With lockdown and curfew a thing of the past, fitness has become a top priority for South Africans in 2022. From joining the gym to trying out a new outdoor sport, exercising has been proven to increase endorphins (those happy hormones), help you build muscle and lose weight. Exercise has also been proven to help with depression and anxiety. Smart watches, fitness apps and trackers for phone pairing are an excellent way to blend your phone into your fitness regimen. Mobile Store shows you which apps and trackers to use to get 2022’s fitness goals in the bag!
Five apps and trackers for fitness for your phone
The best fitness app or tracker for blood pressure: B1 SmartWatch
About: The B1 SmartWatch is the perfect companion for tracking your blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels while you continue with your day. It automatically measures your heart rate every 1, 2, 6, and 12 hours, however, you can change this setting to real-time or manual tracking.
Battery life: Two days before needing to charge
Other features: It also tracks your sleep and can even tell if you’re in deep sleep, when you wake up during the night and when you’re in light sleep. It has an IP68 rating which means it is waterproof – perfect for swimming and scuba diving!
Apps included: An alarm clock, WhatsApp and social media notifications, and weather feature.
The best fitness app or tracker for counting steps: Any mid-range or high-end smartphone
The best thing about a step counter is that it already comes with most smartphones! No need to spend extra money. Most mid-range and high-end smartphones within the Apple, Samsung and Huawei pools will have a health app that includes a step counter.
Remember, you need to have your phone on you while you’re walking to get an accurate step count. It is recommended to reach 10,000 steps a day but if you’re already reaching that and want to lose weight, maybe set yourself a goal of 15,000 steps and feel those muscles building!
The best fitness app or tracker for sleep: Sleepace SleepDot Tracker
About: If you’re looking to improve your fitness, a key part of muscle recovery is sleep. If you’re having issues with sleep, consider the Sleepace SleepDot Tracker. This device monitors sounds and your body movement to determine sleep cycles and sleep time.
Battery life: 3 – 6 months. Batteries replaceable.
Other features: The collected data is sent to your smartphone to the synced Sleepace app. There you can view your sleep reports and receive sound sleep advice.
Apps included: Heart rate monitor, breath and respiratory rate, room temperature, humidity, alarm clock and sleep tips.
The best fitness app or tracker for running: Nike Run Club
About: Nike’s running app is free to download on iOS and Android phones and has been rated one of the best running apps in the world! If you’re new to running, the app has a ton of guided runs with professional running coaches guiding you the whole way.
From a chilled 3 or 5 km run to a half marathon, you’ll be able make running a daily part of your life. For regular runners, the app tracks your per km distance, cadence, how many calories your run has burned, the elevation and each run is mapped using Google Maps.
Battery life: The Nike app can only work if your phone’s battery is charged.
Other features: Each run offers you the chance to make notes; you can choose the terrain between road, trail or track; and you can enter your effort level from 1 – 10. This allows you to go back and look at how your fitness has improved.
Apps included: You can track your heart rate too if you have a separate heart rate tracker on your phone which the Nike app will utilise.
The best fitness app or tracker for cycling/mountain biking: Garmin Edge 130 Cycling Computer
About: Garmin strikes again with this epic partner-in-crime for all those mornings spent on the road. If you’re a casual cyclist or training for a race, this little computer will be tracking your every move. It will track how far, fast and how high or low you rode. For mountain biking, the MTB Dynamics feature will track jump count, jump distance and hang time.
Battery life: Up to 12 hours.
Other features: Receive texts and notifications when paired with your smartphone. Activate LiveTrack so that your friends and family can track your ride from home. Set and follow directions on your Garmin if you’re in a new area or in low light.
How to pair a fitness tracker to your phone
There is no one-size-fits-all method of pairing a fitness tracker to your phone.
• If your tracker is an app, it’s as simple as visiting the App Store on iPhone or the Google Play Store on Android phones and downloading it.
• If you have a smart watch, Fitbit or Garmin, then it will likely be paired to your phone using Bluetooth. It will have a specific name that your phone’s Bluetooth finder will pick up. Simply tap the name on your phone to get connected.
Get your mobile fitness regime going with Mobile Store’s top phone deals and packages
From running to cycling to yoga, getting a fitness tracker or fitness apps on your phone can help you kick 2022’s fitness goals in the butt!
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