Exercise: Are Activity Trackers Accurate?

Activity trackers have become very popular, but how accurate are they? A recent study examined five popular activity trackers and found that most devices were pretty good at measuring steps taken during traditional activities. However, as Dr. Johns Porcari notes, “Once you start getting outside of that—like elliptical or sportsrelated movements—it becomes harder to detect actual steps taken.” The devices also appear to be a little less accurate when estimating energy expenditure. The American Council on Exercise, January 2015