Imagine waking up feeling refreshed, well-rested and ready to exercise. You have the energy for a workout, and your body feels good. Then you check your fitness tracker and find your recovery score is 60%. Suddenly, you begin questioning whether you are really as ready to train as you thought.For triathlete Ankita Konwar, this became a recurring experience for one year straight. After using a device to track her recovery and sleep for a year, she realised that the numbers on her screen were beginning to affect her confidence in her own judgement/In a video shared on Instagram, Konwar asked, “Have we become so dependent on tracking our bodies that we have forgotten how to listen to them?” She explained that she would often wake up feeling energetic and ready to train, only to feel mentally discouraged after seeing a lower-than-expected recovery score.“Slowly, as days went by, I started questioning my judgement. The judgement I learnt how to trust for over a decade. I started questioning it,” she said.DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ankita Konwar (@ankita_earthy) She began taking things slower and rescheduling her training sessions, which she felt “hampered” her as an athlete. The problem, she explained, was the pressure to believe that she might not be able to judge how she was feeling without the device.“Now, I’m not saying that these gadgets are useless, but these are tools, and these tools are supposed to support your judgement, not hamper it,” she stressed in the reel.Konwar’s experience resonated with several internet users who admitted to being overdependent on health gadgets, to the extent that their own guilt, feeling and understanding of their bodies took a sideline.Story continues below this adKonwar’s video raises an important question for all fitness enthusiasts, whether or not they are training for a triathlon: Have we started letting our smartwatches and fitness apps decide how we should feel, sleep, exercise, and recover?Why do we start questioning our own judgement?Fitness trackers can help monitor sleep, heart rate and physical activity. But when a score starts dictating whether we feel good about ourselves or believe we are ready for a workout, the technology can become a source of anxiety rather than reassurance.Dr Sachi Pandya, PhD, psychologist at Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital, explains that health gadgets can gradually shift our trust from our own bodily sensations to external measurements—similar to what Konwar experienced.“Numbers appear objective, making us more likely to prioritise them over subjective feelings,” she tells indianexpress.com.Story continues below this adDr Manjusha Agarwal, senior consultant in internal medicine at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, echoes this view and explains with a simple example.“For instance, a person who wakes up feeling refreshed may avoid exercising because their tracker indicates poor recovery. This can lead to unnecessary worry, reduced confidence in one’s own judgement and an unhealthy preoccupation with health data,” Dr Agarwal cites while speaking to indianexpress.com.“Some people may even feel guilty when their daily activity targets are not met,” the psychologist points out.In fact, in some individuals, the anxiety can begin before they check the device. As Dr Pandya explains, anticipating a poor reading can trigger anxiety, while a concerning score may lead to increased monitoring and repeated checking for reassurance. Over time, this cycle can weaken our trust in our own judgement.Story continues below this adIt is also important to remember that a tracker cannot tell the whole story. Recovery depends on factors such as nutrition, hydration, stress, illness and individual fitness levels. These devices provide estimates, not a complete picture of your health. The problem probably isn’t the gadget; the problem is that, back of my head, it’d pressure me into believing that I may not be enough to judge how I am feeling at this moment: Ankita KonwarAlso Read | Google brings Fitbit Air, a Whoop-like screen-free fitness tracker, to IndiaHow can we avoid becoming dependent on fitness trackers?The answer is not necessarily to ditch your smartwatch or stop tracking your workouts. Instead, the aim is to ensure that your device supports your judgement rather than replacing it.“Fitness trackers should not be dismissed. They can help identify patterns and encourage healthier habits when used appropriately. The key is to understand that these devices provide estimates, not a complete picture of a person’s health,” Dr Agarwal points.Dr Pandya suggests a few simple ways to strike that balance:Story continues below this adCheck in with yourself first: Before looking at your device, ask yourself how rested, energetic or fatigued you feel. Then use the data as additional context.Set boundaries around checking: Limit notifications and review your readings at set times instead of checking repeatedly. Remember that one poor recovery score does not define your health or exercise readiness.Make time for untracked activities: Go for a walk without counting your steps or exercise simply because you enjoy it, rather than to meet a target.Use biofeedback to build awareness: Tracking physiological responses can help you understand your body better, but the goal should be to develop self-regulation rather than constant dependence on a device.Let technology inform your decisions, not replace them: Use your tracker as a guide while continuing to pay attention to your body’s own signals.“These devices provide estimates, not a complete picture of a person’s health…So, use technology as a guide, not a rulebook,” Dr Agarwal suggests.She further advises paying attention to symptoms such as “unusual fatigue or dizziness” and seeking medical advice when necessary. Listening to your body does not mean ignoring warning signs simply because a tracker gives you a reassuring score.As Konwar put it, “Training isn’t just about numbers on the screen; it’s also about knowing when you can hold back and when you can push harder.”DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.