Fitness trackers have been on the market for years now.  There are many brands, each offering a variety of features and unique benefits.  Fitness trackers are defined as, “A wearable device or a computer application that records a person’s daily physical activity, together with other data relating to their fitness or health, such as the number of calories burned, heart rate, etc.”

Research shows that prolonged periods of inactivity such as sitting at a desk decreases your body’s production of fat-burning enzymes.  These fitness trackers can be a great motivator to help individuals stay active.

3 Fitness Trackers:

While there are dozens of available fitness trackers, the following list consists of three that we have recently purchased for our Assistive Technology Lab.

1. vívofit 2:

The vívofit 2 is an activity tracker that reminds users to stay active throughout the day.  It features a move bar with audible alerts that tells users when they’ve been idle for an hour or longer.

vívofit 2 features:

• 1+ year battery life
• Reminds users to stay active with move bar and audible alert
• Learns user’s activity level and proposes a personalized daily goal
• Shows steps, calories, distance and time of day on backlit display
• Monitors sleep: users simply set the sleep mode when they go to bed and it’ll monitor their rest

2. Fitbit Charge 2:

The Fitbit Charge 2 is a heart rate monitor and fitness tracker.  The wristband is built with PurePulse heart rate, multi-sport modes, guided breathing sessions and interchangeable bands.

Fitbit Charge 2 features:

• PurePulse heart rate tracks continuous, automatic, wrist-based heart rate and simplified heart rate zones
• Personalized Cardio Fitness Score helps users better understand their fitness level
• Multi-sport modes track workouts like running, biking, and weights and keeps real-time stats on display.
• Guided Breathing finds “moments of calm throughout the day with personalized breathing sessions based on current heart rate”
• Syncs wirelessly and automatically to computers and 200+ leading iOS, Android, and Windows devices

3. Samsung Gear Fit2:

The Samsung Gear Fit2 is yet another fitness tracker and heart rate monitor.  Unlike other fitness wristbands, the Samsung Gear Fit2 allows users to run without their phone.

Samsung Gear Fit2 features:

• “Highly accurate” heart rate monitor
• Built-in GPS tracks wearer’s running route, distance, and speed in real time with precision and dedication
• Automatically tracks activity and knows whether the user is walking or on rowing machine etc.
• Super AMOLED 1.5″ display presents stats on large display