We’ll soon be transitioning from winter to spring here on the West Coast and I’ve been loving my outdoor runs the last few weeks. Depending on my energy levels or what other workout I’ve done, I’m getting outside for a run a couple times a week. I love the freedom and stress release that running and fresh air gives, and today I’m talking about the latest running tech that has made tracking runs easy and convenient. I’m also checking out some of the newest tech in headphones because for me, music and podcasts are what helps me power through those tough minutes when I feel like quitting.
Tracking your runs
There are many options on the market these days when it comes to tracking your runs and they’ll help you keep an eye on your progress as you improve as well. Fitbit has a variety of fitness trackers and smartwatches which allows you to choose the one that will suit your personal wants and needs.
This Fitbit Sense 2 smartwatch has a lot to offer to help you keep track of your overall health.
It helps you monitor and manage your stress levels and heart health, tracks your nightly blood oxygen levels, calories burned, steps, sleep, skin temperature, and more. It connects your Smartphone to receive calls and notifications and has built-in GPS, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa to keep you connected on the go. The Lithium-ion polymer battery delivers up to 6 days of battery life on a single charge and with the fast-charging option you can get an additional day of use with just 12 minutes of charging.
As an alternative, check out the Fitbit Charge 5 fitness & activity tracker.
You can track route, pace and distance travelled with the built-in GPS as well as track calories, steps, distance, running, and elevation. Monitoring your heart rate and sleep are also important for your health and you can do both with the Charge 5.
Stay connected to your Smartphone with messaging alerts and notifications from multiple apps.
Samsung users will be impressed with the Galaxy Watch 5. This watch will automatically detect and track popular workouts like running, rowing, and swimming, or you can manually track up o 90 different workouts. The enhanced built-in GPS accurately tracks your workouts, while VO2 Max readings check the oxygen level in your body. Of course, you’ll love the AMOLED display with sapphire crystal glass, Google Assistant compatibility, and the built-in speaker.
One thing to note with the Galaxy Watch 5 is that you need an Android 6.0 or higher to use all the features offered.
Another great option to track your fitness is the Garmin Vivoactive 4S GPS Watch. On top of monitoring your heart rate, pulse ox, and respiration, you can also track your activities, sleep, and calories burned. When making health goals it’s important to also include sleep and heart health. The vivoactive syncs to your smartphone for a hands-free connection to incoming calls, texts, emails, notifications, and more.
Garmin also has Garmin Pay, which is a mobile payment service to make payments without contact easily from your smartwatch. Your battery life can last up to 7 days in Smartwatch mode and up to 5 hours in GPS Music mode and is easily recharged in 2 hours using the included USB cable.
Last up is the Garmin Fenix 7X. This rugged watch will track your fitness and overall wellness. It has pre-loaded topographic maps which allows you to easily plan and map your running or riding routes as well as monitor your heart rate, pulse ox and track your sleep.. You can download your favourite songs or playlists from streaming services to help you power through your workouts and receive alerts for incoming calls, texts and other notifications.
This watch also offers the Garmin Pay service to make payments or purchases from your watch. The long lasting battery can last up to 28 days and you can boost your battery with added solar power from the Sapphire glass display screen.
Music to fuel your run
In headphone tech you’ll find wireless headphones making huge waves because the beauty of wireless headphones is that you don’t have a wire getting in the way of your arm motion when you run.
These AfterShokz Aeropex Bluetooth Headphones use bone conduction technology which passes music through your cheek bones and therefore keeping your ears open to hear ambient sound. I love this feature for outdoor workouts such as running or biking. These headphones fit snuggly behind your neck and stay in place even during high-intensity activities like jogging or bootcamp style workouts. The bluetooth 5.0 technology enables a wireless connection up to 10 meters with your smartphone and the built-in mic allows you to take calls. The water-resistant design means they’ll survive your sweatiest workouts.
Another great option for wireless headphones is these Bose SoundSport In-Ear Wireless Headphones.
The design of these in-ear headphones paired with the StayHear+ silicone tips allow them to fit snugly in your ear canal to help block out external noise. Use the Bose Connect app to pair them with multiple devices for up to 6 hours of listening. With the inline microphone you can easily control volume, skip tracks, and take calls without your device in hand.
For a more discrete headphone, check out these Sony WF-C500 In-Ear Sound Isolating Truly Wireless Headphones. They have a Truly Wireless and sound isolating design for an immersive audio experience. They offer up to 10 hours of battery life and they conveniently charge in their case. Hands free is easy as can be with the built-in Google Assistant, and IPX4 rating means they are splash-proof and sweat-proof resistant.
Another truly wireless option is these Jabra Elite 7 Active Headphones. They feature Adjustable Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and the HearThrough function so you can immerse yourself in your music or pay attention to what’s happening around you when needed. Of course, they have Bluetooth 5.2 which will sync you to your mobile devices and with four integrated microphones with fine SAATI Acoustex mesh to block out wind noise, your conversations will be crystal clear. The one-touch access to voice command will quickly connect you to Amazon Alexa, or the Google Assistant and the battery provides up to 8 hours of play time.
I find wearing my fitness tracker everyday helps keep me accountable for my health, wellness and fitness everyday. I like seeing real time stats during a run and after a workout and it motivates me to keep going. My day-to-day job can be quite physical so I also love tracking my daily steps.
You can find the latest tech to help you get the most out your health journey at Best Buy Online.
