Fitness trackers are gaining popularity and early adopters are being rewarded with great services and features that amount to having their own virtual personal trainers with them 24/7.
A report by Business Insider predicts a 12-billion-dollar market for wearable technologies by 2018, with wrist-worn gadgets accounting for 60 percent.
Tracking everything from your sleep to food intake, fitness trackers are good for professionals, amateurs, or health enthusiasts.
Nike+ Fuel Band SE
Nike’s Fuel Band SE is in its third incarnation but hasn’t changed much since it first came out.
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Measures your workout in Nike fuel, which is a universal way to measure for all kinds of activities, as stated on its website.
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Real-time feedback.
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Stays connected to your Apple iPhone to provide reporting and analytics.
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Includes a group and individual challenges and reward program.
Nike’s Fuel Band SE works with the iPhone to provide insight, suggestions, and reports.
Price: $150
Adidas Smart Run
Smart Run is a great companion for everyday runners and provides many of the features you find in a standard fitness tracker.
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Real-time cardio coaching – A heart monitor with visual, audio, and vibrational feed back
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Customizable workout views – Track your reps and sets.
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Strength and flexibility training – Over 400 animated, anatomically correct exercises.
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Music player – Play your favorite music while you work out and listen via Bluetooth.
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Integrates with GPS.
The Adidas Smart Run is a standalone device that does not connect to a smart phone but can be connected to a desktop for the purpose of loading music. Your data is wirelessly synched to the micouch.com website where you can view your statistics.
Price: $399.
Fitbit Force
Fitbit Force is a sleek-looking wrist watch with more to it than meets the eyes.
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Tracks steps, distance and calories burned.
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Tracks the quality of sleep and also has a silent alarm.
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Integrated with other health and fitness platforms such as Endomondo, My Fitness Pal, and others.
Fitbit supports iPhone and Samsung smartphone synchronization. For a complete list of supported smartphones visitwww.fitbit.com/force.
Price: $129.95
Jawbone UP
(Courtesy of Jawbone)
Jawbone UP is a wrist bracelet that looks more like a fashion accessory than a fitness tracker.
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Tracks distance, calories burnt, activity time, and intensity.
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Keeps track of light and deep sleep as well as how many times you wake.
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Comes in eight fashionable colors.
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Integrates with third-party applications
Jawbone UP software is available on Google Play and Apples’ App store. Data is synchronized via the head phone jack.
Price: $149.99
Larklife
(Courtesy of Larklife)
Larklife describes itself as a coaching system rooted in proven behavioral science to enact real change in fitness-related behavior sooner.
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Tracks sleep and exercise to let you know when is the best to exercise based on energy patterns.
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Provides advice on what and when to eat.
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Expert nutritional coaching with meal alerts and reminders.
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Formulated with knowledge on how to be more productive from pro athletes and business executives.
Larklife works with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad.
Price: $149.99
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