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Most individuals who are getting into fitness are feeling the need for fitness wearables at some point. This could seem like a very simple decision but this category of products proves to be confusing for several reasons. For beginners, there isn’t a clear demarcation between the various device types in that category. As an example, certain devices look like smart watches but they are simply fitness watches with simple notifications thrown in there. For that reason, it becomes tough to understand clearly what you need to buy and the kind of performance to expect. That should not worry you anymore since this piece of article has all that information.
Fitness wearables, commonly known as activity trackers, are devices that help to track your activity and workouts. Smartphones can be called activity trackers when you use them to track your workouts. However, the term, activity trackers, is used in referring to fitness wearables. That could be simple fitness bands that track the number of steps that you take. It could also be the high-end fitness watches that are geared toward triathletes.
Types of wearable fitness
Wearable fitness technology has been evolving at a very fast pace. It is for that reason that there are different types of fitness wearables that one can settle for. For instance, there are trackers that you will have to clip onto clothing, there are eyeglasses, and a whole lot more. Even though this is a step in the right direction, beginners might get torn between different options. The most common options, however, are fitness trackers and smartwatches. We explain each one of them in detail below:
- Fitness trackers: This one is also known as an activity tracker which is a standalone device that is worn around the wrist. Just as the name suggests, this is a wearable device that will monitor daily physical activities as well as fitness-related metrics. This includes the steps you take, your running distance, sleep patterns, heart rate, calories burned, swimming laps, and much more. Activity trackers act like smart watches but they do more than just show the time. Ideally, fitness trackers have been made to keep the user in the best shape by updating you on your daily activities. Fitbit is a renowned brand in the fitness tracker business.
- Smartwatch: Smartwatches are simply computerized wrist watches and they happen to be the most-efficient wearable technology with tracking capabilities. A smartwatch can be defined more like a wearable computer for the reason that it is a mix of a wristwatch, fitness tracker, and smartphone. You will learn that smartwatches have cell phone capabilities meaning that you will get phone notifications. These include social media messages, text messages, and emails. They are however disregarded as the best fitness trackers as they tend to get you carried away amid your workouts.
Why you should have wearable fitness on your hand?
Fitness wearables offer us the ability to monitor fitness levels, view text messages more quickly and track location with GPS. The best thing is that these devices allow us to do all that hands-free and the fact that they are portable makes everything just fine. Before wearables saw the light of day, it was still possible to obtain this information but this was much of a hassle and so much inconvenient. Wearables simply sync to your smart devices and transmit the collected data to your phone or laptop. This way, you can analyze the information later. It, therefore, becomes easy to set individual goals and track your progress.
What is the best wearable fitness?
It is not easy to answer this question given that people have different tastes. The good thing is that the market is diversified and therefore everyone has the chance to choose what suits them. To help you make the right decision when choosing fitness wearables, there are certain things to consider as we have listed them below;
- Battery life: this is one of the important factors that you will need to consider when choosing the best fitness wearables. These devices have so much that they do for you and they rely on battery power for that. It is good to settle for fitness wearables that can go for a long time before being recharged. Based on the model and other factors, a fitness tracker can last from several days to weeks. Please note that a fitness tracker with an in-built GPS tends to drain the battery so fast.
- Waterproofing: this is so important also especially if you are willing to track your swimming activities. Different fitness wearables have different designs and you will want to know whether you can take yours to the shower or swimming pool. A tracker with an IP68 rating for instance means that it remains waterproof to a depth of a meter or more for a certain duration of time. It is important to look at such to make sure that you extend the lifespan of your tracker. The fact that a fitness tracker is waterproof, however, does not mean that it can track under the water.
- Accuracy: this is something you should never overlook. Otherwise, everything you will be doing will all be in vain. You want the information that you get from your fitness devices to be as accurate as possible. Different fitness wearables deploy different algorithms. It, therefore, means that the accuracy will vary from one model to the other. You, therefore, have to ensure that you choose a model with the best precision.
- GPS: it is great if your fitness tracker has an in-built GPS since that means that you do not have to rely on your phone’s GPS. With this functionality, it becomes easy to track activities such as elevation, pace, and distance covered. From that, therefore, you will have access to important information such as the calories you have burned. You should however note that this feature drains the battery to a large extent. It, therefore, means that you will need to charge your tracker very often.
Are fitness wearables accurate?
You might have noticed that fitness wearables measure almost any activity. However, they are from being perfect. For that reason, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and generally treat trackers as more of a sketchy guide. Generally, wrist-based fitness trackers tend to track arm movement which is closely related to what the legs are doing. If you are therefore pushing a cart or stroller, for instance, these steps might not be counted towards your own daily goals.
The accuracy of fitness wearables also depends on several factors. Different fitness wearables rely on different algorithms. It, therefore, means that the accuracy will vary from one algorithm to the other. The model of the fitness tracker that you choose will have a hand in its accuracy. Again, if you accurately input the data prompted by your fitness tracker, you are likely to get accurate metrics as well.
The bottom line is, to learn to treat the data from your fitness trackers with a salt pinch and avoid getting obsessed with the numbers. Most of these fitness trackers synchronize to apps that collate and display all the data as collected. It is advisable to think of these figures as estimates as opposed to rigid outlines.
Maintenance and Care Tips
Fitness wearables are supposed to work with you not against you. In this regard, be sure to take the best care of your fitness trackers to ensure that you get the most out of them. Below are basic maintenance and care tips that you can practice on your fitness wearables.
- Boost the battery life by switching it into the power-saving mode. This will help to reduce battery drain
- Clear extra space by going to the storage area to clear things such as images that take too much space
- Be sure to clear out the memory by turning off the apps that could be running in the background
- Clean your smartwatch using a dry cloth and ensure to dry it after bathing or exercising
- Remove substances like oils and sunscreen with a soap-free detergent. Proceed to rinse and dry the smartwatch immediately
- You should avoid abrasive materials and use soaps or heat sources when cleaning your smartwatches
Conclusion
Whether you have set a fitness goal or you just want to maximize your training, a fitness wearable is arguably the best way to monitor your activities. You will be able to track your movements, get a motivation boost and improve your general health. The modern-day fitness wearables go beyond monitoring daily movements. You will also be able to measure your heart rate, track GPS locations and get regular reminders to keep you moving. You will even get some with the ability to track your sleep as well as your menstrual cycles. If you are looking to get into the field of fitness trackers or looking to upgrade your tracker, this guide has the important information that you need.
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