Derval O'Rourke: Getting your steps in — a key to fitness or a marketing strategy?

— and my quick coconut and basil chicken recipe

Coconut and basil chicken

A huge topic of interest to people on my social media or members of Derval.ie is the use of fitness trackers and step counting. Many people aim for 10,000 or more steps per day as this has been the message about daily step count since these products became popular.

This week I’ll chat about tracking your steps each day and where are the wins for you using this method. Recipe-wise I’m sharing my quick coconut and basil chicken recipe: it’s a recipe I make most weeks and is hugely popular in my house.

Around the world, a huge amount of people use a fitness tracker each day. As Christmas is fast approaching, I thought I would take a look at the world of fitness tracking and chat about a few products that are available.

What is a fitness tracker?

You might have heard of a Fitbit, Apple Watch, or Garmin. These are all electronic wearable devices that monitor and track health-related metrics such as distance walked or ran, heart rate, calorie consumption, and quality of sleep. Fitness and activity trackers mostly come in the form of wristbands; although they can also appear as clip-on devices, earbuds, or clothing made of smart fabric. A number of fitness and activity trackers can transmit data directly to a smartphone or a personal computer. Besides having a hardware form, fitness/activity trackers can also exist as software applications that are often installed on smartphones, such as Strava.

Your steps or your heart rate — what to really track and how they work together

Kate Parfrey, co-owner of The Squad gym and an expert personal trainer works closely with Derval.ie on fitness content, recently discussed the topic of steps and step counting. Kate shared some valuable advice for all the step-counters: the quality of the steps matters more than how many you do.

Kate suggests monitoring heart rate and factoring that in when we are tracking our steps. Many of us can stroll and reach our target steps but in the long run, going for a high tempo walk and raising your heart rate is far more beneficial.

When people do exercises such as walking, they are raising their heart rate into the 'Endurance Zone'. The Endurance Zone is between 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate. So to really get a full effect from your steps, you would ideally like to reach that zone. This can be done with some fast-paced walking or a light jog. This is also a great zone for burning fat, as the body depends on the fat stored for fuel.

Take away information here is to change your casual stroll to a higher tempo walk and make those steps count!

What fitness trackers are out there and what should you consider buying?

Apple watch: tracks activity (general health, movement in your daily life) and workouts (such as running, walking and cycling). All this data is collected and stored on your iPhone via the Activity app. Apple uses movement and calorie burn rather than steps, which is Fitbit's primary tracked activity — although Fitbit also measures calories and other data.

Price: This watch is pricier than most other fitness trackers and this was a reason that I didn’t buy it for myself.

Fitbit: allows you to set yourself specific goals for steps, distance, calories burned, active zone minutes, floors climbed and your hourly activity goal. The Fitbit monitors your heart rate continuously, 24/7, whereas the Apple watch only monitors your heart rate every 10 minutes, apart from when you are using the workout feature, where then it is continually tracked. Fitbit trackers also come in more options for price and functionality.

Price: I’ve owned a Fitbit and found it easy to use and a good price at around €100

Garmin: I own and currently use a Garmin Forerunner. I think it’s a great watch as it covers everything that I need to be tracked such as steps, sleep, heart rate and a variety of exercises. If you’re into running and walking, the Garmins would often have better GPS tracking, compared to Apple watches and Fitbits.

Price: Price wise it was similar to a Fitbit but for me the battery is excellent. I really like this watch and option.

Whoop: This is the tracker that our fitness coach on Derval.ie, Kate Parfrey, uses each day. It is a faceless wrist strap that is used with an app on your phone. It gives a very detailed report on your health and fitness levels. This might not be for someone who wants to track their steps, as the faceless strap means you can’t see your steps in real-time. An interesting feature of the Whoop, is the Whoop Recovery and Whoop Strain feature. These measure your resting heart rate, sleep quality, and respiratory rate and let you know whether you are fully recovered and will perform well that day in your activities.

Price: It is a membership-based product with a few different plans to choose from. It is a good buy for someone who likes to use tech to give them feedback on their exercise.

At the end of the day, what tracker you choose depends on a number of factors. Consider what you want the tracker to do and how much you have to spend. It is always best to do your own research for your needs and find something that will best suit your lifestyle and help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

 

Fitness Tip: If possible, every hour stand up and do a lap around the room you are in. Not only to add to your step count but to stretch your legs and get your blood circulating again.

Wellness Tip: Why not calculate your Endurance Zone heart rate and start becoming aware and consciously try to increase your heart rate to that level. You can calculate your maximum heart rate by following this equation: “220 - your age = Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). Your endurance Zone would be 60-70% of that number.

Recipe: Quick Coconut & Basil Chicken

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional if cooking for kids)
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets, cubed
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• a handful of basil leaves, torn
• 300ml coconut milk
• brown or basmati rice, to serve

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat.

2. Add the shallots, leeks, and chilli and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. If the pan gets too dry, add a dash of water.

4. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

5. Add the fish sauce, agave syrup, basil and coconut milk to the chicken in the
pan. Stir well and cook for 2–3 minutes.

6. Serve piping hot in warmed serving bowls along with some brown or basmati rice.