Trendy bands lead fitness gadget lists

Source: Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.迷你倉將軍澳Jan. 21--Naomi Griffith-Nixon lives with a device that tracks almost every breath.The Jawbone UP24 bracelet follows her sleep patterns, calories burned and will even set up reminders through an alarm system."This has been helpful to me to ensure that I get enough sleep to benefit my fitness," the Deatsville resident said. "Just by wearing it, it calculates your steps taken and resting/active calories burned. You can adjust tracking with the push of its button to record an activity such as running, cardio, (and) weightlifting without it interrupting the recording of your daily activity."The Jawbone, along with the Fitbit Force and the Nike FuelBand SE, were ranked in the CNET 100 in December. CNET tracks tech's hottest products, and the Force and UP24 made the top 40.Fitness trackers are becoming smarter, more accurate and easier to use.The FuelBand can track your steps and calories burned. The UP24 adds sleep tracking, and the Force brings distance and elevation tracking in addition to steps, calories burned and sleep tracking. All three devices support syncing with an iPhone with an iOS app, according to CNET."Fitbit is a fairly simple, user-friendly electronic device that assists you in being healthier for your lifestyle," said Andy Steinhauer, part owner and store manager at Montgomery Multisport.And powerhouse GPS company Garmin is fighting back with its own product, the Garmin VivoFit, he said."It is a direct competitor for the FitBit," Steinhauer said. "One of the big things about these 'fits' is that they are for the people that are not training for a marathon. They are going to the gym, they are eating healthy, and they like the tech gadgets."And if the bands will help people start moving and taking care of themselves, then Avery Ainsworth, owner of Fleet Feet Sports Montgomery, wants to help. He said the Garmin VivoFit will be delivered to his store this spring."People are interested in them," he said of the band products. "They are scared to do it on their own. That's why there's millions of apps on your phone. A gadget is what we live off of."Heather Gaither of Prattville doesn't use a gadget other than her smartphone. The triathlete uploaded Endomondo, which is an easy way for her to track her running and cycling mileage."I use the free app, but there is an upgraded version," she said. "You just have to remember to change the setting for whatever activity you are doing. It records time doing the activity, distance, speed, calories burned ... it keeps a history of my workouts so I can know if I'm improving."And you can use it to look at other peopl倉's training, and communicate with other people who use the app. The only downside is that I can't use it for swim training."It's possible to sync a bracelet to a smartphone. Griffith-Nixon knows how to utilize this with her Jawbone bracelet."You read the recordings of the bracelet through the UP app downloaded onto your smartphone," she said. "Opening the app and plugging the bracelet into the headset jack will sync the bracelet to your account and you can read the results there."The app will also give you tips for fitness based on your weekly activity or rest. Just like many of the nutrition apps, you can record your dietary intake as well. It has a food database and a UPC scanner to make recording easy."More advanced athletic trackersMontgomery Multisport and Fleet Feet owners are noticing the popularity of the Garmin product for both runners and cyclists. The Garmin Forerunner 10, Ainsworth said, is a big seller and an entry-level product."That has been the big one for us," he said. "Just because so many people see the $400 price range for the others. If you're just getting into it, don't mortgage your house to get it. Your trends after that are the Garmin 220 and 620. They are going to be your sleekest and lightest of any GPS models that have come out to date."It's a big jump for somebody to take, so they have to really want to use it."Steinhauer said for people who are training to be competitive, the "fit" bands lack such needed functions as heart rate tracking capabilities."Heart rate is a tool that one can use to define their athletic threshold," he said.The Garmin 220, he said, is the "newest, greatest, (and) simplest.""It's not for the guy who has been doing it for years. For the more advanced person, probably the Garmin 620 ... it will measure your cadence rate when you're running. It has a touch screen."The 220 basically tells you your HR, (and) how fast you're going. Both have Bluetooth capabilities."But you don't always have to go out and spend big dollars for electronic devices to get this information, Steinhauer said."Wahoo Fitness is pioneering the whole BlueTooth fitness market," he said.Additional FactsGET FITAmong the top fitness gadgets from the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas:LG Lifeband Touch and Heart Rate EarphonesSony Care and LifelogGarmin VivofitArchos Activity TrackerRazer NabuEpson Pulsense Watch and BandIntel Smart EarbudsSpree HeadbandTao WellShellWellographCopyright: ___ (c)2014 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at .montgomeryadvertiser.com Distributed by MCT Information Services24小時迷你倉