Running is better than walking, but walking a lot is probably better than running a little. This is not a fitness tracker specific observation and I'm sure it

Running is better than walking, but walking a lot is probably better than running a little. This is not a fitness tracker specific observation and I'm sure it varies from person to person, but my experience has been that if I look for opportunities to just be active rather than focus on more strenuous exercise, I tend to engage in a lot more physical activity. In my case, I think the increase in overall active time probably balances out the fact that the activity is at a lower level, especially since I end up fitting the extra active time in where it's likely replacing no activity at all rather than replacing more beneficial exercise. As I said, this isn't really a fitness tracker specific experience since I don't actually use one. But I think there's some interesting psychology at work here that a fitness tracker probably amplifies. Aside from people with certain health issues, "walk more" is a pretty easy task with a very low bar to entry compared to the health benefits. You likely don't need special equipment or a membership to anything or a change of clothes or a shower after and it's pretty easy to feel like you can fit into your day even if you're tired or busy. You could reasonably argue that going for a run after work isn't that much more of a heavy lift than going for a walk, but I'd bet good money that I'm not alone in feeling like it is a lot of days. And that ultimately matters in terms of how likely people are to actually be active.