I’m not exactly what most would consider “old” … or at least I hope that’s the case. Yet, when I started university in the mid-nineties, the Internet wasn’t even a thing–unless you were a computer science major, of course. Neither was email. In fact, it wasn’t until my fourth year that my professors started sending their syllabuses via email and I started doing research for my papers online.
Fast-forward twenty years and I would love to do it all again with today’s technology–especially as far as fitness is concerned. As a student, you do a lot of running. You run to class, from class, across campus to get to your next class on time even though you know you’re going to be late no matter how fast you run, to the bus or your car to get to your part-time job, back to the bus or you car so you can get home and study, and repeat. No wonder I didn’t gain any weight in my university years even though my diet consisted largely of cafeteria and vending machine fare, ramen noodles, and late night post-work restaurant meals! I was on the go all the time. If I were to go back, I’d be sure to equip myself with what at least one of what I consider to be the best fitness devices for students.
My Top 5 Fitness Devices
Fitbit Charge Fitness Tracker
The Fitbit Charge Fitness Tracker is a high-performance wristband that accurately tracks steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, stairs climbed, and the number of minutes you are active in a day. It’s bright OLED display gives you real-time stats, so you can simply monitor your activity, or amp things up and set goals for yourself to hit a certain number of steps taken or calories burned in a day. You can also analyze trends via the Fitbit dashboard on your smartphone or computer. And, when you’re finally ready to crash after a long day, the Fitbit Charge keeps working while you sleep to track sleep duration and quality, and will wake you up gently with its silent vibrating alarm.
To get even more insight into your daily activity, you can opt for the Fitbit Charge HR Fitness Tracker, which has all the features of the Fitbit Charge, plus an integrated heart rate monitor that automatically monitors your heart rate and activity without bulky chest straps. Not sure which Fitbit is right for you? This Fitbit Comparison Chart will help you decide.
Garmin vivosmart Activity & Sleep Tracker
Similar to the Fitbit Charge, the Garmin vivosmart Activity & Sleep Tracker is a wearable wristband that tracks your steps taken, calories burned, distance travelled, and your sleep patterns to give you a picture of your activity levels. But it is also Bluetooth enabled, which allows you to connect it to a compatible device to receive notifications for calls, texts, and emails. That means you can keep your smartphone or tablet stowed neatly away in your backpack during class or while at work, yet still stay on top of your messages. The vivosmart is also water-resistant so you can wear it while you sweat, shower, or swim. It’s also available in a variety of colours to suit your style, including blue/black, berry/black, yellow/black, and slate/black.
PAPAGO! Go Watch Fitness Tracker
For those of you who are part student and part fitness enthusiast, the PAPAGO! Go Watch Fitness Tracker is your new friend. Available in black and blue or black and pink (his and hers!), the PAPAGO! Go Watch is almost like a virtual personal trainer you wear on your wrist. It allows you to track your time, distance, calories burned, heart rate, speed and cadence, and it’s integrated GPS receivers records your exercise routes, elevation and speed. What makes it even more suited to the fitness enthusiast is its multi-sports mode, which allows you to select the activity you are engaged in, such as walking, hiking, running, and cycling, so your stats are as accurate as possible. It also has a large easy-to-read display that shows the time, so you can see just how long is left in that oh-so-boring lecture.
JayBird Freedom Spring Wireless In-Ea
r Headphones
Whether you’re studying, waiting for the bus, running across campus, or working out, music is an absolute necessity. But let’s be honest, wires can be a bit of a pain in the behind. That’s why the JayBird Freedom Sprint Wireless In-Ear Headphones are a great addition to your back-to-school gadgets. Equipped with Bluetooth 2.1, the JayBird Freedom earbuds pair wirelessly to your smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device for up to 4.5 hours of play time. They’re also sweat-resistant and super comfortable making them ideal for those late night study sessions or grueling gym-workouts.
Monster iSport Victory In-Ear Sound Isolating Headphones
If wires are more your style, then the Monster iSport Vicotry In-Ear Sound Isolating Headphones are a great option. I have a pair of these myself and them come with me almost everywhere I go. They come with five sizes of eartips and sportsclips (the rubber bits that fit over the earbud itself) so you can customize them for a perfect fit. They are also sound-isolating, so they’ll drown out unwanted noises when you are studying or getting your sweat on at the gym. Add to that the fact that they come equipped with Apple’s Control Talk for on-cable, hands-free smartphone calling, and they’ll quickly become your go-to headphones.
The new school year will be here before you know it, so now’s the time to load up on all your back to school gadgets–and rest assured, if you go with one of the gadgets listed above, you’ll stay on top of your fitness, no matter how grueling the semester gets.
