We’ve all been spending more time at home over the last few years. And because of that, the way we work out has changed. Living room aerobics. Jogging round the park. The gym isn’t the only option nowadays. There are more ways to get fit than ever before. Plus, there are even more ways to keep an eye on your health too.
So, you’ll need a way to monitor your progress. That’s where smart tech comes in. Whether it’s a fitness tracker or a smartwatch, motivating stats are there to keep you on track.
Here’s some top tech that’ll help you hit your fitness goals at home…
Activity Tracker
An activity tracker is perfect for keeping you motivated. Especially when you aren’t heading for the gym. Many will remind you to move throughout the day, and automatically recognise the kind of activity you’re doing.
Enter your goals. Check your general fitness levels. Smash your targets. Fitness trackers display accurate health data personalised just for you. That’s down to their heart rate monitor – which works out the intensity of your exercise from your resting heart rate.
They’ll give you all the vital stats right there on your wrist. Whether you’re doing a lap of the block or setting up a makeshift circuit in front of the telly.
The Fitbit Charge 5 is one of the best all-rounders. It’s full of clever features like the Daily Readiness score. Each morning, the score tells you whether you should put your feet up or get moving instead. It works this out by looking at your recent physical activity, how you’ve slept and your heart rate. Smart huh?
There are also personalised goals. This’ll give you a target to hit each day. And when you start getting fitter, your daily goals and scores will change to reflect your progress. So there’s always something new to aim for.
Smartwatch
Like the idea of an activity tracker, but want something you can also wear out and about? Then go for a smartwatch. It’ll look just as good with jeans and a t-shirt as it does with your gym gear.
They do everything an activity tracker can do and a load more. Many connect to your phone, so you can reply to WhatsApp messages and texts right there on your wrist. Or save your motivational Spotify playlist straight to the watch. That’ll give you an extra boost for those last few difficult miles. You can even pay for things with one just like a debit or credit card. It’s like having a super-portable wallet without all the jangling change. So it won’t slow you down while you exercise.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch5 has a ton of smart wellness stuff going on under the hood. It tracks your blood pressure, heart rate and more. It’ll then use this info to coach you on your workouts.
And once the exercise is done, sleep-tracking tools help you get better quality zzzzzzs. The watch will give you pointers for making a good nights sleep a great one. It creates tips by looking at your blood oxygen levels and how much REM sleep you’ve had. The watch will even let you know if you’ve been snoring. Your other half will be thankful.
Heart rate strap
Heart rate straps do exactly what they say on the tin. They’ll monitor your heart rate – but with laser precision. Many will also tally up your total step count and the number of calories you’ve burnt.
Garmin’s HRM-Pro Plus does all that, plus a whole lot more. If you like to dig into your fitness nitty gritty, then what are you waiting for? It records detailed running stats - from your stride length to pace and distance. You can then use this data to improve your technique and performance.
Or if you’re more of a swimmer, check your swim interval heart rate between lengths. With 50 metre water resistance, you can power up the pool without having to take it off.
And what’s more, you can send this real-time data straight to your Garmin device. It works with popular social apps like Strava and Zwift too. So however you like to work out, you can track your favourite activities your way.
Smart scales
Smart scales are great for monitoring your weight loss. And they do more than a regular set of digital or analogue scales. Most also record stats like your body mass index (BMI), muscle mass and bone mass. All of these are super handy for getting a proper look at your overall health.
Many – like the Eufy C1 Smart Scale – even connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. When you weigh yourself, the numbers are recorded in an app. The data is then turned into easy-to-read health reports that show exactly how you’re getting on. Those stats are incredibly accurate as well. It’s thanks to ultra-sensitive sensors that precisely measure your weight every time you step on the scales.
But if you don’t want to be alone in your health kick, you’re in luck. The scale automatically recognises up to 16 different users. So, there’s no excuse for the rest of the family not to get involved. Everyone loves some healthy competition after all, right?
Still need some extra motivation? We spoke to 4-time Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah for his top fitness tips. Or for even more health monitoring tech, visit ShopLive. Our fitness gadget experts can give you the full rundown on all the best gear. And you won’t even need to leave the sofa.
