January is traditionally the time when people resolve to change their ways, get fitter, healthier or just learn a new skill or two.
The enthusiasm has usually fallen away by March, but in the meantime it usually involves spending money whether it is on practical gear for training or on trackers to help you monitor your progress throughout the year.
So what are the options to track your health and wellness throughout the year?
You do not have to spend a small fortune on an activity tracker with a screen. There are plenty of budget friendly options to suit all.
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The Fitbit Inspire 3, for example, is just under €100 and is not quite as intimidating as a smartwatch. The band is neat, but it does everything you need to track your health – your activity level, daily stress, sleep monitoring – including heart-rate zones so you know how long you are spending burning fat, for example.
The battery lasts up to 10 days, so you are not tied to your power outlet. You can also ditch the strap and opt for the clip if you would rather not have a wrist-based tracker.
If you are looking for greater insight, there are more fully featured smartwatches with built in GPS and more automatic sport tracking.
The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar (€350) will track multiple sports, from indoor to outdoor, and uses solar charging to keep its battery topped up while you take advantage of whatever sunshine the Irish seasons have to offer.
For Apple users, the Apple Watch Series 10 (€449) will track your activity, sleep, blood oxygen and heart rate. It comes in two sizes, with a 42mm and 46mm option, depending on your preferences.
The newest additions to the watch are the water temperature and depth gauge, which kick in as soon as the watch in submerged, so you can keep track of your swim statistics.
If you have deeper pockets, the titanium version is the lightest Apple Watch the company offers.
On the other side of the fence, you have the Pixel Watch 3.
Google’s smart watch uses some of Fitbit’s expertise to keep you on track for your fitness goals. It also has a slightly more palatable price tag too, at €329, although it is designed for use with Android devices.
The always-on display clocks in at 45mm, and the round face makes it look more like a standard watch.
Battery life is around 24 hours of use, so you do not have to charge every day, and it has extras such as the run coach and real-time guidance.
For more serious sports enthusiasts, there are watches that will stand up to more demanding conditions.
Take the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (€899), for example. It can go almost anywhere you can think of – diving underwater, scaling mountains – and live to tell the tale.
It also has a better battery, with up to 36 hours of normal use and 72 in low power mode.
The dual GPS has improved accuracy. The device is also certified for use as a dive watch and has a customisable action button that you can access easily even if you are wearing heavy gloves.
If you have a bigger budget, the Garmin Fenix 8 multisport watch (from €965) is an all-rounder.
Garmin has made some changes, including adding an integrated speaker and microphone so you can make and take calls on the watch.
It beats most smartwatches out there with 29 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, and can cope with being submerged in water, mud or any other conditions you feel the need to put it through.
Going screen free
Smart watches aren’t for everyone. There are so many screens demanding out attention these days that, occasionally, it is a good thing to cut at least one out.
If you still want to track your exercise, the MyZone Switch (€160) is screen-free and versatile. It can be worn as a watch, on a band for your upper arm or as a chest strap.
Because there is no screen, the battery lasts for several days, tracking your exercise and effort before sending the information to the MyZone app.
There, it translates everything into effort points, which can be used to track your monthly progress.
To keep an eye on how your workout is going, the Switch has a small LED that flashes according to the heart-rate zone you are currently in, from blue and green to yellow and red.
The Whoop 4.0 (€264) is another screen-free option, although it requires a subscription – included for the first year – to deliver the insights your need.
It can be worn in one of a variety of Whoop bands, and measures your activity, sleep, blood oxygen and skin temperature, feeding the data through to its app.
Once it has collected enough, it will give you some insights on your physical training, and let you know when you should ease up and give your body a break.
The appeal of the Whoop is not only that it is screen-free, but it can also be worn inside clothing, with special Whoop garments – shorts, sports top, vest etc – that can accommodate the sensor and keep it safe and secure.
If you are wearing it on your wrist, you do not even have to take it off to charge it, with the wireless battery pack fitting on to the tracker to charge while you wear it.
Smart rings track more of your health and fitness metrics than ever before
If you do not want to wear a band, however, jewellery is another option.
More subtle than a band and still screen-free, the current generation of smart rings track more of your health and fitness metrics than ever before.
Oura has been in the smart ring game for a while; the name of the current product, the Oura 4 (€400), gives away its fourth generation status.
In that time is has added features – the ring now tracks heart rate during activity – and refined the design to ensure that the ring will still track regardless of its position on your finger.
It also works with iPhone and Android systems, making it a versatile product.
Samsung has also got into the smart ring game. Released late last year, the Samsung Galaxy Ring also monitors activity, temperature, sleep and blood oxygen. It also adds in some gesture control for Samsung Galaxy phone users.
Bellabeat has been designing more subtle activity trackers aimed at women for several years now.
Its range was previously made up of an activity tracking pendant – the Leaf (€99) – which could also work as a bracelet or clip that tracks activity, sleep, stress, meditation and reproductive health.
It has a replaceable battery and is made of a wood composite material and hypoallergenic stainless steel.
Now it has been joined by the Ivy+ (€380), a bracelet that is also aimed at tracking women’s health.
It tracks skin temperature, monitors heart rate, respiratory rate and sleep. It crunches all the data and delivers easy to understand health and readiness scores, along with making suggestions to improve self care.
And it doesn’t scream “activity tracker” either.
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