Fitness trackers are often promoted as helpful tools to encourage people to move more and live healthier lives.
But a new study suggests that for some beginners, these devices may do more harm than good.
Researchers from Nottingham Business School have found that people who are new to exercise are especially vulnerable to emotional and psychological stress from wearable fitness trackers.
The study, published in the journal Internet Research, involved interviews with 30 people who used Fitbit devices.
Researchers wanted to understand how trackers affect daily life and well-being. They discovered that users tend to fall into three groups. Some people use their devices lightly and treat them as a simple guide.
Others go through phases of heavy and light use. A third group follows the device’s instructions very closely and becomes highly focused on meeting its targets.
It was this last group — especially those with little experience of physical activity — who faced the greatest risks.
Many relied heavily on the tracker’s goals and feedback to judge their success, trusting step counts, sleep scores, and alerts more than their own feelings or physical condition. Instead of listening to their bodies, they felt pressured to meet the numbers displayed on the screen, even when tired, busy, or unwell.
Some participants said they constantly compared their results with others, which increased stress and self-doubt.
When they failed to reach daily targets, they reported feeling guilty, anxious, or like they had failed. A few even changed social plans or daily routines just to satisfy the device’s goals. In extreme cases, intensive use appeared to worsen obsessive behaviors and eating disorders.
In contrast, people who were already active and confident about exercise were far less affected.
They tended to ignore inaccurate data and saw the tracker as a helpful extra rather than a strict judge of their performance. Their established habits allowed them to keep the device in perspective.
Researchers say the problem is not the technology itself but how people interpret and rely on the data.
Beginners often see the numbers as absolute truth, especially when they are trying to lose weight, recover from illness, or restart exercise after a long break. During these vulnerable periods, strict targets can amplify insecurities instead of building healthy routines.
The study calls on fitness-tracker companies to design safer features, such as personalized goals, gentler default targets, and clearer explanations of the limits of tracking data.
Public health organizations are also encouraged to teach new users how to interpret the information critically and use it as guidance rather than pressure.
Experts warn that without better support, fitness trackers could unintentionally cause lasting emotional harm for some users, even if they eventually stop wearing the devices. For beginners, the key message is to treat trackers as tools, not judges — and to remember that health is about overall well-being, not just hitting a daily number on a screen.
Source: Nottingham Trent University.
