The first question you should ask yourself is; do you need one? Think about why you feel you need and want one. Are you wanting one because everyone has one or because you think it is going to be beneficial to your lifestyle, training and results?
Below are a few pros and cons for you to consider before investing in some wearable tech:
Pros:
1. Stats
It allows you to keep track of calories used, distance traveled, resting heart rate, working heart rate, amount of good quality sleep and many other stats accurately. This will save you from trying to do calculations on your own depending on the type of wearable you get; some are more reliant than others. If you like stats and numbers, this is a huge benefit.
2. Motivation tool
Using a smartwatch can give you a sense of accomplishment after a workout. Seeing those workout rings close or crossing that 5km mark on the GPS, gives you a sense of accomplishment. Hitting your step goal every day is also a huge motivator for a lot of people getting away from their desk more often.
3. Measure progress
Being able to save and record workouts is very handy because the next time you do exercise to compare to your previous workout you don’t have to try remembering what you did, you can just have a look at the previous one. A lot of the tech and apps will also show your personal bests and celebrate any new achievements with you. This also allows you to see where you can improve and what you do well in.
4. Lifestyle
Some smartwatches allow you to email, text and call, see the weather, access the internet, measure your sleep, make payments and a lot of other functions, a smartwatch can make life a lot simpler for you without the need for your phone or wallet on you all the time.
Cons:
1. Can be expensive
A good quality smartwatch can come at a decent cost (and then there are all the other gadgets such as heart rate belts, special running headphones, and watt meters…). It does depend on what you want to use the technology for, what kind of activities you are undertaking and at what level you are at. You can also consider starting off with a second-hand alternative.
2. Battery life
Some wearables only have a battery life of about 24 hours so you must constantly charge it. This can be hard to remember to do, or you may remember to charge it and then forget to put it back before leaving the house - which directly relates to the next con;
3. Addictive
People become so reliant on technology that sometimes if they haven’t reached a certain number of steps or tracked a workout, they get mad, frustrated, and are left with the feeling of failure not achievement. Some people even go to the extent that if their watch is flat, they refuse to do any exercise because they are unable to track it. This can add to your stress levels, rather than give you any health benefits.
4. Always available
Although this can be a pro, always being available for emails, texts and calls can make it hard to switch off from work and actually enjoy your leisurely walk or even downtime on the couch – especially with all notifications on and your watch always vibrating.
Is there such a thing as a perfect wearable tech to wear? Do you even need a smartwatch or heart rate monitor to start with? It all comes down to what you need/ want it for. Do your research, find what will work for you, what you can afford and what’s going to benefit you the most for your goals and lifestyle.
Good luck.
