#Garmin Coach

[dimensionsvelo]

L'application Garmin Coach se met à jour !

Garmin procède à la mise à jour de son application Garmin Coach, mais également de ses montres connectées epix (Gen 2), fēnix 7, Forerunner, vívoactive 5 et la série Venu 3 ainsi que des compteurs GPS Edge 540, Edge 840 et Edge 1040. Avec la nouvelle version de Garmin Coach téléchargeable aujourd’hui, les cyclistes auront désormais accès à des programmes d’entraînement spécifiques, via Garmin…

[somerunner]

In my high school, all you needed to get a varsity letter in cross country was, I think, to get under 19 minutes on a 5K. Most of the varsity letter requirements for other sports were similarly easy to meet. Our school wasn't known for athletics.

My first race was a little under 22 minutes long, and every year I struggled to get my time lower than 19:50.

My senior year, I had hit puberty, so I had more strength and cardiovascular fitness than before. I figured I would make it this time, and I trained as optimally as I could. I followed the coaches' directions more closely (my brother and I were once told that, given our fitness, we should never run slower than 9 minutes a mile for an easy run; it took until senior year for me to actually follow that advice). I ate well, slept...probably poorly, and I felt pretty fit compared to previous years. My dad bought me and my brothers Garmin Forerunners, which are GPS watches that can tell you your pace in the middle of a race. He came to as many of our races as he could all throughout high school, and our mom did too (she came to our middle school races in addition to high school ones -- it was no fault of our dad's, not to come to our middle school races; I find it impressive and touching that he made it to almost all of my high school ones. In middle school it was always some random distance so we never really had a consistent distance to truly compete against ourselves with. High school had bigger teams and each race always right around five kilometers, with one notable exception).

The watches helped a lot. (I still have mine from back then, but it struggles to hold a charge for a full run unless you've kept it in the charger until the minute you go running. I don't use it quite as much; I've misplaced my charger too often, and I don't want to look for it a day in advance just so my watch can tell me my strides per minute (arguably important, but I digress). I can't pace myself any better than in high school, but I don't need to because there's no exact season or race I'm training for -- though for something big, like a marathon, I will actually use the watch. My phone can record my pace for less-important runs.)

Anyway. Back to the point. I hadn't broken 19 minutes my whole senior year, and we were down to one last race. I was anxious the whole last week. The last three days, I could practically feel adrenaline seeping into every capillary like I was a sponge. It felt good, unsurprisingly to me (though that may be surprising to you). I felt ready.

The last meet was big, full of schools. I'd just learned from my dad (either that day, or just before some other race in the past week or two) that the "strides," or short almost-sprints you do a few minutes before a race, are actually important -- they prime your body for that first 100-meter dash where you stake your position for the next mile. If you don't do your strides, you'll dip into anaerobic metabolism early, and your legs might be locked up halfway through the race, and that's bye-bye sub-19:00.

I felt like I weighed like nothing. My entire body was a spring. Side note: if you've never put on racing flats/spikes, I encourage you to borrow a pair for a short run (and I mean short! Like 100 meters if you don't run, and a mile or two if you do run). It feels like there's a weightless force field on your foot, with how light it is compared to a normal shoe. It's a surreal feeling.

When we started the race, I felt a touch desperate. I ran only a little slower than my best; you're supposed to hold yourself back for the first mile. I knew that, but I glanced at my watch to see that I was averaging a 5:00/mile pace. That was WAY beyond my target pace, and I barely even noticed. That was heartening to see, but I obviously dialed the pace way, way back to 5:45/mile or something. I needed this record-breaking adrenaline to last me for three miles, not half of one.

Frankly, all I remember of that race was that first 200-meter dash and the disconnect between what I felt and what I saw on my watch. I always have that disconnect during a race, but it was especially pronounced during this race.

The next two miles were hard but good, and I broke 19. I got a massive personal record (PR) to end my high school career with; I think it was more than a minute of improved time. Which is rather insane. Improvement tends to be more incremental than that, but things like this do happen pretty often in running, especially at the relatively slow paces I ran at.

My brother broke 19 and 18 in the same race. Just skipped right over the whole 18-minutes-something-seconds window. I was over the moon for him, of course. We'd both made it past the lettering-qualification by the skin of our teeth, and at the same time, by a huge margin.

He's kept up with consistent running more than I have. He's also gotten me back into running after I semi-gave up on it, and our older brother's gotten back into running too. We, along with our dad, decided to run a marathon/half-marathon together this summer. I'd say we all did well, though I didn't train as much for it as I should have.

I've only ran one marathon so far, and it was recent, but now I'm feeling the itch. I want to run another one, I want to absolutely demolish my time. Admittedly, this is partially because I didn't practice as much as I should have, and I've seen my brothers' times, so I know how much farther I can go.

If you've come close to your (previous) best at something, you might have realized too that it was only a false summit. Could be a project within your hobby, could be a physical accomplishment, it could be anything that requires some level of effort large or small. But I hope, when you realized you could do even better than you just did, that it felt inspiring.

It's kind of a rush.

[exitrowiron]

Return to Running

Although running is my favorite athletic activity, I haven't done it regularly since I started training for my cross country ride in 2022. Then I tore my meniscus and needed surgical repair and started training for my cross Pyrenees ride which I completed a few weeks ago.

Now all of that is behind me and I am enjoying a pain-free return to running and hopefully soon, racing. My time away from running and increasing age have eroded my VO2 max, but I'm optimistic it will improve over time.

I'm using the Garmin coach to train for the Seattle half although it is tempting to ramp up my mileage more quickly than the AI suggests.

I know I'm in the minority, but I enjoy running on the treadmill. It is convenient, temperature controlled and I have access to entertainment. And I can strictly match my pace to the designated workout.

[hoe4sports]

Leave it all on the field

Ruesha Littlejohn x reader

A/n: No trigger warnings detected.

Ruesha had camped in you apartment for the rest of camp, and you didn’t usually mind but it was getting very depressing. Since she saw the picture of Katie and Caitlin a few days ago, she had turned into a shadow of her old self. She was not her usually bubbly self, and you were trying everything in you power to brighten her mood. You had told jokes, danced or jugged, sang and made food. When you woke up the last morning of camp before you headed to Australia, The land of Caitlin Foord, you decided that you needed to do something to try and bring the old Ruesha back. “Okay pretty girl” you said as you opened the blinds while she was still sleeping. “Today is the day” you said and she huffed from under the cover. It was not your dream scenario to live with her, sleep next to her and spend ever awake moment of your life next to her as her bestfriend, but life has a funny way of making things play out just as it wasn’t supposed too.

