Fitness trackers are growing in popularity and more and more people are taking advantage of their many health benefits. However, many people find that only being able to wear the smartbands on their wrist is an annoyance, either because they cannot do so for professional reasons or because it is inconvenient for their daily activities.
If you are one of those people, then you have come to the right place, because in today’s article I would like to show you 5 ways to wear a fitness tracker on your ankle or on your leg. Have fun ! 😉
Why is it wise to wear a bracelet connected to the ankle?
The connected bracelets measure our movements and our health data during the day and then give us feedback on our activities. The goal is to make us aware of the exercises we are doing (or not doing), and to bring more activity into our increasingly sedentary daily lives.
This is why connected bracelets are an ideal and very useful companion on a daily basis. However, the daily life of many people does not allow them to wear a standard connected bracelet.
Healthcare professionals, such as nurses, are generally not allowed to wear bracelets, watches or other forms of jewelry at work. Of course, this can also be a problem in other professions. In general, it is also difficult to wear a fitness tracker around the wrist if there is a risk of it getting snagged or stolen.
But is that a reason to do without the many benefits of fitness tracking? Luckily not, because there are several ways to measure your ankle activity.
By the way, it also makes sense for some sports. On a bike, for example, our arms and the wrists where the connected bracelets are normally located hardly move.
As these use acceleration sensors, no movement is therefore tracked in sports such as cycling. In this case, of course, it makes much more sense to attach a sensor to the ankle or leg, where the movement takes place.
So let’s explore the possibilities now! 😉
The Moov Now connected bracelet
Phew, I can tell you, it is not easy to find an ankle bracelet. While the fitness market is flooded with classic wristband sensors, hardly any manufacturer has developed a practical model for the foot or leg.
One of the few exceptions is the Moov Now Fitness TrackerOpens in a new tab.. This model consists of a bracelet with a kind of net in which is inserted a small core which does the job thanks to the integrated 9-axis accelerometer , which can detect motion in 3D.
Additionally, a gyroscope to record rotation and a magnetometer for better orientation are used. This allows the Moov Now to keep tabs on your activities while running, cycling, swimming, and many other sports.
For example, while running, the device measures cadence, impact intensity, and range of motion of the foot. For swimming, the swimming style, the number of strokes, the SWOLF value which indicates the swimming efficiency and many other parameters, are given.
This model also stands out for its great battery life (button battery with a lifespan of 6 months), as well as for the detailed application that can be downloaded for free from the corresponding App Store.
The top is of course that this connected bracelet, specially designed to be used on the leg, can also be worn on the ankle. Even sleep analysis is available, which is really not a given with leg-worn fitness sensors.
The best is to take a look at the Moov Now. Clicking on the product photo or the orange button takes you directly to all important information and customer reviews.
Also worn on the ankle, the Misfit Shine
By the way, I also found the Misfit Shine Fitness TrackerOpens in a new tab.. Again, the model consists of a bracelet and a removable core. In principle, it can be worn everywhere: on the wrist, on the shoe, on the hip or even on the ankle.
This bracelet is particularly chic and elegant and is particularly noticeable thanks to its solid metal disc with 12 luminous points. Its great advantage is that it is also very high quality and durable.
The metal core is made of aluminium, it is waterproof up to 50 meters and, according to the manufacturer, it is “designed to last a lifetime”. It remains to be seen whether this is really the case, but the device gives an impression of quality.
All in all, the Misfit Shine is a great fitness tracker that can be worn on the ankle. It doesn’t hurt to take a look. Again, I advise you to click on the product image or on the orange button to get more information and customer opinions on the connected bracelet.
3D pedometer: fitness tracking for each body part
Instead of a classic bracelet-style fitness tracker, you can also use a simple 3D pedometer. They are usually small devices the size of a pocket watch, which can be worn independently of the bracelet.
The sensor itself can be worn everywhere, really everywhere: on your arm, your leg, as a necklace, on your hip, in your pocket, … the possibilities are vast, you just need to have the pedometer on you.
This is made possible by the so-called 3D tri-axis sensor technology, which can measure your movements in any position and from any angle. This results in a much higher precision than conventional bracelets (even on the ankle) and they can be worn everywhere.
If you are interested in such a flexible model, take a look at the following device:
Wear Fitbit and Co. in a sock
There is no doubt: Fitbit is THE giant among manufacturers of fitness trackers and the models of the American company enjoy enormous popularity. When you walk around town, you can only notice the Fitbit gear on other people’s wrists. But what about ankle wear?
For example, popular models like the Fitbit Alta HROpens in a new tab. or the Fitbit Charge 4Opens in a new tab. have bracelets that can be easily changed. This allows you to remove the heart of the device, which also contains the motion sensors and place it wherever you want.
As with the previous options, you can wear the sensor wherever you want. Some runners and cyclists place it in their socks or in tight cycling shorts, for example.
To attach the sensor to your ankle, Amazon offers adjustable Velcro straps that can be easily attached around your leg and placed into. Take a look at this product at Amazon.
Fitbit cannot guarantee 100% functional tracking in this case, but experience shows that it works very well this way. But you will have to do without heart rate measurement, because the sensor is no longer placed on the wrist where heart rate is normally measured.
Additional ankle ties
The problem with wearing fitness trackers on the ankle is usually that the bracelet, which is designed for the wrist, is too short. If you still don’t want to part with the classic tracker bracelet, there is a solution! 😉
There are complementary bracelets that can be connected to the traditional bracelet, which allows it to be lengthened. This allows the devices to be worn on the ankle or, more generally, on wider parts of the body.
So far I’ve only found this possibility for Fitbit trackers, but basically it should work for almost any model. Just take a look at the entire Amazon site.
Can ankle fitness trackers also measure heart rate?
Fitness trackers, like most Fitbit models, can measure your heart rate right on your wrist using optical pulse measurement.
Simply put, it works by using LED sensors to detect color differences on the skin due to increased blood flow due to higher heart rates. For this to work, the bracelet must fit snugly on the wrist and not slip too much.
The technology itself does not necessarily have to work on the wrist, but this part of the body is anatomically very favorable. Optical pulse measurement should work the same way on the ankle, but the bone structure of the joint and the fact that a fitness sensor would slip a lot, prevent a reliable measurement of the heart rate on this part of the body.
So I experienced that measuring the pulse on the leg does not really work. On the other hand, classic and simple movement data, such as step counting, also works wonderfully on the ankle. If the right model is chosen, of course! 😉
Conclusion: Fitness Tracking on the Ankle
Connected bracelets are rightly enjoying increasing popularity and are increasingly becoming an everyday companion. Even people who cannot, or do not want, to wear a bracelet on their wrist for professional or private reasons should not give up, because there are different ways to wear it around the ankle or other parts of the body.
I hope I was able to show you some of these possibilities in this article and was able to help you in general. If you still have questions, or if you have perhaps found a solution to this problem yourself, I would be very happy to hear from you. Use my contact form or leave a comment below this article.
Otherwise, I wish you a lot of fun with your new connected bracelet worn on the ankle.
