I used to live in Los Angeles, where I hiked up Griffith Park every morning with my dog, Ollie. Our climbs lasted, on average, about an hour and a half, and I was curious to know how much elevation I gained each week. So, I bought a fitness watch to track my activities and basic stats, like my distance. Because I didn’t want all the bells and whistles certain trackers offer, I went for a Fitbit Versa 2. I logged every climb and started paying attention to my heart rate and pace. I became obsessed—and started hiking faster and longer to compete with my weekly averages.
When we moved to Philadelphia in 2021, I traded in the mountains and dry heat for wooded trails and stifling humidity. I got into biking and running more frequently and noticed that I perspire way more on the East Coast, thanks to the thick, moist air out there. Even a quick two-mile jog leaves me drenched. When this happens, my watch slides up and down my wrist and occasionally loses its reading on my heart rate—and I can’t help but wonder if my Fitbit is less precise when I’m covered in a gooey soup of sweat and sunblock.
I scoured Reddit,…
