11/09/2026
Turns out there might actually be some science behind keeping track of all this stuffâŠ
I came across this research paper looking at fitness and activity tracking. Itâs a few years old now and tracking apps have moved on quite a bit since then, but the science behind why we track is still interesting.
One of the things that stood out was that the majority of studies looking at result based activities found tracking had a positive effect on motivation.
Weâre all pretty good at remembering the run where it all went wrong, the where our dogs seemed to forget what a dog walk contact was, or the pole that was knocked đ.
But remembering where you and your dog were 6 months or a year ago? Not so easy.
Thatâs one of the things I really like about tracking progress. You can look back and actually see the little bits of progress that youâd otherwise completely forget about.
Sometimes when it feels like youâre getting nowhere, itâs quite nice to have the evidence that actually, you are.
Anyway, interesting read if you want to geek out. đ€
Advances in technologies (e.g. smartphones, wearables) have resulted in the concept of âself-trackingâ, and the use of self-tracking technologies in physical activity (i.e. fitness tracking) is on ...