Ruesha threw her pillow at you, and you decided to change my tactics. If there was one thing she loved, then it was a good breakfast. You made sure to leave her alone in her, or rather your, depression room as you whipped up easy breakfast. Toast, eggs, paprika and watermelon. You made sure to make her favourite kind of blueberry tea, and then you went back into the bedroom. This time, you felt more determined . She was going to get up. You grabbed her covers by the corner, and yanked it off of her. “Shite, Y/N, won’t you leave a mournin to woman rest now will ya” she hissed. “Yes, I would. But you are not a mourning woman nor do you need to rest anymore. If you rest anymore then I’m worried that you will become one with mi bed.” she sighted loudly and tossed around. You walked around the bed and hunched down on her level. “Ruesh, I’ve made breakfast. Your favourite kind, I’ve even made tea. You would never let a good tea go to waste now would yah?” You said as you stroke her matted blonde hair, she sniffled as she sat up. “Okay, but only because I don’t like to let a pretty woman down.” she said as she marched to the kitchen. In your house, from your bed, in your clothes. Yet somehow, all she could talk about was Katie McAss.

You sat down next to her as a you bottomed a sugar free red bull while eating a protein yogurt. “Are yah ever gonna learn to eat real foods?” Ruesha teased, and you shrugged. “Why would I? Nobody is seeing what am shoving down my throat when I’m alone.” You said and winked. She just shook her head as she devoured the breakfast. You examined your garmin watch for a hot second only to realise that you were running late. You threw on your jersey, and Ruesha threw on hers as we panicked our way to the arena. “Jesus, if yah would’ve gotten that pretty butt up from bed the first 23 times I asked, then Maybe we wouldnt have this issue.” You said as you tied your cleats next to her. She laughed, but was quickly taken back by the view of Katie. Her now ex girlfriend.

“Ruesha, stop droolin’ would you, it’s not a good look” You teased as we walked out on the field. The coach shot you a weird look, which had you confused. “Is there a reason for your shenanigans now?” she asked as she raised her brow. You and ruesha would often do dumb stuff to lift the spirits of the group, but this time you were confused. You shot her an even more confused look, as she pointed to the number on my jersey. “Is this yet another joke about mi number?” You asked as the girls earlier had teased you for your high number, asking if it was your number or the amounts of yellow cards you had attained . You looked at Ruesha confused, and realised that she was wearing your number 30. You looked down to see that you were wearing her number 8. “Well, I suppose yah there is only one thing left to do.” You stated as you got into a weird stance with my phone in my pocket. It was already connected to the team speaker as i was the designated DJ. You then slapped on some “Tell me ma” and did a classic Ruesha jig across the circle the team was standing in. Everyone knew Ruesha was famous for her jig, so naturally that was the easiest way to resemble her.

Everyone including Ruesha was laughing hysterically, almost practically crying. Well, everyone excluding McCabe. She looked furious, but you gave no flying fuck as you went towards her and jigged around her in a circle as she tried to stumble you. “ yah have to work harder then that” you sang as you skipped over her legs. You then giggled your way over to Ruesha as you pulled her jersey of yourself mid jig, showcasing your visibly toned arms and six pack. You did a last high kick and spun around going out in an extravagant pose as you held the jersey out to Ruesha. She was now hysterically laughing and her eyes were watering, some of the girls were even laying on the ground laughing. “Alright alright, miss comedian over there, let’s practice now shall we.” The coach said as she too dried off her eyes after your little show.

“Yah mad woman” Ruesha stated as she was still trying to compose herself. You waited for your jersey but it became clear as day that you weren’t going to get it anytime soon. “I know you love a good view, Ruesh.” You smirked. Instead you warmed up without the jersey as we ran across the field and did our static stretching. Eventually, you put her shirt back on as it was boiling and you didn’t feel too excited to be burned by the sun. You caught Ruesha looking on more than one occasion, and honestly you didn’t mind.

As warm up was getting close to being over you could see Ruesha visibly struggling with her focus as she kept losing the ball. You went over to her as she whacked the ball in the ground. “Aye, ruesh, what did that poor ball do to you?” You exclaimed as you catched the ball before it bounced away to never land. “I can’t focus, I keep thinking about things I shouldnt think about, and then I drop it.” She complained as you listened carefully. “Alright” you said, “let’s try to use this to your advantage. Use all that negative energy to work your hardest. Use it to proving why you are going to be the one on the starting roster.” You said as you dropped the ball down and kicked it up high to her. “Leave it all on the field, love”. She nodded and catched the ball as she started tricking it.

“Yeees, Ruesh!!!” You cheered as she kept tapping the ball showing her incredible ability to control the ball like no other. As she dropped the ball, you nudged her. “You are totally gonna get your spot in the roster. Believe me babe.” You winked as you continued practicing.

[faithhopeloveandtherapy]

The emergency 1yo placement went home to his carers yesterday. He was a delight but I’m very happy to have my child free life back for a while. The first few days of having him, I was not really feeling it, but by day four I was back in the swing of baby life and I’d figured out which groups we could go to to keep ourselves entertained. I took him swimming on Friday which was fun.

Saturday afternoon, H and I and four friends went out for bottomless brunch. We had such fun, drank far too much prosecco and cocktails. I am officially the biggest lightweight of us all, as we all drank the same number of rounds of drinks, yet everyone else was far more functional than me by the end. I came home and fell asleep on the sofa for four hours. Then I had horrible alcohol-induced vertigo a few hours later when I went to bed. And all day today I have not felt at my best and the thought of any more alcohol makes me feel ill. I had such a fun time but I’m not sure it’s really worth it to wipe out my entire weekend! Perhaps I should have just stopped a few Proseccos earlier.

Despite the bleary head, I took myself out for a 6 mile run at lunchtime. My half marathon training has officially started. I’m using a Garmin coach plan and I’m in week 2 now. When I got home I did some yoga for my back. We ate loads of carbs and not a lot else yesterday - bottomless brunch is only bottomless on the drinks, and there never seems quite enough food to soak it all up - so today I decided we need to eat something more balanced and nutritious. I roasted up a mountain of vegetables (carrots, peppers, mushrooms, kale and spinach) and mixed them with couscous and topped it all with a tahini dressing. Such a rainbow feast. I’ve eaten two enormous bowls and feel very satisfied. Hopefully I’ll wake up tomorrow morning with a clear head and fresh motivation ready for the week.

[digitaldetoxworld]

The Best Smartwatches for Fitness in 2024

 Smartwatches have become quintessential equipment for health fans, supplying a mixture of convenience, functionality, and current technology to monitor health and fitness metrics. Smartwatches can beautify your fitness journey from monitoring coronary heart rate to guiding workout routines or even monitoring sleep. Here’s an in-depth guide to the great health-focused smartwatches to be had nowadays.

Best Smart Watches For Fitness 

Apple Watch Series 9: Best Overall Fitness Smartwatch

The Apple Watch Series 9 continues to dominate the health smartwatch category with its seamless integration of fitness and lifestyle features.

Key Features:

Advanced Health Tracking: Continuous heart rate monitoring, ECG abilities, and blood oxygen degree tracking.

Workout Modes: Over 100 workout modes, which include jogging, cycling, swimming, and yoga.

Precision Tracking: The twin-frequency GPS guarantees correct direction tracking for outside activities.

Seamless Integration: Pairs perfectly with Apple’s Fitness+ provider, presenting guided exercises with real-time metrics displayed on your watch.

