I am pretty blasé about most of the techie gadgets that come
out. I’m not someone who has a heart attack every time Apple release a new
phone or gadget. Google glasses and Bluetooth dishwashers and all that stuff
just totally floats past me.
The watch face allows you to set different workouts, and if
you sync it with your phone, you get SMS notifications and can see who is
calling you – before ignoring them, naturally. It also allows you to track your
sleep (or lack of it!). Essentially for the outdoor trekker, biker, runner, it
has a GPS navigation that can tell you how far you’ve walked and what your
route looks like.
But.
I saw a review a couple of weeks ago in a Melbourne
newspaper of the Fitbit Surge and my heart rate picked up. I couldn’t believe
it. Excited about a fitness gadget! I haven’t owned anything more
fitness-gadget than an ipod previously so this is my first real fitness
technology investment.
What it does is JUST as important as what it doesn’t do. I
didn’t want something that would do a million things, with a million buttons
and applications and features. I believe in keeping it simple and doing the
basic things really well – much like a good workout routine.
The watch face allows you to set different workouts, and if
you sync it with your phone, you get SMS notifications and can see who is
calling you – before ignoring them, naturally. It also allows you to track your
sleep (or lack of it!). Essentially for the outdoor trekker, biker, runner, it
has a GPS navigation that can tell you how far you’ve walked and what your
route looks like.
MOST importantly, it has a heart rate monitor. Now, I’ve
long wanted a heart rate monitor but previous models I’ve looked at have
involved gadgetry that needs to be wrapped around your chest and all sorts of
exhaustive apps to measure what seems like a pretty simple factor. The fact
that the Fitbit Surge does this SIMPLY along with all the appealing elements of
a smartwatch? It’s a no-brainer. This is definitely going to appeal to
non-techie fitness fans.
I intend on using it to measure my heart rate during cardio
and strength workouts, my Ballet Sculpt classes, and to track how active I am
from day to day. If you have a specific goal about time spent walking, floors
climbed, a heart rate zone you want to stay within during interval
training...this is the gadget for you.
Sure, I might not get a whole lot of use out of the GPS
tracker since most of my activity is done indoors, but I like knowing it’s an
option and I will definitely make use of it overseas in May. I probably won’t
answer the phone when you call, but rest assured I’ll see that you’re trying.
Stay tuned. I’ll be posting again soon on heart rate
training.