Expert-backed wearable tech to support your New Year fitness goals

As health sciences and technology progress by leaps and bounds with every passing day there is a renewed influx of a host of unique wearable fitness gadgets The terminology associated with devices can confuse older generations and techsavvy youngsters alike If your New Year resolutions include taking the first step towards a healthier lifestyle herersquos what experts recommend you get your hands onPut a ring on itArun PrabhudesaiWhile new fitness and health tracking rings crop up in the market every day Neel Gogia entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast recommends an older and slightly more expensive alternative mdash Oura Ring mdash a smart ring from the Finnish tech company Oura that boasts reliable sensors that track your temperature sleep cycles and activity ldquoItrsquos a great way to keep track of how ready you are for the day It gamifies stats like sleep quality and exercise effectiveness to throw out a score I used it for a while to improve my sleeping habits which I believe is a common concern on the rise globallyrdquo he sharesSmartwatches can track parameters like SpO2 REPRESENTATION PICSArun Prabhudesai tech reviewer tells us that it is perhaps wiser to opt out of buying entry level rings in the market today that are manufactured domestically and wait for a better time He suggests that Apple watches and Samsung Galaxy watches are comparatively safer buys in the current market ldquoThe technology in lower priced smart rings is primitive Basic parameters like heart rate and SpO2 do not cut it for most users today If yoursquore looking to dive deeper Irsquod recommend you wait another yearrdquo he sharesPatchup stay fitNeel GogiaDid you know that different foods that contain the same amount of sugar might affect your blood sugar levels differently Ultrahuman M1 a specialised patch that sticks to the skin under your arm tracks how your blood sugar levels fluctuate in a day ldquoThere is a lot of noise on the internet and in gym circles about what one should eat and what one should strictly avoid Obviously itrsquos not as easy as they make it sound Having a realtime representation of how the food that you eat is affecting your body is greatrdquo Gogia notes adding ldquoI noticed that every time I consumed white rice there would be a spike in my blood glucose levels so I switched to quinoa I use it every six months now where I check how certain foods are affecting my bodyrdquoItrsquos in your handsBinoy BobanFor people who take their fitness seriously Gogia recommends Whoop a fitness wristband as an alternative to your regular smartwatch ldquoIt has all the perks of a fitness tracking smartwatch sans the flashy distracting screens which helps me stay focusedrdquo he adds Sported by the likes of Virat Kohli the device dives deeper to track the strain on your body during workouts the efficiency of your recovery efforts and your resting heart rate all of which determine your performance ultimatelyBinoy Boban mountaineer agrees with Gogia on the need to look beyond the usual watches ldquoYou get what you pay for A device that cost you less than Rs 2000 is probably just a gimmick The most basic gadget I would recommend is a Fitbitrdquo the trainer shares His top pick however mdash the Garmin Instinct Solar mdash a rugged smartwatch that tracks parameters such as your resting heart rate and blood pressure in addition to the vitals and classifies the data according to your goals ldquoThe added advantage is that this data can be shared in realtime with a coach or a medical professional it has been a life saver in long highaltitude treksrdquo he addsWhat does the doctor say1 Parameters such as heart rate and SpO2 are fairly reliable as they can be detected through simple contact with the skin2 Source any data about calories burnt and body composition fatmuscle percentage with a pinch of salt they do not account for differing base levels among users3 The Ultrahuman patch is a good way to keep track of your blood glucose levels but keep in mind that there exists a 10minute lag4 Metabolism cannot be deduced from simple data about fluctuations in blood sugar levels alone5 Doctors in a hospital use six or 12 leads or points of contact to produce an electrocardiogram Wearable devices use only one Do not rely solely on them6 To each his own but avoid going overboard with microtracking your data and racking your brain7 Do not let marketing campaigns turn you into a hypochondriacDr Siddhant Bhargava fitness and nutritional scientist cofounder Food DarzeeVirat Kohli sports a Whoop band during the ICC Menrsquos Cricket World Cup last month PIC COURTESYINSTAGRAMGet fitgtgt Oura RingLog on to ouraringcomCost Rs 29000 onwardsgtgt Apple WatchLog on to applecom or amazoninCost Rs 29000 onwardsgtgt Whoop BandsLog on to shopwhoopcomCost Rs 19000 onwards includes oneyear app subscriptiongtgt Samsung Galaxy WatchLog on to samsungcomin or amazoninCost Rs 13000 onwardsgtgt Garmin SmartwatchesLog on to garmincoinCost Rs 17000 onwardsgtgt FitbitLog on to fitbitcomCost Rs 6000 onwardsgtgt Ultrahuman M1 patchLog on to ultrahumancomCost Rs 7499 onwards per month