Why It’s Great

The Apple Watch Series Nine isn’t pretty much healthy; it’s a properly-rounded smartwatch with a top-class design, vibrant display, and smart assistant integration. It’s first-rate acceptable for iPhone users who want a combination of health monitoring and everyday functionality.

Garmin Forerunner 265: Best for Runners

Garmin is synonymous with health monitoring, and the Forerunner 265 exemplifies why it’s a fave among athletes, specifically runners.

Key Features:

Performance Metrics: Tracks VO2 max, cadence, stride period, and healing time.

Training Insights: Offers personalized workout guidelines and education plans based on your fitness desires.

Battery Life: Up to fifteen days in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode.

Durability: Designed to withstand rigorous outdoor conditions with water resistance as much as 50 meters.

Why It’s Great:

The Forerunner 265 is perfect for runners who need certain metrics and robust tracking abilities. It’s also compatible with third-birthday party apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks, making it a versatile desire for serious athletes.

Fitbit Sense 2: Best for Holistic Health Tracking

Fitbit has continually been a leader in health-focused wearables, and the Sense 2 is their maximum superior presentation yet.

Key Features:

Stress Management: An EDA sensor measures strain ranges and offers guided respiratory sports.

Health Metrics Dashboard: Tracks coronary heart price variability, skin temperature, and oxygen saturation.

Sleep Tracking: Provides specified insights into sleep ranges and offers a Sleep Score.

Long Battery Life: Lasts up to six days on a single charge.

Why It’s Great:

The Fitbit Sense 2 is right for folks who want to be aware of average fitness and health as opposed to simply fitness. Its intuitive interface and specific insights make it a fantastic associate for beginners and fitness enthusiasts alike.

Samsung Galaxy Watch6: Best for Android Users

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 moves stability between fashion, fitness, and technology, making it a top choice for Android users.

Key Features:

Comprehensive Fitness Tracking: Includes heart charge tracking, body composition evaluation, and automated workout detection.

Enhanced Sleep Coaching: Provides personalized insights and guidelines to enhance sleep first-rate.

Durable Design: Features Gorilla Glass DX and a waterproof construct.

Smart Integration: Works seamlessly with Android phones and integrates with Samsung Health.

Why It’s Great:

The Galaxy Watch6 gives a sleek design with sturdy health monitoring functions. It’s especially properly-suited for Android customers looking for an all-in-one smartwatch.

Polar Grit X Pro: Best for Outdoor Adventurers

The Polar Grit X Pro is designed for outdoor fanatics who want a rugged and dependable smartwatch.

Key Features:

Navigation Tools: Offers turn-by using turn steering, altitude tracking, and direction planning.

Military-Grade Durability: Resistant to excessive temperatures, humidity, and drops.

Outdoor-Specific Metrics: Tracks hill splits, strength expenditure, and weather situations.

Long Battery Life: Up to 40 hours in GPS mode and 7 days in ordinary use.

Why It’s Great:

For hikers, climbers, and adventurers, the Polar Grit X Pro is a dependable accomplice that provides all the information you need in hard environments.

WHOOP four.Zero: Best for Recovery and Performance Optimization

WHOOP takes a completely unique technique to fitness tracking by specializing in restoration and performance instead of interest monitoring.

Key Features:

Recovery Metrics: Analyzes sleep, heart rate variability, and pressure to provide daily readiness scores.

24/7 Wearable: Lightweight layout and not using a display, that specializes in information over distractions.

Monthly Subscription: Includes access to WHOOP’s detailed analytics and community challenges.

Why It’s Great:

The WHOOP four. Zero is good for athletes and health fanatics who prioritize healing and overall performance. Its unique subscription version ensures access to particular insights and a supportive community.

Coros Pace three: Best Budget Option for Athletes

Coros has quick turn out to be a favorite amongst athletes for presenting superb health trackers at competitive prices.

Key Features:

Advanced Metrics: Tracks strolling energy, cadence, stride, and recuperation.

GPS Accuracy: Features multi-band GPS for particular tracking.

Battery Life: Lasts up to 24 days in ordinary mode and 38 hours in GPS mode.

Lightweight Design: Comfortable to wear during long workouts.

Why It’s Great:

The Coros Pace 3 is a splendid finances-friendly alternative for runners and athletes who need superior metrics with out breaking the financial institution.

Amazfit Bip 5: Best for Beginners

The Amazfit Bip Five combines affordability with essential health-tracking capabilities, making it an exquisite choice for novices.

Key Features:

Basic Tracking: Tracks steps, coronary heart charge, and sleep.

GPS Integration: Offers built-in GPS for outside sports.

Battery Life: Provides up to 10 days of use on a single rate.

Lightweight Design: Comfortable and easy to wear all day.

Why It’s Great:

For the ones new to fitness monitoring, the Amazfit Bip five is an first-rate start line. It’s less expensive, consumer-pleasant, and offers all of the fundamentals to kickstart a health journey.

Suunto nine Peak Pro: Best for Endurance Athletes

The Suunto 9 Peak Pro is designed with endurance athletes in mind, providing lengthy battery lifestyles and specific performance metrics.

Key Features:

Exceptional Battery Life: Up to a hundred and seventy hours in GPS mode.

Performance Metrics: Tracks coronary heart fee, altitude, and weather adjustments.

Rugged Design: Water-resistant up to a hundred meters with a swish yet durable build.

Training Tools: Offers personalized training guidance and development tracking.

Why It’s Great:

For triathletes, cyclists, and marathon runners, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro provides the durability and precision needed for long, grueling sessions.

 Huawei Watch GT 4: Best Stylish Fitness Watch

The Huawei Watch GT 4 combines a fashion-ahead layout with complete health monitoring.

Key Features:

Health Monitoring: Tracks heart charge, SpO2, and strain ranges.

Activity Modes: Includes 100+ exercising modes, from conventional sports activities to recreational sports.

Battery Life: Lasts up to 14 days on a single fee.

Elegant Design: Features a premium end with customizable watch faces.

Why It’s Great:

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is best for folks who want a health tracker that doesn’t compromise on fashion. It’s specifically applicable to casual customers who price aesthetics and functionality.

[womansfilm]

We need more older lesbian representation in the garmin watch 5k training plan coach options

[liesmyth]

OH I love talking about running plans! @halosudne you've Unlocked a Special Interest, I'm afraid.

Current schedule

My current base building schedule is very chill. Mostly easy pace, not many workouts, fully allowing myself to take as many walking breaks as needed. I try to run 5 times a week, though I don't stress if I have to make it 4. My long runs went from 40% of total weekly mileage (back when I was doing, like, 15k to 20k a week) to 30% now that I’m running more.

