Fit_Well_October_2017

GET A GADGET!

TOMTOM Spark 3 Cardio + Music £219.99, tomtom.com

TESTER Faye M Smith

I needed something to

track my 10,000 daily

step goal, while also

recording any additional

workouts and runs.

WHAT IS IT? Tracks steps and some

activities. It also monitors sleeping

patterns, measuring the amount

of time spent in light and

deep sleep. It will then sync

this data straight to your

smartphone (via the Health

Mate app) to give you a clear

view of your day’s, week’s or

month’s activities.

BEST BITS I love the fact that it

doesn’t look like an activity tracker, so

I wear it all the time. And it has a long

battery life, so doesn’t need charging.

DOWNSIDES It doesn’t register some

activities, such as cycling, so you have

to manually add them in. The app also

gives you access to other plans to follow,

such as a Pregnancy Tracker or Healthier

Heart programme, but you need

additional Nokia devices to work these,

so it could get rather pricey.

GET THE MOST FROM IT Download

the free Health Mate app and input all

your details. It may be slightly time-

consuming, but it will really help you

keep track of how your body is changing.

NOKIA Steel £119.95, health.nokia.com

FITBIT Alta HR £129.99, fitbit.com/uk

BEST

FOR

Everyday

tracking

BEST

FOR

Phone-free

running

BEST

FOR

Those who

like a little

motivation

TESTER Dale Walker

I wanted to test my

fitness and, being

desk-bound, how much

I move during the day.

WHAT IS IT? Tracks steps, activity,

heart rate and sleep patterns. It also

displays notifications and sends

reminders of when to move.

BEST BITS I got a bit fixated on the

sleep tracker (not sure if that’s good

or bad!), but realised through the

Sleep Stages section on the app that

I don’t actually get as much quality

sleep as I thought I did. I’m now

trying to get to bed earlier.

DOWNSIDE It was strange wearing it

to begin with – as I don’t usually wear

a watch – but, as it’s not too clunky,

I soon got used to it.

GET THE MOST FROM IT

Download and customise the Fitbit

app to track specific exercise, as well

as how much you’ve had to

eat and drink during the

day. You can also link up

with your friends and

colleagues to follow

their progress and

encourage each

other to reach your

fitness goals.

TESTER Charlotte

Richards

I was looking for

something with more

sophisticated GPS

tracking than my phone. I also liked

the idea of a watch that I can load

with music or podcasts so that I can

run unencumbered.

WHAT IS IT? A GPS watch and activity

tracker featuring a heart-rate monitor

and space for up to 500 songs, which

you can listen to via Bluetooth

headphones. So you can work out to

your favourite tracks, but still leave

your phone at home.

BEST BITS Once I’d set up the running

display with the figures I wanted, it was

easy to get started. Using its inbuilt

GPS, it can track outdoor running and

cycling routes, as well as indoor

exercise, such as treadmill running.

DOWNSIDES Setting up music playlists

is a bit fiddly – you connect the watch to

your computer and then move songs

over. It’s also not ideal for listening to

podcasts or audio books, as it doesn’t

save your place in the track, sending

you back to the start each time.

GET THE MOST FROM IT There

are different versions at different

price points, depending on the

functions you require.

Compiled by

Natalia Lubomirski

Photo

Getty