Are Fitness Trackers Helping or Hurting You?
Are fitness trackers helping or fueling your obsession? Learn how to use fitness trackers without obsession in this episode of Get Sculpted.
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If you've ever paced your bedroom at 9:58 pm just to close your rings, or felt a quiet sense of dread when your streak broke, you're in good company! And you might be starting to wonder whether your wearable is working for you, or whether you're working for it.
In this episode, Coaches Marilynn, Tijana, and Jordanna get into one of the most loaded topics in the fitness space right now: are fitness trackers safe to wear, or are they quietly making ambitious women more anxious and more disconnected from their own bodies? Because the data is only as useful as your relationship with it, and for many high-achieving women, that relationship has gotten a little complicated.
Here's what we cover:
Why type A, goal-oriented women are statistically more likely to experience stress from fitness trackers, and what that says about how you're using yours
The difference between using wearable data as feedback versus using it as your identity, and why that distinction changes everything
How Apple Watch stress scores, Oura Ring readiness metrics, and recovery scores are calculated, and why they're not telling the full story
Why calorie burn trackers are wildly inaccurate (we're talking 10–30% off), and the dangerous habit of adjusting your nutrition based on what your watch says
Body fat percentage scale accuracy and why the coaches want you to stop giving those numbers any real estate in your brain
The psychology behind streaks, rings, and gamification, plus how fitness tracker obsession quietly develops in people who just wanted to be healthier
What a healthy relationship with wearable technology looks like, and the question you should be asking yourself right now
How the coaches use wearable data inside our coaching practice to inform decisions, and not dictate them
When it's time to remove a tracker notification, and what it means when your routine would fall apart without your device
This episode is for the woman who loves data and has slowly started to notice that her watch has more authority over her day than she does. The one who knows something feels off but can't quite name it. Here's what we want you to know: the goal was never to build streaks. It was to build a life where the healthy choice is just what you do, with or without the device on your wrist.
"Data is a tool. It is not meant to turn into a dictator. Your watch cannot measure your discipline, your resilience, or your long-term consistency." — Coach Jordanna
Ready to build a real relationship with your metrics? One that informs your training without hijacking your intuition? Coaches Marilynn, Tijana, and Jordanna personally review every application and will meet you exactly where you are. Fill out the form at getsculpted.ca/contact or DM us on Instagram @getsculpted.ca. And if this one hit close to home, subscribe, because there is a lot more where this came from.
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More about the Get Sculpted Podcast
Welcome to Get Sculpted, the podcast for women who want to gain muscle and lose belly fat, improve their metabolism, and create real results using science-based fat loss strategies and practical coaching.
We go beyond quick fixes and fad diets to give you sustainable fat loss, strength training for weight loss, and fitness tips for women who want results without burning out. You’ll learn how lifting weights supports fat loss, how to train smarter instead of longer, and how to build habits that fit your lifestyle. Think less about guessing, more about clarity, and about progress you can maintain.
Whether you’re getting started or focused on building muscle after 30, this podcast gives women the tools to lose fat, gain muscle, and feel stronger, without relying on endless cardio or restrictive plans. We emphasize fat loss without cardio extremes, so you can train with confidence and consistency.
We’re your hosts, Jordanna, Marilynn, and Tijana, fitness professionals with over 20 years of combined experience and 1,000+ client transformations. With a strong focus on helping women 30 and older, we specialize in strength training, improving metabolism, and weight training for sustainable, realistic weight loss.
We’ll cover questions like:
Can you build muscle and lose belly fat at the same time?
How does strength training support weight loss?
What’s the best way to lose fat without losing muscle?
What’s the best way to lose fat without relying on cardio?
How can lifting weights improve my metabolism?
Why am I not losing weight even though I’m working out and eating healthy?
How can I stop yo-yo dieting for good?
If you’ve been searching for sustainable fat loss, women’s nutrition, and weight training that actually works, you’re in the right place. Join us every week for practical guidance, honest conversations, and tools to sculpt a stronger body and a more confident life.