For example, this week it’s like:

DAY 1 — 7 km easy run (If I can’t sing along to my playlist I’m going too fast) DAY 2 — Workout. 10 min @ tempo pace, 6 km total (1.5 km warmup, 10 min @ tempo pace, easy pace cooldown) DAY 3 — 9 km easy run  (If I can’t sing along to my playlist I’m going too fast) DAY 4 — 6 km easy, including strides (5K easy pace followed by 6x100m strides — short bursts of accelerations until you’re nearly out of breath, hold that pace, gradually slow down. Jog or walk until your breath is even, repeat. Cooldown jog at the end) DAY 5 — Long run, 13 km (Start @ recovery pace; I go by heartrate and vibes. Then gradually increase pace through the run, end up at a slightly faster than easy pace. Just a bit winded.)

This all adds up to 41 / 42 km. Next week I’m aiming for 46-ish, the week after 48 to 50, and then I should be plan ready.

My upcoming plan

I’m base building for the Pete Pfitzinger HM plan level 1. I’ve already done a few of his plans, including the HM level 2 plan, but I would NOT recommend them because they’re so mileage-heavy and pretty tough. Just the level 1 half marathon plan starts at 50 km/week, and peaks at 76 km (31 mpw to 47 mpw, if you believe in freedom). It can be a lot!

However, I DO recommend reading his book if you are interested in the science behind running training plans, because he really lays it out in a very accessible way, and explains the rationale behind his training plans and how to tweak them for any necessities. He also has base training plans that really worked for me.

I have a spreadsheet and everything from the last time I did one of his plans, lol, and my schedule will look a bit like this. As I said... it can be A LOT.

Various plan recs

If you like something lower volume, I recommend the Hal Higdon plans! They’re staples for a reason. Once again, though, I recommend 1) reading the book if you can swing it OR 2) look for information about the plans (r/running is a treasure trove for that!) just so you’re familiar enough with the logic behind the programming to be able to change whatever you need if you miss a few runs or have to scale it down or up.

BAA (the Boston Athletic Association) have a wealth of training plans free on their website.

Also, I trained for my first race ever following the “Garmin Coach” adaptive plan on my Garmin smartwatch – I know this is a long shot BUT if you happen to own a Garmin I really recommend the adaptive plans if you’re struggling to build mileage. The programming changes week by week depending on how you’re proceeding and it’s a neat feature

Time goals etc

I have no idea what kind of time to aim for for my HM, mostly because I really haven’t run seriously for a while so I have no idea what my running fitness baseline is right now. Next week I’m doing a lactate threshold field test to help me figure out where I’m at. I like to do all my easy runs and recovery runs based on heart rate AND my workouts based on goal speed, so that’s a cool data point to have! 

How it works: it’s a time trial run — 20 minutes warmup, then 30 minutes ALL OUT EFFORT RUN. No goal pace, just run at max sustainable effort for those 30 minutes, then cool down for as long as you need. 

It’s a low-tech, no-throwing-up needed alternative to any “max HR” kinda field test, and it’s useful (TO ME) to determine what effort / intensity / time goal I can expect to aim for during my next training cycle. I’ll report back on how that goes :D

(Here’s a more detailed guide, just ignore the part about how you need a chest strap because I respectfully disagree). 

[datastringconsulting]

India, Brazil, and South Korea: The New Frontiers for Home Fitness Equipment Market Players

India, Brazil, and South Korea are the fastest growing demand hubs within the $12.9 billion Home Fitness Equipment market and expected to grow with a CAGR range of 6.1% and 8.7% for the period of 2024 to 2030. Cardio equipment and strength training equipment are major application areas for Home Fitness Equipment and market competition is fierce in these applications. Home workouts can be enhanced with the use of weights and resistance bands along with strength machines. Companies like Bowflex and Rogue Fitness are leaders in this area.

Leading players in such as Peloton, Bowflex, NordicTrack, Rogue Fitness, Fitbit, Garmin, Lululemon, Decathlon, ProForm, Echelon, Technogym and Schwinn are pushing the boundaries of innovation and forging strategic partnerships to capture larger market share.

Check detailed insights here - https://datastringconsulting.com/industry-analysis/home-fitness-equipment-market-research-report

Smart workout gear that offers coaching is increasingly common, in modern home fitness setups.

Global & Regional Analysis

As per research study, Home Fitness Equipment is expected to rise to $33.6 billion by 2035 from $12.9 billion of 2023 with a CAGR of 8.3%. The market for connected home fitness equipment is surging due, to the increasing demand fueled by cutting edge technology and wellness trends.

About DataString Consulting

DataString Consulting assist companies in strategy formulations & roadmap creation including TAM expansion, revenue diversification strategies and venturing into new markets; by offering in depth insights into developing trends and competitor landscapes as well as customer demographics. Our customized & direct strategies, filters industry noises into new opportunities; and reduces the effective connect time between products and its market niche.

DataString Consulting is a professional market research company which aims at providing all the market & business research solutions under one roof. Get the right insights for your goals with our unique approach to market research and precisely tailored solutions. We offer services in strategy consulting, comprehensive opportunity assessment across various sectors, and solution-oriented approaches to solve business problems.​

[ilovewearables]

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your First Smartwatch in 2025

Smartwatches have evolved from simple notification devices to sophisticated health monitors and lifestyle companions.

There are several types of smartwatches available today: traditional smartwatches focused on communication and apps, fitness watches designed for athletes and health enthusiasts, hybrid watches that blends analog style with smart features, and fashion-forward smartwatches that prioritize customization and aesthetics.

With the market flooded with options across these categories, choosing your first smartwatch can be overwhelming.

This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the features, ecosystems, and considerations to find the perfect smartwatch for your needs.

Understanding Smartwatch Ecosystems

Apple Watch Ecosystem

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 represent the pinnacle of smartwatch technology for iOS users. The seamless integration with iPhone provides unparalleled functionality:

Advanced health monitoring (ECG, blood oxygen, temperature)

Comprehensive fitness tracking with Apple Fitness+

Extensive third-party app support

Emergency features (Fall detection, Crash detection)

Premium build quality and water resistance

Price range: $399-$999

However, the Apple Watch ecosystem requires an iPhone and has relatively short battery life (18-36 hours).

Android Ecosystem

Samsung's Galaxy Watch 6 series and Google's Pixel Watch 2 lead the Android smartwatch market:

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6:

Wear OS integration with Google services

Advanced sleep tracking

Bioelectrical impedance analysis

Battery life: 40 hours

Price range: $299-$449

Google Pixel Watch 2:

Clean, stock Wear OS experience

Fitbit integration

AI-powered features

Battery life: 24 hours

Price: $349

Fitness-First Ecosystem

Garmin and Fitbit focus on health and fitness enthusiasts:

Garmin:

Extended battery life (5-14 days)

Superior GPS accuracy

Advanced training metrics

Robust build quality

Price range: $349-$999

Fitbit:

User-friendly interface

Comprehensive sleep analysis

Community features

Affordable options

Price range: $179-$299

Essential Features to Consider

Health Monitoring

Modern smartwatches offer sophisticated health tracking:

Heart rate monitoring

ECG capabilities

Blood oxygen measurement

Sleep tracking

Stress monitoring

Temperature sensing

Menstrual cycle tracking

Fitness Tracking

Core fitness features include:

