st240

FEATURE TECH

We asked Melbourne-based personal trainer Anna Farrington-Short for her thoughts on the benefits of smartwatches and trackers, and how to get the most from them.

someone’s eaten, how fatigued they are, and many other factors can lead to inaccuracy. However, the information provided can show patterns over time that are helpful.

on different people will produce varying results. Calories burned are based on algorithms for the general population and so can’t distinguish properly the very many differences in one person to the next. How can wearable tech help you to achieve specific fitness goals? Being able to set personalised goals and monitor your overall activity can keep you on track, assist motivation to continue improving, and provide

accountability to yourself or to others via social sharing options. What are the best features for tracking long-term progress? The most useful would be the heart rate monitor to gauge workout effort and interval rest periods, GPS tracker for kilometres travelled, and the sleep tracker because if you’re not getting enough good quality sleep, you won’t make the right decisions and can’t put enough energy into the activities that will help you achieve your goals.

What features of a smartwatch do you consider to be most beneficial to users when exercising? For those going it alone, the heart rate monitor, GPS tracker to monitor kilometres and speeds, goal setting and progress tracking to help keep you working towards your target, and a virtual coach with guided workouts. Are readings and data analysis generally accurate? Accuracy varies depending on the device, what’s being measured, and who is being monitored. Muscle mass, metabolic rate, how intense an activity is or isn’t for someone, variances in weight for resistance activities, what

GPS/step tracking is pretty accurate if you input your stride length for walking or running. However, it will not be accurate if the device thinks every 30cm is your step length when it’s 75cm, for example. Heart rate monitoring is most accurate when resting or at low intensity exercise, but move into high intensity workouts and activities like weightlifting or boxing and accuracy is reduced. How strenuous this is

OUR SMARTWATCH SELECTIONS

Polar Pacer GPS Running Watch When you’re pounding the pavement or clocking laps around an oval, you’ll want this dedicated running watch on your wrist. It’s also an affordable, entry-level watch for everyday use. The Polar Pacer tracks time, pace, laps, distance, and heart rate, along with specialised training, sleep, and recovery modes – other activities can be added via the Polar Flow app. Advanced optical heart rate tracking and accurate GPS are also a plus, and you can set reminders to hydrate. Stats can be easily viewed on the run from the bright colour display, and the battery is good for up to

Ryze Gene Smartwatch The Ryze Gene is another

Garmin fenix 8 Series If you really want to push yourself to the limits, Garmin’s new line of premium multisport GPS smartwatches are the way to go, with specialised features that suit athletes, outdoor adventurers, and extreme sports enthusiasts. Along with 24/7 monitoring and advanced sleep tracking, the fenix 8 watches feature a diverse range of tracking modes and preloaded sports workouts, from advanced strength training and GPS pace guidance, to running, yoga, climbing, diving, and more. Plus, advanced global mapping and navigation lets you locate the nearest ski resort! Naturally, the watches are rugged devices tested to military standards and well protected by scratch-resistant sapphire displays and bezels of durable steel or titanium. And generous battery life will keep them going for up to ten days in smartwatch mode, with solar charging models extending that to up to 48 days. The Swiss Army knife of smartwatches, they also include an LED flashlight, compass, gyroscope, barometric altimeter, and built-in speaker and mic. And you can two-way text via the Garmin Messenger app. The Garmin fenix 8 series is available in AMOLED glass, Sapphire, and Sapphire Solar Editions, in three sizes – 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm.

affordable option with a holistic focus on fitness and wellbeing. It has everything you need to track basic health and fitness stats like steps, distance, calories burned, heart rate, sleep and stress, along with 110 sports modes and a feminine health monitor. Sporting a bright and vibrant colour AMOLED display that’s always on, the Gene also has an inbuilt compass to complement GPS navigation, a barometer, plus Bluetooth connectivity for taking calls, messages, and accessing your music library.

Garmin fenix 8 43mm AMOLED Sapphire Edition

Garmin fenix 8 47mm AMOLED

35 hours of activity tracking (GPS and heart rate).

Garmin fenix 8 51mm SOLAR Sapphire Edition

9