The world of fitness trackers

The world of fitness trackers and wearables is an interesting one.

A few years ago, I got my hands on a Huawei talkband that, although capable of tracking walking and my heartrate, almost always picked up that I was cycling when driving.

It led to an experience where the calories tracked became meaningless since I would then have to sit and calculate actual calories burned, subtracting the numbers from my ghost bicycle ride.

In 2018 things are different, very different. A wearable is a way of life.

From features like reading WhatsApps while driving, or tracking almost anything that comes out or goes into your body, they can become essential role-players in everyday life.

Earlier this year, Fitbit announced it had more than 2.4 million users using the female health tracking feature. In April, Fitbit app showed 1.8 million wearers added at least one period to their calendar and nearly 700 000 users logged one or more symptoms with the female health tracking system.

Picture: iStock

At the reveal of its fittest city index in September, Dr Craig Nossel, Head of Vitality Wellness, also sang the praises of wearables, that even have the ability to detect heart attacks.

Nossel believes technologies are proving to be disruptors in exercise enablement and healthcare improvement.

Mobile phone applications, wearables, social media, sociodemographics and feedback on key health metrics are all transforming why, when and how much we move.

In August, after a taking a break from running, as a motivator I bought a Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro. I admit I’m hooked. Daily reports let me know how much I’ve slept and how much I’ve moved, but above all it has given me exceptional knowledge.

I now know the exact distance covered when running at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, or even how much exercise I get by doing daily chores like washing a car or walking in a shopping centre. That information is powerful.

The ability to gather reliable sleep stage data on wrist-worn devices can also help simplify sleep research and increase public knowledge about sleep.

Dr Conor Heneghan, lead sleep research scientist at Fitbit, presented the findings of his study, Estimation of sleep stages using cardiac and accelerometer data from a wrist-worn device, last year.

New Fitbit Charge 3. Picture: FitBit

“The ability to easily track your sleep not only helps individuals better understand their own sleep, it also unlocks significant potential for us to better understand population health and gain new insights into the mysteries of sleep and its connection to a variety of health conditions,” said Heneghan.

The best news is that these devices are also affordable with many available for under R1 000.

Some fitness devices for your consideration:

 • Garmin Vivofit 3 (R900): This is a daily activity tracker with a one-year battery life and Garmin Move IQ. The device adds new features, including Move IQ auto activity detection and intensity minutes. It’s also great at capturing activities such as walking, running, biking, swimming and elliptical training.

 • Fitbit Charge 3 (Starting at R2 599): Stay connected, not distracted, with essential smart features, including expanded smartphone notifications, quick replies on Android, convenient everyday apps and easy and secure on-wrist payments with Charge 3 Special Edition (coming soon) – all with up to seven days’ battery life.

 • The Samsung Gear Fit2 (R2 999): Features intuitive health tracking aspects that enable users to create uniquely tailored wellness plans. Intuitive auto activity detection ensures the device never misses a movement and can recognise numerous activities.

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