GPS tracking

Multiple sport modes

Automatic workout detection

Recovery metrics

Personalized coaching

Competition features

Smart Features

Consider these connectivity options:

Notification management

Voice assistant integration

Mobile payments

Music storage and control

Cellular connectivity

Third-party app support

Battery Life and Charging

Battery considerations vary by use case:

Daily charging (Apple, Google)

Multi-day use (Samsung, Fitbit)

Extended use (Garmin)

Charging speed

Wireless charging support

Making Your Decision: A Step-by-Step Approach

Step 1: Define Your Primary Use Case

Identify your main reason for wanting a smartwatch:

Health monitoring

Fitness tracking

Communication

Fashion accessory

Professional tool

Step 2: Consider Your Phone Compatibility

iPhone users: Apple Watch is optimal

Android users: Samsung, Google, or other Wear OS options

Platform-agnostic: Garmin, Fitbit

Step 3: Evaluate Your Budget

Segment your options by price range:

Entry-level ($179-$299)

Mid-range ($299-$499)

Premium ($499-$999)

Step 4: Assess Battery Requirements

Consider your charging habits:

Daily charging acceptable

Multi-day requirement

Extended battery crucial

Step 5: Compare Essential Features

Create a must-have feature list:

Health monitoring needs

Fitness tracking requirements

Smart features

Design preferences

Water resistance

2025 Top Recommendations

Best Overall

Apple Watch Series 9

Perfect for iPhone users

Comprehensive health features

Extensive app ecosystem

Premium build quality

Regular software updates

Best for Android

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Excellent Wear OS implementation

Comprehensive health tracking

Good battery life

Competitive pricing

Strong app support

Best for Athletes

Garmin Forerunner 965

Outstanding battery life

Superior GPS accuracy

Advanced training metrics

Durable construction

Platform-agnostic

Best Budget Option

Amazfit GTR 4

Affordable price point

Good battery life

Basic health tracking

Attractive design

Platform-agnostic

Maintenance and Care

Software Management

Keep your watch updated

Regular app maintenance

Backup important data

Optimize settings

Physical Care

Regular cleaning

Screen protection

Water exposure guidelines

Battery optimization

Long-term Considerations

Battery degradation

Software support timeline

Upgrade path

Resale value

Future Trends

The smartwatch industry continues to evolve:

Advanced health sensors

Improved battery technology

Enhanced AI integration

Sustainable materials

Extended software support

Conclusion

Choosing your first smartwatch requires careful consideration of your needs, ecosystem preferences, and budget. Focus on:

Compatibility with your current devices

Essential features for your lifestyle

Long-term value and support

Comfort and usability

Remember that the best smartwatch is one that seamlessly integrates into your daily routine while providing the features you'll actually use.

So, take time to research and, if possible, try different models before making your final decision.

[exitrowiron]

Riding two abreast on a road with traffic is the bicycling equivalent of reclining your seat in coach on an airplane. It isn't (usually) illegal, but it is inconsiderate. In the case of biking however, you aren't just irritating another passenger, you're irritating the driver of 2-4,000 lb hunk of 50 mph metal.

During my cross country ride several bikers insisted on riding two abreast or solo in the middle of the lane. A few riders had the Garmin rear radar and would ride two abreast until the car got close and then move to the right. I refused to ride with them because in each case the driver became irritated or anxious or both. In my experience irritated, anxious people lose self awareness and make poor decisions - a bad combo when driving the giant pick up trucks which are common where I live. If you haven't noticed this kind of behavior, I encourage you to spend a few hours at an airport.

The roads near me are all chip-sealed which creates dangerous conditions on the narrow shoulders. The best riding surface is where the cars' right wheel travels the lane. I split the difference by riding the paint.

(Ignore the timestamp, this is Saturday's ride.)

[cleverhottubmiracle]

The best fitness trackers have a very simple purpose of keeping you pacing towards your health goals. Depending on the person, those objectives can range from improving your sleep regimen, getting your daily steps in, or hitting peak Schwarzenegger-level physique. The latest class of fitness trackers have advanced way beyond your grandma's OG Walk-A-Matic. Sure, these wearables will count your steps, but now they'll also give you a pretty good estimate of how many calories you burned, the amount of flights you've scaled, and even your walking asymmetry (a pretty neat stat that tells you how your legs differ during your walks). All of this data comes together inside these fairly tiny devices to let you know just how well you're doing health-wise. They'll even help you make better, smarter life choices to live longer, better lives.The crowded wearables marketplace can make it really tough to figure which are truly the best fitness trackers, though, especially since each new model seems to pack in more features than the last (do you really need to know you blood oxygen saturation levels?). But we've used our intel on the market, findings from our own testing and previous reporting, plus winners from GQ Fitness Awards of the past to pad out these recommendations. Sound good to you? Here are the best fitness trackers to get you back on, ahem, track.The Best Fitness Trackers, at a GlanceLooking for Something Specific?AccordionItemContainerButtonThe Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 sits nicely between the low-budget fitness trackers and the wildly expensive super computers that are sized like a watch. The 245 is a lightweight, workout-ready fitness tracker for basically everyone. It boasts an impressive battery life—up to seven days—and even with the GPS running, it'll go on for up to 24 hours. On the daily, you can get exercise programs tailored to you, and if you have a real-life coach, they can even sync their custom workouts to your device so it's like your trainer is with you IRL.Runners we've interviewed in the past love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel. And anyone who's training for a marathon or race can appreciate the 245's training status monitor, which ensures you're not overdoing it on activities, and the recovery time advisor that cautions you to ease up before tackling another big sweat session. For those who prefer to run without their phone on hand, the GPS will let you stay on the radar without the added baggage of a device.The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist. It's not as beefy or jam-packed as our top pick, the Forerunner 245, but it does feature a surprisingly robust fitness tracking library for such a compact device. A lot of the greatest gimmicks are locked behind a membership ($10 per month) which is free for the first six months with your purchase, like a daily readiness reading—which tracks your sleep, heart rate, and previous workouts to determine your preparedness for a workout today—and a stress management setting to help you better manage that tension you feel coursing through your body.The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2As we noted before in last year's Fitness Awards, the Epix 2 is the “Cadillac Eldorado of dedicated sports watches.” This luxury wearable offers a wealth of tracking capabilities—like stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration—as well as sport modes for specific activities like hiking and even pickleball. Big golf guy? The Epix 2 loads CourseView maps for over 42,000 golf courses to help you get on par. It also provides some of the most accurate GPS positioning among any other wearable, making for a perfect companion on trail runs even in the middle of nowhere. The sun's glare is no match for the stunning screen, and the always-on display is crystal clear, especially with this extra-large, 47-millimeter display.The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch UltraApple's been in the wearables game for a minute now, but last year's Watch Ultra launch was the biggest release for the category in a hot minute. As Alan Dye—vice president of human interface design—previously told us, the Apple Watch Ultra is "purpose-built for adventure." The redesigned dual-frequency GPS offers some super-precise positioning, while a Backtrack feature helps you retrace your steps even in the most remote locations (and in case you forgot to alert your loved ones where you were headed).The biggest addition to the Apple Watch Ultra is the action button, placed under the crown, which you customize to control the feature you use the most from the watch. And for those less-than-ideal SOS situations, the action button can be used to activate an emergency siren that's loud enough to be heard from as far as 600 feet. It doesn't have the most long-lasting battery, but it is an improvement on non-Ultra watches and lasts long enough to endure a grueling Ironman.The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)A wearable you don't wear on your wrist?! The Oura ring, on its third generation, brings back all of the health tracking we loved before—activity (and inactivity levels), sleep habits, and recovery time—with the addition of a “readiness score," which is sort of like the Fitbit Charge 5 in that it alerts you of your overall body status each morning. The longer you wear the Oura ring, the better it'll get at telling you how to get the most out of your sleep, from when you should start winding down—i.e. wrap up your social media doom-scrolling—and alert you to any sleep disturbances from breathing you might have experienced. Also, the Oura ring just looks so damn good. Its sleek design (whose fashion bona fides have been paved by a collaboration with Gucci) is a far cry from the highly rugged wearables we've come to know and love, but it still does a damn good job on the tech side.The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SEEver since Apple released “SE” versions of its flagship products, we've been loving these more affordable options for those who want the basics but maybe not all the bells and whistles. It has the usual tracking features for stuff like heart rate and noise levels, and for those who just want to make sure they're not a couch potato all day long, the idea of creating “rings” of exercise you complete make it somewhat of a game to stand up, stretch, and flail around to get those bursts of movement in. Source link

