Wearable technology has exploded in popularity this year with activity trackers, GPS watches and smart watches all becoming must-have gadgets. Activity trackers are arguably the most affordable of the three, with prices starting from around £50 and rising up to £200. But do you really need one or are they just a 7 day wonder? The choice is yours, but here are 5 reasons we think you should invest in one to kick start your new year health regime.
Motivation
Being able to see on a screen exactly how much (or how little!) you walk/run/exercise each day can be a great motivator and spur you on to either beat your current levels or remind you that you need to do a bit more if you’re not reaching the current NHS guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.
Inactivity alerts
Some activity trackers like the Polar Loop 2 remind you to get up and move about if you’ve been sitting for too long. It's great for encouraging those who have a sedentary lifestyle to change that.
Training aid
If you’re training towards a goal - whether it’s a 5k or a triathalon - an activity tracker can help by recording your performance and pace. The Misfit Shine Speedo Edition is great for swimmers as it will count laps, while the Microsoft Band 2 has HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout that can be synced to the activity tracker so it will tell you on the screen which exercise you should be doing and vibrates when it’s time to rest or complete another exercise.
Wake you up properly
Many trackers, including Jawbone’s Up2 and Up3, have smart alarms that wake you up when you’re in you’re lightest state of sleep - rather than jolting you awake from a deep sleep - so you rise feeling refreshed, not bleary-eyed.
Smartphone alerts
Know who’s calling without even taking your smartphone out of your pocket. Activity trackers sync with your smartphone using Bluetooth and allow you to see how many steps you’ve taken via an app on your handset. In many cases, including the Epson PS500B and the Huawei TalkBand B2, they will also tell you via lights, images and even gentle vibrations, so you'll know who’s calling and texting your smartphone or even if you’ve got an upcoming entry in your calendar.
Carrie-Ann Skinner is a technology and smart home expert with over 16 years of experience reviewing the latest gadgets and gizmos.
She's tested everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops to headphones, speakers and smart home kit such as wi-fi security cameras and video doorbells, making her best placed to offer advice on the gadgets to buy, how to use them, and how to get better deals.
Carrie once headed up the tech testing team at the Good Housekeeping Institute, and during her nine-year tenure (2011 to 2020) put the latest consumer and home tech through its paces for hundreds of reviews, and wrote detailed advice on how to buy the best tech and get the most out of it.
Carrie is also the former Homes Editor at TechRadar, where she focussed on finding the best kit to automate the home, and she has written for Tech Advisor (when it was known as PC Advisor), Ideal Home and Sound Advice.
When not getting hands-on with new technology, Carrie can be found on Instagram offering up simple tech tips, uncovering the best hidden features in the most popular gadgets at @tech_ing_it_easy, and indulging her passion for baking.
