06/20/2025
, Pt One
In my endurance days you wore Polar or Garmin to track metrics like distance, speed and heart rate to organize your training schedule. Today the market of fitness trackers has become next level with the use of artificial intelligence. For the last month I’ve test driven the band and here’s the skinny:
PROS
a) Use is somewhat intuitive. Order online, take part in an unboxing event similar in exclusivity-feel like buying a new Apple product; charge it; pair it; and put it on either your wrist, your forearm or your bicep.
b) There is no screen to look at. Download the info when you want and not because the device is vying for your attention.
c) The information for the big buckets of Sleep/Recovery/Strain are highly personalized for the kind of information that is most important to the user. 30 days of piecing together HRV, V02 Max, BPM, RHR, 02 sat, restorative sleep, menstrual cycle, mood, caffeine intake, eating too close to bedtime, activity, etc and this thing knows when the dog is in the bed!
CONS
a) Toe to toe with my smart phone's basic health data for steps, cals burned, walking distance, and the like, I’m not sure the average training client needs all that deepy stuff at a luxury price. Plans average $20/mo but read the fine print about cancellation...
b) Pairing my exact activity and crediting me for my efforts was hit-or-miss. Sometimes it knew I was in yoga, for example, but no distinction was given for whether I was teaching or taking. Two completely different things.
c) Some people may prefer the more subtle look of a ring or using their smart watch already for similar data.
Do wearables make us fitter? It’s the measurement that matters. Sans the brand we need to know what we’re working with to start. Improvements in sleep quality 1-100% is objective conversation for my clients overall wellbeing. Recommending ‘breathwork’ after hard training sessions is made easier with short video(s) right on the app. Consider that many fitness trackers offer low cost trials if you’re not ready to commit. Given the $18 investment to try Whoop, I say yes, go for it or shop around for whatever tracker you will use and stay tuned 📈