[norajworld]

The best fitness trackers have a very simple purpose of keeping you pacing towards your health goals. Depending on the person, those objectives can range from improving your sleep regimen, getting your daily steps in, or hitting peak Schwarzenegger-level physique. The latest class of fitness trackers have advanced way beyond your grandma's OG Walk-A-Matic. Sure, these wearables will count your steps, but now they'll also give you a pretty good estimate of how many calories you burned, the amount of flights you've scaled, and even your walking asymmetry (a pretty neat stat that tells you how your legs differ during your walks). All of this data comes together inside these fairly tiny devices to let you know just how well you're doing health-wise. They'll even help you make better, smarter life choices to live longer, better lives.The crowded wearables marketplace can make it really tough to figure which are truly the best fitness trackers, though, especially since each new model seems to pack in more features than the last (do you really need to know you blood oxygen saturation levels?). But we've used our intel on the market, findings from our own testing and previous reporting, plus winners from GQ Fitness Awards of the past to pad out these recommendations. Sound good to you? Here are the best fitness trackers to get you back on, ahem, track.The Best Fitness Trackers, at a GlanceLooking for Something Specific?AccordionItemContainerButtonThe Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 sits nicely between the low-budget fitness trackers and the wildly expensive super computers that are sized like a watch. The 245 is a lightweight, workout-ready fitness tracker for basically everyone. It boasts an impressive battery life—up to seven days—and even with the GPS running, it'll go on for up to 24 hours. On the daily, you can get exercise programs tailored to you, and if you have a real-life coach, they can even sync their custom workouts to your device so it's like your trainer is with you IRL.Runners we've interviewed in the past love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel. And anyone who's training for a marathon or race can appreciate the 245's training status monitor, which ensures you're not overdoing it on activities, and the recovery time advisor that cautions you to ease up before tackling another big sweat session. For those who prefer to run without their phone on hand, the GPS will let you stay on the radar without the added baggage of a device.The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist. It's not as beefy or jam-packed as our top pick, the Forerunner 245, but it does feature a surprisingly robust fitness tracking library for such a compact device. A lot of the greatest gimmicks are locked behind a membership ($10 per month) which is free for the first six months with your purchase, like a daily readiness reading—which tracks your sleep, heart rate, and previous workouts to determine your preparedness for a workout today—and a stress management setting to help you better manage that tension you feel coursing through your body.The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2As we noted before in last year's Fitness Awards, the Epix 2 is the “Cadillac Eldorado of dedicated sports watches.” This luxury wearable offers a wealth of tracking capabilities—like stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration—as well as sport modes for specific activities like hiking and even pickleball. Big golf guy? The Epix 2 loads CourseView maps for over 42,000 golf courses to help you get on par. It also provides some of the most accurate GPS positioning among any other wearable, making for a perfect companion on trail runs even in the middle of nowhere. The sun's glare is no match for the stunning screen, and the always-on display is crystal clear, especially with this extra-large, 47-millimeter display.The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch UltraApple's been in the wearables game for a minute now, but last year's Watch Ultra launch was the biggest release for the category in a hot minute. As Alan Dye—vice president of human interface design—previously told us, the Apple Watch Ultra is "purpose-built for adventure." The redesigned dual-frequency GPS offers some super-precise positioning, while a Backtrack feature helps you retrace your steps even in the most remote locations (and in case you forgot to alert your loved ones where you were headed).The biggest addition to the Apple Watch Ultra is the action button, placed under the crown, which you customize to control the feature you use the most from the watch. And for those less-than-ideal SOS situations, the action button can be used to activate an emergency siren that's loud enough to be heard from as far as 600 feet. It doesn't have the most long-lasting battery, but it is an improvement on non-Ultra watches and lasts long enough to endure a grueling Ironman.The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)A wearable you don't wear on your wrist?! The Oura ring, on its third generation, brings back all of the health tracking we loved before—activity (and inactivity levels), sleep habits, and recovery time—with the addition of a “readiness score," which is sort of like the Fitbit Charge 5 in that it alerts you of your overall body status each morning. The longer you wear the Oura ring, the better it'll get at telling you how to get the most out of your sleep, from when you should start winding down—i.e. wrap up your social media doom-scrolling—and alert you to any sleep disturbances from breathing you might have experienced. Also, the Oura ring just looks so damn good. Its sleek design (whose fashion bona fides have been paved by a collaboration with Gucci) is a far cry from the highly rugged wearables we've come to know and love, but it still does a damn good job on the tech side.The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SEEver since Apple released “SE” versions of its flagship products, we've been loving these more affordable options for those who want the basics but maybe not all the bells and whistles. It has the usual tracking features for stuff like heart rate and noise levels, and for those who just want to make sure they're not a couch potato all day long, the idea of creating “rings” of exercise you complete make it somewhat of a game to stand up, stretch, and flail around to get those bursts of movement in. Source link

[ellajme0]

