How to Use Google Fit to Track Activity on Android

Google Fit is a free app from Google that turns your Android phone into a basic fitness tracker. As long as you carry your phone, Fit counts your steps and distance in the background. You do not need a fitness watch or chest strap to get started. The app uses two simple measurements: Steps and Heart Points. Heart Points are earned for activity that gets your heart pumping a little faster than a slow walk, such as a brisk walk, gardening, or climbing stairs.

The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization helped Google design the Heart Points system. Earning 30 Heart Points a day, five days a week, lines up with the recommended amount of moderate activity for adults. That works out to about 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, which can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and some kinds of dementia.

Google Fit shows your progress in two colored rings on the home screen. The blue ring fills up as you reach your step goal, and the green ring fills up as you earn Heart Points. Tap on the rings to see a breakdown of where the activity came from. Fit is smart enough to tell the difference between a walk, a bike ride, and time on an elliptical machine.

If you have a Wear OS smartwatch or a Fitbit, Google Fit can pull in data from those devices too. You can also connect Fit to apps like MyFitnessPal, Strava, and Withings scales. For most older adults, though, the phone alone is plenty. Set a comfortable goal, carry your phone with you, and let Fit do the counting in the background. After a couple of weeks you will have a good picture of your normal activity. And you can start nudging it up a little at a time.