Connect with us on Instagram at @getsculted.ca
The unedited podcast transcript for this episode of the Get Sculpted podcast follows:
We’re talking about trackers—are they helping or harming us? With more data than ever before from Oura rings, Apple Watches, Whoop bands and recovery scores, the question is: does all this data make us healthier, or more obsessed? And how do we help our clients use wearables intelligently, not just compulsively? If you’re a type A, goal-oriented woman, this episode might really hit home. [00:00:47]
Do Fitness Trackers Actually Help—Or Are They Stressing Us Out?
Jordanna [00:00:47]: Let’s dive into wearables. Are they making women healthier, or just more obsessed? We’ll share how we support clients to use wearables for coaching purposes, the pros/cons, and some research that’s pretty revealing. Type A women thrive off data, competition, and smashing goals—but when is enough actually enough? [00:01:34]Jordanna [00:01:35]: Let’s open up: do you girls have a wearable? What is it, and what’s your favorite insight from it?
Marilynn [00:01:42]: I have an Oura ring! I never got into the Apple Watch; I don’t like things on my wrist. But ring? Love it. My favorite insight is the sleep data—seeing deep sleep, REM, all that. What about you, T?
Tijana [00:02:10]: How many hours of stress does yours say you have a day? I wonder if mine is normal.
Marilynn [00:02:19]: I stopped looking at that—mine was so high, it actually stressed me out! The answer? Very high.
Tijana [00:02:30]: Mine’s like five hours sometimes. But stress doesn’t necessarily mean you’re upset—it can mean you’re just engaged, excited, or passionate. Like after this podcast, I’ll be “stressed”… but happy, just talking with passion! [00:02:51]
Jordanna [00:03:03]: I use an Apple Watch. It felt natural, but I became a person who had to “close the rings”—that sense of pride. I’ve since reassessed that relationship, but at one point, it was a challenge.
The Fine Line: When Data Turns From Helpful to Harmful
Jordanna [00:03:25]: Knowing we all have real relationships with wearables, T, break down for us the fine line—when does helpful data tip into unhealthy obsession?Tijana [00:03:45]: The data is so helpful, especially for us type A “goal-getters.” But the key is: don’t let it rule your life. These are tools for a framework—not the boss. If you’re walking circles in the living room at 11pm to hit 10k steps, maybe the “problem” isn’t your laziness, but your lifestyle setup. If you’re fixating on steps or sleep scores, it’s a symptom, not the cause. [00:04:39]
Same with Oura’s consistent “bad sleep” alerts—you likely already feel it, but a tracker confirms it so you can act. The main thing is: don’t let one bad metric define you.
Recent sports psychology studies show high-achievers can get even MORE stressed by fitness trackers—internalizing numbers as “performance.” If today’s step count is low, you aren’t a failure—it’s just information on your lifestyle, NOT your identity. [00:05:39]
Jordanna [00:06:03]: I totally relate—chasing all the rings, monthly prizes, always raising the bar. But when is “good enough” actually good enough? At a certain point, more isn’t better; sometimes you need to pull back. [00:06:47]
Tijana [00:06:48]: Exactly! More isn’t better. Better is better. Personally, I don’t fixate on step counts because my life is built around natural movement. If you make movement part of your standard—walking kids to school, parking farther—it’ll happen naturally. [00:07:45]
Stress works the same way. A high “stress” score can signal engagement—not disaster. If you feel healthy, that’s just data, not a diagnosis.
Jordanna [00:08:16]: Wearable companies have gamified our reward pathways, tapping into something primal—and it can be motivating. But for many, it leads to obsessiveness, not health, especially if you haven’t mastered the basics. Most users think “more is better,” but that’s not true if the goal is random or arbitrary. [00:08:55]
Tijana [00:09:04]: Data is only as helpful as your ability to interpret it. If you’re walking 10,000 steps but not lifting or constantly eating in a calorie surplus, the step count won't deliver what you hope. [00:09:44]
Fitness Metrics: Data Is a Tool—Not a Judge
Jordanna [00:09:52]: Metrics should be neutral. Unhealthy attachment to numbers can be counterproductive. Wearables are estimates—wrist-based trackers can be off by 10-30% for calorie burn, and they’re even less accurate for strength training. If you base your nutrition off your calorie burn, you’ll sabotage your results. [00:10:56]Tijana [00:11:02]: Please never adjust your calories based on your wearable’s “burn estimate”! Lifting heavy often doesn’t even register with the watch—yet that’s what builds muscle, changes your body composition, and revs your metabolism. [00:11:52]
Also, stop trusting body fat percentage gadgets. Those can be wildly inaccurate—don’t let fake numbers derail you.
