seven ways to track your fitness

Fitbit changed the way we watch our health and fitness, but it wasn’t the first and certainly is not the last option if you want to get in those 10,000 steps. Fitness trackers now monitor your sleep, your heart rate, and can even alert you when you’re getting a call or text. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, a professional athlete, or just someone who wants to track each step, there is a fitness tracker for you. 

• Samsung Gear Fit 2
  The Samsung Gear Fit2 is one of the few fitness trackers that combines aesthetics and functionality. The band is attractive, and the face impresses with its 1.5-inch screen. This device automatically detects exercise and monitors your heart rate. It also provides smartphone notifications during your workout. Download up to 1000 songs to listen to during your walk or run, while the Gear Fit2 uses GPS and step counting to track every move. Later, it will also monitor your sleep.
• The Right Smartphone
  While many fitness trackers are designed to work with your smartphone, some people forget that the right smartphone can do a lot of the heavy lifting of a fitness tracker. The M-Series motor co-processor that was first introduced in an earlier model of the iPhone allows your iPhone 6s to count your steps for you. If you’re already carrying your phone, you don’t need an extra accessory to help count your steps. The co-processor doesn’t run down your battery, and it even continues to count your steps in the unfortunate event that your battery dies.

• Xiaomi Mi Band Pulse
  If you’re looking for a budget-friendly fitness tracker, the Mi Band Pulse recently made its way from China to the United States and is one of the most affordable fitness trackers on the market. For around $20, you get a cute, functional fitness band that lasts up to 30 days without recharging and connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This fitness tracker monitors your heart rate, counts your steps, and tracks your sleep. The alarm also helps to wake you up gently and slowly up until the time you’ve set, as opposed to a sudden, loud alarm jolting you out of bed. 
• Misfit Shine
  Whether you don’t like things on your wrist, or it doesn’t go with your outfit, the Misfit Shine 2 comes with an additional clip for your shoe, waistband, or shirt, so you aren’t forced to wear your fitness tracker on your wrist. The battery life is long, and the accuracy has proven more reliable than many of its competitors. The Misfit Shine 2 is also waterproof, which means that swimmers as well as runners can get credit for their workouts.
• Moov Now
  If you’re a more serious athlete who trains versus exercises, look into the Moov Now for your fitness tracking needs. This sporty tracker fits around your leg instead of your wrist for more exact data. It’s functional for cycling, running, and swimming, and offers sleep tracking and general step counting. The Moov Now doesn’t just track, it coaches, helping to increase your endurance and improve your time with a variety of coaching programs enabled through the device.

• Mondaine Helvetica Smart
  A fitness tracker doesn’t have to look sporty. Mondaine Helvetica Smart offers a sleek and stylish watch that also tracks your fitness. Now you can wear your tracker with your suit without it looking so obvious. Created by techies in Silicon Valley, this watch offers step tracking and sleep monitoring. It’s beautiful, accurate, functional, and has a long battery life. Although it does come with a pretty steep price tag, you are paying for a high-quality timepiece as well.
• Garmin Vivosmart HR+
  Garmin has always been a leader in GPS technology, so its entrance into the fitness tracking world was almost seamless. The Vivosmart HR+ has gotten high reviews and tops the list for accuracy, data collecting, and functionality. This combined GPS and fitness tracker also monitors your heart rate all day and night, provides coaching and notifications, and looks sporty and cool.

Regardless what you want out of your fitness tracker, there is an option for every level and every budget to give you the tracking you need.