The best fitness trackers have a very simple purpose of keeping you pacing towards your health goals. Depending on the person, those objectives can range from improving your sleep regimen, getting your daily steps in, or hitting peak Schwarzenegger-level physique. The latest class of fitness trackers have advanced way beyond your grandma's OG Walk-A-Matic. Sure, these wearables will count your steps, but now they'll also give you a pretty good estimate of how many calories you burned, the amount of flights you've scaled, and even your walking asymmetry (a pretty neat stat that tells you how your legs differ during your walks). All of this data comes together inside these fairly tiny devices to let you know just how well you're doing health-wise. They'll even help you make better, smarter life choices to live longer, better lives.The crowded wearables marketplace can make it really tough to figure which are truly the best fitness trackers, though, especially since each new model seems to pack in more features than the last (do you really need to know you blood oxygen saturation levels?). But we've used our intel on the market, findings from our own testing and previous reporting, plus winners from GQ Fitness Awards of the past to pad out these recommendations. Sound good to you? Here are the best fitness trackers to get you back on, ahem, track.The Best Fitness Trackers, at a GlanceLooking for Something Specific?AccordionItemContainerButtonThe Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 sits nicely between the low-budget fitness trackers and the wildly expensive super computers that are sized like a watch. The 245 is a lightweight, workout-ready fitness tracker for basically everyone. It boasts an impressive battery life—up to seven days—and even with the GPS running, it'll go on for up to 24 hours. On the daily, you can get exercise programs tailored to you, and if you have a real-life coach, they can even sync their custom workouts to your device so it's like your trainer is with you IRL.Runners we've interviewed in the past love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel. And anyone who's training for a marathon or race can appreciate the 245's training status monitor, which ensures you're not overdoing it on activities, and the recovery time advisor that cautions you to ease up before tackling another big sweat session. For those who prefer to run without their phone on hand, the GPS will let you stay on the radar without the added baggage of a device.The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist. It's not as beefy or jam-packed as our top pick, the Forerunner 245, but it does feature a surprisingly robust fitness tracking library for such a compact device. A lot of the greatest gimmicks are locked behind a membership ($10 per month) which is free for the first six months with your purchase, like a daily readiness reading—which tracks your sleep, heart rate, and previous workouts to determine your preparedness for a workout today—and a stress management setting to help you better manage that tension you feel coursing through your body.The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2As we noted before in last year's Fitness Awards, the Epix 2 is the “Cadillac Eldorado of dedicated sports watches.” This luxury wearable offers a wealth of tracking capabilities—like stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration—as well as sport modes for specific activities like hiking and even pickleball. Big golf guy? The Epix 2 loads CourseView maps for over 42,000 golf courses to help you get on par. It also provides some of the most accurate GPS positioning among any other wearable, making for a perfect companion on trail runs even in the middle of nowhere. The sun's glare is no match for the stunning screen, and the always-on display is crystal clear, especially with this extra-large, 47-millimeter display.The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch UltraApple's been in the wearables game for a minute now, but last year's Watch Ultra launch was the biggest release for the category in a hot minute. As Alan Dye—vice president of human interface design—previously told us, the Apple Watch Ultra is "purpose-built for adventure." The redesigned dual-frequency GPS offers some super-precise positioning, while a Backtrack feature helps you retrace your steps even in the most remote locations (and in case you forgot to alert your loved ones where you were headed).The biggest addition to the Apple Watch Ultra is the action button, placed under the crown, which you customize to control the feature you use the most from the watch. And for those less-than-ideal SOS situations, the action button can be used to activate an emergency siren that's loud enough to be heard from as far as 600 feet. It doesn't have the most long-lasting battery, but it is an improvement on non-Ultra watches and lasts long enough to endure a grueling Ironman.The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)A wearable you don't wear on your wrist?! The Oura ring, on its third generation, brings back all of the health tracking we loved before—activity (and inactivity levels), sleep habits, and recovery time—with the addition of a “readiness score," which is sort of like the Fitbit Charge 5 in that it alerts you of your overall body status each morning. The longer you wear the Oura ring, the better it'll get at telling you how to get the most out of your sleep, from when you should start winding down—i.e. wrap up your social media doom-scrolling—and alert you to any sleep disturbances from breathing you might have experienced. Also, the Oura ring just looks so damn good. Its sleek design (whose fashion bona fides have been paved by a collaboration with Gucci) is a far cry from the highly rugged wearables we've come to know and love, but it still does a damn good job on the tech side.The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SEEver since Apple released “SE” versions of its flagship products, we've been loving these more affordable options for those who want the basics but maybe not all the bells and whistles. It has the usual tracking features for stuff like heart rate and noise levels, and for those who just want to make sure they're not a couch potato all day long, the idea of creating “rings” of exercise you complete make it somewhat of a game to stand up, stretch, and flail around to get those bursts of movement in. Source link

[chilimili212]

The best fitness trackers have a very simple purpose of keeping you pacing towards your health goals. Depending on the person, those objectives can range from improving your sleep regimen, getting your daily steps in, or hitting peak Schwarzenegger-level physique. The latest class of fitness trackers have advanced way beyond your grandma's OG Walk-A-Matic. Sure, these wearables will count your steps, but now they'll also give you a pretty good estimate of how many calories you burned, the amount of flights you've scaled, and even your walking asymmetry (a pretty neat stat that tells you how your legs differ during your walks). All of this data comes together inside these fairly tiny devices to let you know just how well you're doing health-wise. They'll even help you make better, smarter life choices to live longer, better lives.The crowded wearables marketplace can make it really tough to figure which are truly the best fitness trackers, though, especially since each new model seems to pack in more features than the last (do you really need to know you blood oxygen saturation levels?). But we've used our intel on the market, findings from our own testing and previous reporting, plus winners from GQ Fitness Awards of the past to pad out these recommendations. Sound good to you? Here are the best fitness trackers to get you back on, ahem, track.The Best Fitness Trackers, at a GlanceLooking for Something Specific?AccordionItemContainerButtonThe Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 sits nicely between the low-budget fitness trackers and the wildly expensive super computers that are sized like a watch. The 245 is a lightweight, workout-ready fitness tracker for basically everyone. It boasts an impressive battery life—up to seven days—and even with the GPS running, it'll go on for up to 24 hours. On the daily, you can get exercise programs tailored to you, and if you have a real-life coach, they can even sync their custom workouts to your device so it's like your trainer is with you IRL.Runners we've interviewed in the past love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel. And anyone who's training for a marathon or race can appreciate the 245's training status monitor, which ensures you're not overdoing it on activities, and the recovery time advisor that cautions you to ease up before tackling another big sweat session. For those who prefer to run without their phone on hand, the GPS will let you stay on the radar without the added baggage of a device.The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist. It's not as beefy or jam-packed as our top pick, the Forerunner 245, but it does feature a surprisingly robust fitness tracking library for such a compact device. A lot of the greatest gimmicks are locked behind a membership ($10 per month) which is free for the first six months with your purchase, like a daily readiness reading—which tracks your sleep, heart rate, and previous workouts to determine your preparedness for a workout today—and a stress management setting to help you better manage that tension you feel coursing through your body.The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2As we noted before in last year's Fitness Awards, the Epix 2 is the “Cadillac Eldorado of dedicated sports watches.” This luxury wearable offers a wealth of tracking capabilities—like stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration—as well as sport modes for specific activities like hiking and even pickleball. Big golf guy? The Epix 2 loads CourseView maps for over 42,000 golf courses to help you get on par. It also provides some of the most accurate GPS positioning among any other wearable, making for a perfect companion on trail runs even in the middle of nowhere. The sun's glare is no match for the stunning screen, and the always-on display is crystal clear, especially with this extra-large, 47-millimeter display.The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch UltraApple's been in the wearables game for a minute now, but last year's Watch Ultra launch was the biggest release for the category in a hot minute. As Alan Dye—vice president of human interface design—previously told us, the Apple Watch Ultra is "purpose-built for adventure." The redesigned dual-frequency GPS offers some super-precise positioning, while a Backtrack feature helps you retrace your steps even in the most remote locations (and in case you forgot to alert your loved ones where you were headed).The biggest addition to the Apple Watch Ultra is the action button, placed under the crown, which you customize to control the feature you use the most from the watch. And for those less-than-ideal SOS situations, the action button can be used to activate an emergency siren that's loud enough to be heard from as far as 600 feet. It doesn't have the most long-lasting battery, but it is an improvement on non-Ultra watches and lasts long enough to endure a grueling Ironman.The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)A wearable you don't wear on your wrist?! The Oura ring, on its third generation, brings back all of the health tracking we loved before—activity (and inactivity levels), sleep habits, and recovery time—with the addition of a “readiness score," which is sort of like the Fitbit Charge 5 in that it alerts you of your overall body status each morning. The longer you wear the Oura ring, the better it'll get at telling you how to get the most out of your sleep, from when you should start winding down—i.e. wrap up your social media doom-scrolling—and alert you to any sleep disturbances from breathing you might have experienced. Also, the Oura ring just looks so damn good. Its sleek design (whose fashion bona fides have been paved by a collaboration with Gucci) is a far cry from the highly rugged wearables we've come to know and love, but it still does a damn good job on the tech side.The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SEEver since Apple released “SE” versions of its flagship products, we've been loving these more affordable options for those who want the basics but maybe not all the bells and whistles. It has the usual tracking features for stuff like heart rate and noise levels, and for those who just want to make sure they're not a couch potato all day long, the idea of creating “rings” of exercise you complete make it somewhat of a game to stand up, stretch, and flail around to get those bursts of movement in. Source link

