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This happens sometimes with fitness, especially products like Fitbit that are gamified. People start trying to max the metrics instead of what they're meant to

This happens sometimes with fitness, especially products like Fitbit that are gamified. People start trying to max the metrics instead of what they're meant to represent.

JohnFen 3y ago
That's the main danger of metrics: they have a nasty tendency to turn into goals, rather than data points that can be combined with other knowledge in order to provide a more complete picture. This problem seems quite common in software these days, and is why I've soured a lot on the use of metrics to aid development.
CrampusDestrus 3y ago
Yeah, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Just strap a device onto your body during the day and then it just tells you "you're doing great!" or "you're not doing well!" without delving into specifics. Of course the raw data can be analyzed by a medical professional who will make his own considerations without you meddling with the metrics
hinkley 3y ago
I was an endurance athlete as a teenager and lately was trying to find my way back via hiking and long distance walking. I had plans to walk a half marathon (just below the time cutoff for the course) this spring but kept running into a wall around 10 miles. Some days I focused on my pace. Other days I focused on trying to estimate my pace without looking at my watch. Some days I looked at my heart rate. Others I just concentrated on my gate. What are my knees doing? What are my hips doing? What is my core doing? But after a couple months, I spent about half my time just zoning out and doing walking meditation or enjoying the scenery. The trick is not to fixate on any one thing. The opposite of fixation is not apathy, it's moderation.
- ilyt 3y ago
  I just go by "If I feel I am getting on the limit that would give me muscle pain next day I ease out". I am not sportsman and I don't want to beat some goals, I exercise to feel healthy and be able to lift some things I need for other hobbies
ilyt 3y ago
And Goodhart's law strikes again!

This happens sometimes with fitness, especially products like Fitbit that are gamified. People start trying to max the metrics instead of what they're meant to represent.

JohnFen 3y ago

That's the main danger of metrics: they have a nasty tendency to turn into goals, rather than data points that can be combined with other knowledge in order to provide a more complete picture. This problem seems quite common in software these days, and is why I've soured a lot on the use of metrics to aid development.

CrampusDestrus 3y ago

Yeah, sometimes ignorance is bliss. Just strap a device onto your body during the day and then it just tells you "you're doing great!" or "you're not doing well!" without delving into specifics. Of course the raw data can be analyzed by a medical professional who will make his own considerations without you meddling with the metrics

hinkley 3y ago

I was an endurance athlete as a teenager and lately was trying to find my way back via hiking and long distance walking. I had plans to walk a half marathon (just below the time cutoff for the course) this spring but kept running into a wall around 10 miles. Some days I focused on my pace. Other days I focused on trying to estimate my pace without looking at my watch. Some days I looked at my heart rate. Others I just concentrated on my gate. What are my knees doing? What are my hips doing? What is my core doing? But after a couple months, I spent about half my time just zoning out and doing walking meditation or enjoying the scenery. The trick is not to fixate on any one thing. The opposite of fixation is not apathy, it's moderation.

ilyt 3y ago
I just go by "If I feel I am getting on the limit that would give me muscle pain next day I ease out". I am not sportsman and I don't want to beat some goals, I exercise to feel healthy and be able to lift some things I need for other hobbies

ilyt 3y ago

And Goodhart's law strikes again!