Experts Are Begging People To Leave These 14 “Healthy” Trends In 2025

Apple watches, Garmin watches, Fitbit watches, the Strava app … there are endless ways to track miles walked, calories burned, and steps taken. Not only that, but there’s been a big push to track those measures every time — and it may be hurting your health.

“The obsession with self-tracking of health metrics with wearables can increase anxiety and cause you to ignore what your body is telling you,” said Dr. Michael Swartzon, a sports medicine physician at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. “The raw data can lead to emotional stress when your body is just going through normal biological variations, probably the opposite of your goal.” 

For Robert Cuyler, a behavioral health expert, whether health tracking is “healthy” is about when and how much you do it. 

“The availability of tech-mediated health data is interesting and useful for those who use these tools (smartwatches, rings, etc.) in moderation and for specific purposes, with some guidance by evidence,” he said. “However, health tracking … can become excessive, fueling bodily hypervigilance and anxiety.”

Instead, Swartzon encouraged people to focus on the basics: fitting some physical exercise into their day, eating a wide variety of foods, maintaining a regular sleep schedule and listening to their body. All that other data isn’t necessary.