Get in Shape for Summer with These Fitness Tech Devices
By Mike Agerbo
May 12, 2015
Lifestyle
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Summer is right around the corner and a lot of us are working on getting back in shape and achieving the perfect beach body in time for the sunshine. While there’s no substitute for a balanced diet and exercise there are a few fitness tech devices that can help you achieve your goals. Here are a few you might want to consider:
Wearables
Jawbone UP24
$139.99
The Jawbone UP24 is a fantastic fitness tracker with useful features for those trying to get in shape. The UP24 tracks steps taken, distance walked, calories burned, and active vs. idle time. With the exception of heart rate monitoring, you can get a complete picture of how you’re doing day to day. You’ll even get silent notifications when you’ve been idle for too long.
The UP24 also monitors and tracks your sleep, including how long it takes you to fall asleep, how long you’re sleeping, and the number of times you wake up. You can even set the UP24 to wake you at the best time in your sleep cycle, within 30 minutes of your scheduled wake up time.
While this device doesn’t have a display, its sleek minimalist design more than makes up for it and the UP24 syncs flawlessly to Android or iOS devices with the dedicated app, giving you all the information you need at your fingertips.
Fitbit One
$119.95
The Fitbit One is a small and portable tracker that can be tucked away discreetly, no matter what you’re wearing. It tracks steps taken, distance walked, stairs climbed, and calories burned. Similar the wrist-style Jawbone UP24, the Fitbit One also tracks sleep, logging the amount of sleep you got and how many times you woke up. It also has a silent alarm to wake you without disrupting your partner.
The One has an easy to read display that lets you scroll through your relevant stats. It also syncs to your Android or iOS smartphone so you can access all your data in an easy-to-read dashboard.
Garmin Forerunner 15
$179.99 - $219.99
The Garmin Forerunner 15 is a little different than the two other devices mentioned in that it has GPS built into it, which makes it a great running companion (just in case the name didn’t give it away). Like the Jawbone UP24 and Fitbit One, the Forerunner 15 tracks steps taken and calories burned. It also reminds you when you need to move.
The Forerunner 15 has an informative display, so you can access all the information you need right on your wrist. The downside is that it doesn’t feature Bluetooth connectivity, which means you have to pair it with a computer to access your fitness data outside of the watch.
The watch is available on its own or with a heart rate monitor band. If you’re not sure about the heart rate monitor, you can start with the Forerunner 15 device and pick up the heart rate monitor later on.
Smart Scales
Fitbit Aria
$149.95
The Fitbit Aria is a smart scale that not only logs your weight but your body fat percentage and BMI as well. It also syncs this information to your Fitbit dashboard and app over WiFi so you can see how you’re doing over time. If you’re working on getting in shape, having a more complete picture of how your body’s changing over time. The best thing about the Aria is its ability to recognize up to eight users as long as they’ve registered with the Aria device using the Fitbit dashboard.
The Aria is also sleek and comes in both black and white, so it’s a stylish addition to any bathroom.
Runtastic Libra
$129.96
While the Aria provides you with a great deal of information, the Runtastic Libra takes it to the next level. In addition to the information the Aria provides, the Libra tells you your water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass. This scale also recognizes users and syncs your data with an iOS app. IN this case, the sync happens over Bluetooth rather than WiFi.
The Libra’s look is similar to that of the Aria and it also comes in both black and white versions.
No matter the device you choose for your spring shape-up, a fitness tech device can help you log and track vital information to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Wearables
Jawbone UP24
$139.99
The Jawbone UP24 is a fantastic fitness tracker with useful features for those trying to get in shape. The UP24 tracks steps taken, distance walked, calories burned, and active vs. idle time. With the exception of heart rate monitoring, you can get a complete picture of how you’re doing day to day. You’ll even get silent notifications when you’ve been idle for too long.
The UP24 also monitors and tracks your sleep, including how long it takes you to fall asleep, how long you’re sleeping, and the number of times you wake up. You can even set the UP24 to wake you at the best time in your sleep cycle, within 30 minutes of your scheduled wake up time.
While this device doesn’t have a display, its sleek minimalist design more than makes up for it and the UP24 syncs flawlessly to Android or iOS devices with the dedicated app, giving you all the information you need at your fingertips.
Fitbit One
$119.95
The Fitbit One is a small and portable tracker that can be tucked away discreetly, no matter what you’re wearing. It tracks steps taken, distance walked, stairs climbed, and calories burned. Similar the wrist-style Jawbone UP24, the Fitbit One also tracks sleep, logging the amount of sleep you got and how many times you woke up. It also has a silent alarm to wake you without disrupting your partner.
The One has an easy to read display that lets you scroll through your relevant stats. It also syncs to your Android or iOS smartphone so you can access all your data in an easy-to-read dashboard.
Garmin Forerunner 15
$179.99 - $219.99
The Garmin Forerunner 15 is a little different than the two other devices mentioned in that it has GPS built into it, which makes it a great running companion (just in case the name didn’t give it away). Like the Jawbone UP24 and Fitbit One, the Forerunner 15 tracks steps taken and calories burned. It also reminds you when you need to move.
The Forerunner 15 has an informative display, so you can access all the information you need right on your wrist. The downside is that it doesn’t feature Bluetooth connectivity, which means you have to pair it with a computer to access your fitness data outside of the watch.
The watch is available on its own or with a heart rate monitor band. If you’re not sure about the heart rate monitor, you can start with the Forerunner 15 device and pick up the heart rate monitor later on.
Smart Scales
Fitbit Aria
$149.95
The Fitbit Aria is a smart scale that not only logs your weight but your body fat percentage and BMI as well. It also syncs this information to your Fitbit dashboard and app over WiFi so you can see how you’re doing over time. If you’re working on getting in shape, having a more complete picture of how your body’s changing over time. The best thing about the Aria is its ability to recognize up to eight users as long as they’ve registered with the Aria device using the Fitbit dashboard.
The Aria is also sleek and comes in both black and white, so it’s a stylish addition to any bathroom.
Runtastic Libra
$129.96
While the Aria provides you with a great deal of information, the Runtastic Libra takes it to the next level. In addition to the information the Aria provides, the Libra tells you your water percentage, muscle mass, and bone mass. This scale also recognizes users and syncs your data with an iOS app. IN this case, the sync happens over Bluetooth rather than WiFi.
The Libra’s look is similar to that of the Aria and it also comes in both black and white versions.
No matter the device you choose for your spring shape-up, a fitness tech device can help you log and track vital information to help you achieve your fitness goals.