Jordanna [00:12:30]: Orthosomnia—when you become obsessed with your “sleep score,” and the anxiety to perfect your sleep actually ruins it. This hyper-focus on ANY metric—steps, lifts, heart rate—can become self-defeating. Have you ever doubted your own feelings based on a low “recovery score”? [00:13:19]
Marilynn [00:13:19]: It’s definitely made me second-guess myself: great sleep but a low score? Did I really sleep well? Poor sleep but a high score? Maybe I did ok? Second-guessing my body instead of the device… [00:13:51]
Tijana [00:13:54]: I check my Oura every morning—but for me, it’s validating because my scores line up with how I feel. But it’s worth asking: does the data change your judgment, or just confirm what you already know? [00:14:33]
Marilynn [00:15:01]: I’ve noticed the ring sometimes predicts when I’m coming down with something before symptoms—pretty wild! [00:15:13]
Jordanna [00:15:50]: Wearables can guess your activity based on loads of sensor data—like a video game with all the movement mapped out. But even so, don’t let those patterns dictate how you live your day. [00:16:25]
Reclaiming Intuition: Learning to Use Data, Not Be Ruled By It
Jordanna [00:16:35]: If you’re realizing your watch has been dictating your decisions, you’re not alone. Many high-achieving, data-loving women lose touch with their instincts. It’s time to find balance—use your tracker’s numbers as tools, not as judges. [00:17:21]Marilynn [00:17:37]: Over-tracking can become psychologically dangerous—just like the number on the scale, tying your mood or self-worth to a tracker’s data is a real problem. And, comparing streaks and stats can sap your intrinsic motivation, making you reliant on external sources instead of your own intuition. [00:20:23]
If your wearable stopped working, would your healthy routine collapse—or would you carry on? That’s the difference between feedback and dependence.
Jordanna [00:21:22]: I actually tested this! I stopped wearing my watch for a week, just to see. Turns out, my routines didn’t fall apart—but I felt a new kind of freedom without it (after the weirdness wore off). [00:23:18]
Tijana [00:23:19]: Your wearable should never dictate what you do. Stick to your plan, not your mood, not your tracker’s warnings. Use the data for information, but always keep your intuition in the equation.
Are Fitness Trackers Helping or Harming Your Progress?
Marilynn [00:24:21]: If you’re using a device to reinforce what you’re already doing, great! But if it’s the only thing keeping you on track, or your mood hinges on those metrics, you probably have an unhealthy relationship with your wearable. [00:28:45]Jordanna [00:28:49]: So—are wearables helpful or harmful?
Marilynn [00:28:53]: It depends. If you use the data to inform—not control—your habits, it’s helpful. But if you feel like a failure when you “miss” a metric, it’s likely harmful. Everyone needs to audit their own relationship with their devices. [00:29:17]
Tijana [00:29:20]: I lean toward “helpful”—but only IF you interpret the data correctly, and maintain perspective. Let’s use these incredible tools wisely, not as a crutch.
Jordanna [00:29:41]: Data is a tool—not a dictator. Your wearable can’t measure your discipline or resilience. If you’re ignoring your body for a number, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Build Habits and Intuition, Not Just Streaks
Jordanna [00:30:06]: Are you building true strength, or just streaks? Reflect after this episode: Are you letting data rule you, or using it to inform and validate? You don’t have to ditch the data—just use it with intention. Work on building both resilience AND intuition.If you want to stop letting your wearable rule you—or if you want to harness the power of metrics for real results—reach out to us. We’ll show you how to let data optimize, not cripple, your fitness journey. And if you know someone who still paces around the house at 9:58pm to close their rings—share this episode.
Jordanna [00:31:02]: Next week: if you woke up in your dream body, would you know how to keep it? Don’t miss it!