(Akiit.com) More and more people are using technology to keep track of their fitness goals. One of these technologies is fitness bands that are worn around the wrist. Fitness bands act as sensors that monitor the body’s orientation, movement, and rotation. The most important features of a fitness band are keeping a count of calorie burn, monitoring heart rate, tracking sleep times, and other core well-being metrics that help an individual work for his fitness goals. The use of a fitness tracker can boost daily workouts, give the motivation to stay productive throughout, and make your fitness goals achievable. This guide will explore in detail some of the features included in fitness bands.
So, what are the features of Fitness Bands?
- just like your phone, the GPS in your fitness band can locate your walking, running, and cycling routes. This feature is incredibly useful for mapping exercises, as well as accurately reviewing factors such as terrain or hills. Parents can use this feature to locate the whereabouts of their children and loved ones.
- Internet Connection. The fitness band can also be connected to a wireless internet connection to operate on activities involving the internet. For instance, if you have a Xfinity Internet around your house, which includes wireless connectivity, your fitness band can connect to the internet the same as your other mobile devices, and be able to provide you real-time updates about your progress.
- Heart Rate Monitoring. this feature is found in every kind of fitness band. By monitoring your heart rate, you can provide insight into your health. It can give you an idea of how many calories are being burned in a day, especially during a workout, and can also show you the target heart rate which you can maintain. However, such tools shouldn’t be used for monitoring your heart rate if you are a heart patient, since they do not give a very accurate idea.
- Blood Pressure Monitoring. Some fitness bands are now able to monitor your blood pressure as well – referring to the strength at which your blood is being driven around in your body. This feature might be useful for sports and other physical activities but it should never be used for health purposes regarding blood pressure.
- Many fitness bands aren’t water-proof, but there are some that are water-resistant and can be used to log your swimming workout. This feature can be used to add in metrics like how many laps you have done, how many meters do you cover in each lap, etc.
- Sleep Routine. Motion Sensors in the fitness bands give you guidance on how to sleep, how your sleep is interrupted, how many hours of uninterrupted sleep you’ve had, etc. The quality of your sleep has a direct effect on your mood and health. Fitness bands let you review sleep stages that you go through or schedule your sleep timings for you to get you back on track.
- Movement Reminder. This simple yet effective feature vibrates or sends a notification via the app to get you moving when you have been still for too long. It is useful for those who sit at their desk for too long or stay in their beds for too long. This little reminder can be very valuable in reminding you to take a break or stay fit by moving around a bit.
Smartwatches
As the name suggests, these are devices that have touchscreen features and are meant to be worn on wrists. They are connected to your smartphones, and the notification that you receive on your smartphone can also be viewed on your smartwatch.
Smartwatches VS Fitness Bands: which is better?
The difference between these two devices is the list of features that they offer. A smartwatch generally has all the features that are included in fitness bands like heart rate tracking, built-in GPS, etc. Smartwatches even have advanced features like music control, built-in Bluetooth and mics, etc. While both the devices offer Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity options, the smartwatch has a cellular connectivity option, unlike fitness bands.
However, the one feature that makes fitness bands better than a smartwatch is that fitness bands have durable battery life. Smartwatches have bright displays and their other functionality makes them more demanding in terms of power, which is why they have worse battery life than fitness bands. Having lesser features makes the fitness band a cheaper option as well.
To answer the question as to which is better between the two, it depends on your preference. If you find wearing smartwatches too annoying and don’t care too much about receiving smartphones notifications on your smartwatch, then the fitness band is the best option for you.
Conclusion
Fitness bands are the best invention to date in terms of checking up on your physiological health. It’s not too expensive, which is the way it should be, making it easier and more convenient to monitor your body’s progress.
Staff Writer; Harry Jackson