by reinforcing “good behaviour”. This might be through a “Well done!” message alert or a gold star emoji. More recently, apps have become increasingly gamified. You might be able to amass gold stars to level up your in-app avatar and share your success across in-app social media.

These apps can be a really useful way to motivate change, but they might not always be the best choice, and there are some other important factors you’ll need to be aware of too.

5 important factors to consider 

1. Your tracking app can provide an important reality check but be sure it doesn’t inspire overconfidence 

Setting up an app for the first time means inputting our all-important information (more on this later!), and that can provide a startling reality check.

An app might measure your BMI or indicate where your alcohol intake sits compared to NHS guidelines. These reality checks are important and can be a great motivator.

But these apps are not health professionals and using one doesn’t make you a professional either.

Be sure to use tracking apps and their rewards as guides only and think about individual apps within the context of your wider health. This should stop you from becoming overconfident.

2. Discovering your motivation is great but be sure not to overdo it 

Gamified apps are designed to motivate. From the dopamine hit of validation and congratulations to the charts and infographic breakdowns in bright colours. Our brains respond well to visual data and app designers are well aware of this.

Motivation is great but it’s always important to retain balance.

If your tracking app has a social side, don’t neglect it, but remember that you have real-life relationships too. Your next fitness target is an important goal but remember why you are trying to keep fit in the first place. If it is to enjoy a happier, longer life with family and friends, be sure to factor them into your new routine too.

And again, remember that your app is not a medical professional. If your body begins to give you signs that you are overdoing it, listen.

3. Learning about your health and wellbeing can be empowering but don’t become a slave to data

Knowledge can be powerful and feeling empowered and in control of your health is important for both physical and emotional wellbeing.

But becoming too reliant on the dopamine hit of an app and meeting data targets won’t always be a good thing. Push yourself too far and you might start to miss targets. Doing so could make you disproportionately disappointed and affect your willpower or even your mental health.

Stay in control of your fitness but don’t allow the app to control you.

4. Protecting your health is a great step to overall wellbeing but be sure to protect your data too

The ability to track your own health and make data-driven choices to improve your wellbeing is priceless. But your personal data is an expensive commodity too.

It might be hard to see a step-tracking app as malevolent but the health apps on the market can track everything from your heart rate to your sleep habits and menstrual cycles. 

And cookies in these apps could mean your private data is shared with third parties if you don’t manage your usage and read cookie policies carefully.

Also, be sure not to share personal information within in-app social spaces. You don’t know who else is using the app or why.

5. Stay focused on the right areas and don’t fixate

Unless you have every health tracking app on the market, you’ll find that you focus on one particular area of your health.

Walking 10,000 steps a day is great but completing 10,000 steps while also enjoying a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet is better. 

Use trackers and in-app rewards as motivators in key areas but try to stay focused on the bigger picture too. Behaviourist approaches are great for quick shots of validation but they won’t always lead to intrinsic change. 

Try to use an app until it forms a habit but if it doesn’t work for you, don’t feel demotivated. It’s your life, health, and relationships away from the app that are the most important.