So many of us rely on fitness apps to help us achieve our health and exercise goals — and it’s easy to see why. The best apps out there track your heart rate, quality of sleep, steps, and other movements so that you can feel confident that you are staying active and healthy. Some apps even turn the pursuit of fitness into a competitive game and make you feel accomplished when you crush your goals.
But for all of their benefits, there are some well-documented downsides to both popular fitness apps and lesser-known apps, as well. In recent years, apps like Garmin and Strava have come under attack by hackers and users’ data has been compromised as a result. You probably aren’t excited about the thought of having to break up with your fitness app, but knowing the risks and how to keep yourself protected is important. This is the scary downside to fitness apps.
Your Fitness Data Isn’t Protected
Unlike health information that you share with certain apps that is protected by HIPAA laws, your fitness data isn’t protected — and that means it can fall into the wrong hands. Some apps use your fitness data to make money off of third-party sources and gain revenue from ads — an icky reality that you may not agree with. Even more alarming perhaps is that the app can give your info to law enforcement officials and data brokers. Although the risk of this happening may be low, it’s something to keep on your radar.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
Truthfully, fitness apps can be very convenient and can take your exercise routine to another level, so the ideal solution here may not be to delete all of yours, but rather to find ways to protect your data.
For starters, you should always create complex passwords for your apps and turn on two-factor authentication as an added layer of security. Next, check your app’s settings. You could be unknowingly sharing your locations, like where you go on runs everyday or the address of your gym. The times that you workout can also become shared information if you aren’t careful, which puts you at risk. If your fitness app as geolocation services, make sure you disable them if you want to keep your location information completely private.
There are so many great reasons to rely on fitness apps, but take precautions and steps to maintain your privacy, as well.
