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NEW YORK -- Maybe you dont really need a fitness tracker.It might be tempting to get one, now that the weathers nice and youre spending more time outdoors. A Fitbit or an Apple Watch, for instance, could prove useful if youre new to exercise or looking to increase physical activity. They nudge you to keep moving throughout the day and track workouts like running and cycling. Many devices also measure heart rate and sleep.But if youre a procrastinator or have trouble staying motivated, a tracker can easily end up in a drawer. If youre already athletic or fairly stable in your routine, it might just tell you the same thing over and over again, which wont help much.I speak from experience, having worn as many as seven trackers simultaneously to test them out. So know what youre getting -- and what they dont do -- before you spend as much as a few hundred dollars on one.---COUNTING STEPSFitness trackers typically use arm swings to gauge how far youve walked or run and push you to reach, say, 10,000 steps a day. Many also track floors climbed and calories burned.They can keep you on track if youre new to physical activity -- if youre the type to go for a walk at 11 p.m. just to meet that daily goal. But a tracker wont do much if you keep telling yourself, tomorrow.Once you hit that goal consistently, you might be inclined to leave your tracker in a drawer . But if youre competitive, Fitbit and other companion phone apps will let you enlist peer pressure by joining groups that track, challenge and taunt each other to meet and exceed those arbitrary goals. Some devices, like the Apple Watch, will also step up your goals as you improve.Of course, this count isnt perfect. Trackers might give you bonus steps for doing the dishes or even, um, punching someone, as theyre measuring arm movements. A bike ride also wont reward you with steps, though some devices will credit you with calories burned.---HEART BEATSMid-range and higher-end trackers offer heart-rate monitoring, but these arent medical devices approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Measurements can vary wildly at times -- one I tried briefly recorded a deadly 243 beats per minute, and another a sub-normal 43 -- but most readings are close enough to give you a general sense of your workout intensity. A higher heart rate means your workout is tougher -- though heavy breathing and fatigue will also tell you that.---FOR WORKOUTSThese devices are awful at translating steps to miles, and very few let you calibrate your tracker by checking it against a known distance. GPS in higher-end trackers help, but that drains the battery more quickly, so many long-distance runners might see their trackers die before theyre finished.Most GPS fitness trackers also arent as versatile as a GPS device fine-tuned for running, cycling, golfing or whatever your sport is. And while trackers are typically water resistant, few work for swimming.A tracker lacking sports-specific features can still be useful. You might run three miles with a GPS running watch and use the tracker to make sure youre not sitting the rest of the day.---HOWS YOUR SLEEP?Most trackers also monitor sleep, though Apple and Android smartwatches require third-party apps. If you toss and turn a lot, the tracker will mark you as a light sleeper. If you get up to use the bathroom, the tracker will note that, too.But is it useful? While a tracker might deem you a light sleeper, it cant guide you to better sleep. All it can do is recommend more sleep.---DO YOU HAVE A DESK JOB?Even if you meet step goals, prolonged sitting can be unhealthy, too. Many devices now have reminders to get up and walk around, though theyre useless if you keep ignoring the prompts. Sometimes they even nag you while youre in bed -- which is especially irritating if your tracker is also on your case about getting more sleep.---YOUR PHONEMany key features are already available on phones. The iPhone has Health built-in for counting steps, while you can get Google Fit for Android. You can also download Moves for either system. Beyond steps, GPS apps such as Strava will track running and cycling workouts.A tracker could still be a worthwhile investment for some people. The phone wont record sleep or remind you to take breaks, nor will it record steps when your phone sits on a desk. Microsofts Band 2 adds a UV sensor to warn you when you need sunscreen, while the Samsungs Gear Fit2 can track squats and other strength training.The key is whether youll use it. If you cant even motivate yourself with a phone, a tracker is just a waste of money.---Online:Guide to choosing the right tracker: http://apne.ws/2av5bmsFake Vans Outlet .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. Cheap Fake Vans . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. http://www.fakevans.com/ . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Fake Vans Online .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Fake Vans SK8 . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid was the first teammate of quarterback Colin Kaepernicks to join him in not standing for the national anthem as part of a protest of racial inequality and oppression in the country. But he might not be the last.On Friday afternoon, Reid said he plans to continue to kneel alongside Kaepernick when the 49ers open the season with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.And while Reid and linebacker NaVorro Bowman indicated theres no momentum for a team-wide action, such as the pregame demonstration the Seattle Seahawks have planned for Sunday, Reid did leave the door open for the possibility that other teammates could join him and Kaepernick.There have been guys that have talked about it, Reid said. I cant speak for what anybody is going to do and their plans for the future. I guess well just have to wait and see.As of Friday afternoon, no other player has publicly declared the intention to join Kaepernick and Reid, but Reid didnt announce his plan to join Kaepernick before last weeks preseason finale against San Diego, either.Bowman said Friday he will continue to stand for the national anthem and that there hasnt been a discussion of planning something for the entire team to do.I plan on doing the same thing Ive been doing and just trying to focus on football and get the win, Bowman said. No one has talked about [a team-wide protest]. I feel like thats a personal issue, and guys have done a great job of keeping it personal, and no one says anything if a guy did decide to take a knee.In the week-plus since Reid and Kaepernick kneeled in San Diego, others in the sports world have joined. Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall did the same before the Denver Broncos game against Carolina on Thursday night.A credit union that serves military families released Marshall as one of its ambassadors after he knelt before Thursdays game.Although we have enjoyed Brandon Marshall as our spokesperson over the past five months, Air Academy Federal Credit Union (AAFCU) has ended our partnership, president and CEO Glenn Strebe said in a statement. AAFCU is a membership-based organization who has proudly served the military community for over 60 years. While we respect Brandons right of expression, his actions are not a representation of our organization and membership. We wish Brandon well on his future endeavorss.ddddddddddddReid, who counts Under Armour as his lone endorsement, said he hasnt heard any concerns from the athletic apparel company, but he said he understood the potential consequences when he decided to take a knee in the first place.When I decided to do this, it came with the understanding that thats the risk you take, Reid said. Its business. I studied business in college, and people dont want to be associated with bad press. and thats understandable. Thats cool with me, but I feel like Im doing something bigger than money.If I lose an Under Armour endorsement ... I wouldnt be worried about it, because to me, in my heart, Im doing something thats for the benefit of a lot of people.Other athletes who have joined in kneeling during the anthem include Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane and womens soccer star Megan Rapinoe. Reid also got in touch with former Marine Staff Sgt. Joey Jones -- he lost both legs in Afghanistan -- who offered his help to Reid and Kaepernicks cause.Reid said a lot of players have reached out to offer support over the past week, but that many of them arent sure how they want to go about showing that support.A lot of guys are being supportive -- they want to be involved, Reid said. A lot of guys have expressed that they dont know if theyre comfortable with kneeling, but they do support the cause so theyre looking for ways to get involved, and I applaud them for that.On Thursday, 49ers chief executive officer Jed York announced that the 49ers charitable foundation will be donating $1 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation to help improve racial and economic inequality, causes that are at the center of Kaepernick and Reids protest.Thats in addition to the $1 million plus proceeds from his jersey sales that Kaepernick already has declared he will donate. Reid said he was excited to see the organization offer such support.Any time you do something, a protest, you know theres going to be backlash, Reid said. You know you cant satisfy [everyone]. But for our organization to step up, it feels like were supported by the NFL. Thats huge. It gives substance to what were doing. Our owners believe in what were doing. It kind of gives me encouragement to move forward. ' ' '