[oliviajoyice21]

The best fitness trackers have a very simple purpose of keeping you pacing towards your health goals. Depending on the person, those objectives can range from improving your sleep regimen, getting your daily steps in, or hitting peak Schwarzenegger-level physique. The latest class of fitness trackers have advanced way beyond your grandma's OG Walk-A-Matic. Sure, these wearables will count your steps, but now they'll also give you a pretty good estimate of how many calories you burned, the amount of flights you've scaled, and even your walking asymmetry (a pretty neat stat that tells you how your legs differ during your walks). All of this data comes together inside these fairly tiny devices to let you know just how well you're doing health-wise. They'll even help you make better, smarter life choices to live longer, better lives.The crowded wearables marketplace can make it really tough to figure which are truly the best fitness trackers, though, especially since each new model seems to pack in more features than the last (do you really need to know you blood oxygen saturation levels?). But we've used our intel on the market, findings from our own testing and previous reporting, plus winners from GQ Fitness Awards of the past to pad out these recommendations. Sound good to you? Here are the best fitness trackers to get you back on, ahem, track.The Best Fitness Trackers, at a GlanceLooking for Something Specific?AccordionItemContainerButtonThe Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 sits nicely between the low-budget fitness trackers and the wildly expensive super computers that are sized like a watch. The 245 is a lightweight, workout-ready fitness tracker for basically everyone. It boasts an impressive battery life—up to seven days—and even with the GPS running, it'll go on for up to 24 hours. On the daily, you can get exercise programs tailored to you, and if you have a real-life coach, they can even sync their custom workouts to your device so it's like your trainer is with you IRL.Runners we've interviewed in the past love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel. And anyone who's training for a marathon or race can appreciate the 245's training status monitor, which ensures you're not overdoing it on activities, and the recovery time advisor that cautions you to ease up before tackling another big sweat session. For those who prefer to run without their phone on hand, the GPS will let you stay on the radar without the added baggage of a device.The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist. It's not as beefy or jam-packed as our top pick, the Forerunner 245, but it does feature a surprisingly robust fitness tracking library for such a compact device. A lot of the greatest gimmicks are locked behind a membership ($10 per month) which is free for the first six months with your purchase, like a daily readiness reading—which tracks your sleep, heart rate, and previous workouts to determine your preparedness for a workout today—and a stress management setting to help you better manage that tension you feel coursing through your body.The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2As we noted before in last year's Fitness Awards, the Epix 2 is the “Cadillac Eldorado of dedicated sports watches.” This luxury wearable offers a wealth of tracking capabilities—like stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration—as well as sport modes for specific activities like hiking and even pickleball. Big golf guy? The Epix 2 loads CourseView maps for over 42,000 golf courses to help you get on par. It also provides some of the most accurate GPS positioning among any other wearable, making for a perfect companion on trail runs even in the middle of nowhere. The sun's glare is no match for the stunning screen, and the always-on display is crystal clear, especially with this extra-large, 47-millimeter display.The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch UltraApple's been in the wearables game for a minute now, but last year's Watch Ultra launch was the biggest release for the category in a hot minute. As Alan Dye—vice president of human interface design—previously told us, the Apple Watch Ultra is "purpose-built for adventure." The redesigned dual-frequency GPS offers some super-precise positioning, while a Backtrack feature helps you retrace your steps even in the most remote locations (and in case you forgot to alert your loved ones where you were headed).The biggest addition to the Apple Watch Ultra is the action button, placed under the crown, which you customize to control the feature you use the most from the watch. And for those less-than-ideal SOS situations, the action button can be used to activate an emergency siren that's loud enough to be heard from as far as 600 feet. It doesn't have the most long-lasting battery, but it is an improvement on non-Ultra watches and lasts long enough to endure a grueling Ironman.The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)A wearable you don't wear on your wrist?! The Oura ring, on its third generation, brings back all of the health tracking we loved before—activity (and inactivity levels), sleep habits, and recovery time—with the addition of a “readiness score," which is sort of like the Fitbit Charge 5 in that it alerts you of your overall body status each morning. The longer you wear the Oura ring, the better it'll get at telling you how to get the most out of your sleep, from when you should start winding down—i.e. wrap up your social media doom-scrolling—and alert you to any sleep disturbances from breathing you might have experienced. Also, the Oura ring just looks so damn good. Its sleek design (whose fashion bona fides have been paved by a collaboration with Gucci) is a far cry from the highly rugged wearables we've come to know and love, but it still does a damn good job on the tech side.The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SEEver since Apple released “SE” versions of its flagship products, we've been loving these more affordable options for those who want the basics but maybe not all the bells and whistles. It has the usual tracking features for stuff like heart rate and noise levels, and for those who just want to make sure they're not a couch potato all day long, the idea of creating “rings” of exercise you complete make it somewhat of a game to stand up, stretch, and flail around to get those bursts of movement in. Source link