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Recently, the Australian Institute of Fitness (IDA) compiled the views of some of Australia’s leaders sports experts and posted a list of her favorite wearables for health and fitness.
In a statement about the survey, the IDA shared that it had evaluated a number of smartwatches and sports bands on items including functionality, ease of use, tracking and data capabilities, comfort, fit, versatility, and overall performance.
Interestingly, the institute shared that in addition to reviewing the range of devices, the survey also highlighted that the majority of Australian fitness tech users are not fully informed about the potential of the devices they use.
The statement said that:
“The overwhelming consensus from the survey was that wearable device users could unlock as many more potential to help them optimize their health, fitness and performanceif they were better informed about how to use their device.”
In particular, this can be seen in the use of heart rate monitoring technology, shared the IDA. Kate Kraschnefski, head of training at the Australian Institute of Fitness, explained that there is a lot to be gained from using this feature throughout your fitness journey:
“Many users do not fully understand how HR [heart rate] Training zones, which are a staple of many health and fitness wearables, can provide real-time feedback on the intensity and specific energy systems of your session,” Kraschnefski explained in a statement.
“For endurance enthusiasts, using this feature correctly is like having a personal trainer running alongside you telling you exactly how hard you’re working and whether you need to go full throttle or go light on the throttle.”
So which fitness wearables stood out?
The IDA divided the rankings into two camps: overall performance and best wearable for key categories. I have listed them below for you.
Top 5 Overall Results:
1 – Apple Watch – $407 – $1,069
The Apple Watch has become an increasingly popular piece of wearable technology in recent years. Several generations of the watch have emerged since its initial release, with its core features like detailed training and calorie tracking, it’s a powerful tool to aid weight loss. It also comes with built-in Siri, Apple Store, and Apple Music capabilities to connect your life even more. Did I mention that you can even participate in outdoor guided runs on Apple Fitness+.
two – Garmin watch – $168 – $1399
Aside from its health and fitness capabilities, the Garmin watch could be a stylish and modern addition to your training kit. Garmin can help you improve your overall well-being by monitoring your breathing, menstrual cycles, hydration, stress levels, and more.
3 – Fitbit Watch – $149 – $347
Choosing which Fitbit best suits your needs can be a daunting task, considering how many different types are available. The latest watch release, Fitbit Sense Advanced, provides personalized health and fitness guidance with a free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium. It also detects electrodermal activity, which can indicate your body’s response to stress, as well as having high/low heart rate notifications to alert you if yours seems to be above or below your average.
4 – Samsung Galaxy Watch – $299 – $467
Samsung phone users, rejoice that you will find the connectivity of contacts, messages and music exceptionally convenient with the Samsung smartwatch. Its features also include helpful tools for stress and sleep management. Win-win, right?
5 – Whoop Strap – $55 and up
The WHOOP strap collection stands apart from the rest of the best smartwatches in both design and function. The lightweight, waterproof WHOOP 3.0 strap is not only sleek on the wrist, it also collects physiological data (such as sleep monitoring) to provide an accurate understanding of your body. A worthy investment if you ask me.
Best wearable in key capability categories:
- Weight Loss – Apple Watch
- Improve Overall Fitness – Garmin Watch
- Learn to Run/Improve Running Performance – Garmin Watch
- Sleep monitoring: scream strap
- Ease of use: Apple Watch
- Form and Comfort – Apple Watch
- Tracking Data Accuracy: Garmin Watch
Apple is clearly the leading device here, not only taking the top spot for overall performance, but also for its effectiveness in assisting weight loss, ease of use, fit, and comfort. Garmin followed closely behind (only a 1.7% difference in popularity), taking second place and gaining recognition for its use in improving the performance and accuracy of its tracking data, not bad!
The survey found that the top three most valued features in fitness technology are long battery life, user-friendly display, and heart rate monitoring capabilities. While they didn’t pick winners in those categories specifically, they were considered when naming the best devices for overall performance.
So now that you’ve got your watch ready for action, why not check out these quick micro workouts to give it a twist?
