Go go gadget

Posted on 2 September, 2017

Give your fitness a futuristic edge – here are our picks for the latest and greatest fitness gadgets to help you reach peak performance.

WELLNESS MONITORING

InBody 570 Scan: While the DEXA scans used
by athletes are available to the general public, the InBody Scan provides a more affordable, accessible version. It’s a comprehensive scan that reflect levels of muscle mass and fat mass, visceral fat and skeletal mass—leading to an accurate image of your weight loss or gain. There are machines available at locations across Canberra, including The Healthy Eating Hub.

Fitbit Flex 2: A reasonably priced fitness tracker, this revised edition of the classic has the added benefit of being waterproof. Like its predecessors, the Fitbit Flex 2 has all of the basic functions of a tracker compressed into a slim design.

Apple Watch Series 2: If you’re an Apple addict, the Apple Watch may be the kind of technology you won’t want to take off. Made with a
built-in GPS, water resistant to 50 metres and completed with an iridescent screen that you’ll be able to see in any light, the Apple Watch is a sound investment.

REST AND RECOVERY

Sense with Voice sleep system: Designed to give in-depth analysis of sleeping patterns, sense measures and provides recommendations for bedroom temperature, humidity, ambient light, noise and air quality. It also measures sleep time, number of times restless, and time spent in deep, medium and light sleep.

Fitbit Charge 2: Rapid developments in wearable technology have led to the conglomeration of functions into one small gadget which sits neatly on your wrist. Fitbits tend to be the best among these for people entering the fitness tracker world. The Fitbit Charge 2 is one of the more advanced models, and includes a sleep-tracker feature. It uses auto-detection to track sleep stages, so you don’t even need to remember to switch it on.

PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

Garmin Vivoactive HR: The prolific brand’s biggest all-rounder, this watch does it all—and not just in fitness tracking, either. Running, swimming, cycling, golf, cross-country skiing and indoor rowing are just a few of the sports it has specialised settings for.

Withings Steel HR: Deceptive in its appearance as an analogue watch, the Withings Steel has a lengthy repertoire. It tracks steps and calories burnt, monitors heart rate throughout the day, and tracks overall distance travelled.

Garmin Forerunner 235: Like most in its league the Forerunner has a swathe of functions, however, its standout feature is its sports tracking. It has running, indoor running, bike and general free-tracking settings, with comprehensive metrics available for each.

Smartphone apps: If you’re not yet willing to spend big money on a high-tech watch, or
you want a transition product before buying one, then a fitness tracking application on
your smartphone might be the solution.

Apps like Strava, Runtastic PRO and Cyclemeter are either free or very affordable and provide basic performance metrics.

This article originally appeared in Magazine: Future for Winter 2017, available for free while stocks last. Find out more about Magazine here.