Those of us who live with fatigue-causing conditions like multiple sclerosis know that sometimes pushing ourselves to be more active can create big problems. This is where tools like Fitbits come in handy. Just as they can be used to challenge ourselves to be more active, they can also be used to figure out how much activity we can safely handle before fatigue or other symptoms are triggered. Using a Fitbit this way is especially useful when we feel fine, and may be unaware of how hard we’ve pushed ourselves until it’s too late and we’re doomed to be an exhausted puddle of incoherence in a day or two’s time.

Try keeping a log or otherwise being aware of how many steps you took on the day or two before your bad day and then set your goal significantly below that amount. When your Fitbit goes off, that’s a sign that it’s now time to slow down and have less physical activity. In a week or so you’ll have a sense of how much you can do before your symptoms are aggravated — that’s your baseline. Once you have a handle on what you can do without triggering symptoms, you’ll have a better idea on how to safely challenge yourself.