Should You Get a Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker?

Even the world’s biggest technophobes will admit that both smartwatches and fitness trackers have revolutionised the fitness & health world. Okay, so they aren’t totally accurate, and yes, some of them have weird, gimmicky measuring tools that you don’t need or are hard to understand (I’m looking at you Personalised Activity Intelligence), and of course some of them can be expensive (ahem, yes you Garmin Fenix 6X PRO Solar). 

HOWEVER, they can do a helluva lot of good. But, and this is a crucial but, it only works if you know what (and why) you’re measuring and if you use the tools correctly. And of course, these high-tech wrist tools are fantastic – but they can’t do the training for you. The first step: to understand the difference between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, and then you can use these rules to get the most out of your new electronic training buddy. 

1. Heart rate (HR) monitoring is the most critical metric. You probably didn’t expect that, right? Yes, the new Apple Watch can measure oxygen in your blood (the research is conflicting on the accuracy), but we’re sticking with good old heart rate monitoring. Here’s why: even if the tracker or smartwatch is slightly out in terms of accuracy, at least it provides a standard benchmark for you to work with. You’ll need this to work out your heart rate zones, and to make sure you’re putting in the effort required for High-Intensity Interval Training (HITT is one of the weapons that makes The Movement Empire so good at torching fat and building muscle). The latest trackers and watches will tell when, and for how long, you’re in each zone. Another side benefit of this: when your average heart rate starts lowering, it’s a great sign that you’re getting fitter. On the flip side, if you wake up and your resting heart rate is ten beats higher than average – it’s a sign you may need some more recovery, or you might be getting sick. Some of the fancier watches will even give your VO2 Max, a measurement of how fit you are (it’s a record of how your body processes oxygen for performance). One thing to keep in mind: those external chest straps for heart rate measuring are STILL proving to be more accurate than the fancy optical sensors – so that’s another option if you really want to be accurate. But in any case, most trackers and smartwatches offer decent HR measurement.
   
   

2. Counting steps is crucial. Seriously. Before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Walking has been proven to be one of the best forms of low-impact exercise, and it’s a brilliant form of recovery. We are huge fans of consistency, so getting over 10km of steps daily is a worthy goal, and it can have enormous benefits for weight loss, mobility and recovery. As with HR measurement, most trackers and smartwatches offer this, but the GPS-powered options are more accurate (and work much better for runners and cyclists too). 

3. Now we can talk about calories. This may come as a shock, but while knowing how many calories you’ve burnt during exercise can be a decent indication of how hard you have worked, it’s also proven to be much more inaccurate than HR measurement. While it’s good to know what your average calorie burn in a session is, it shouldn’t be the primary driver for your workout plan. You don’t want to train each session to burn a certain amount of calories; you want to aim for either performance goals – like for example, a certain number of reps or circuits or staying within the target heart rate zone. In our opinion, stick to rule one, and keep this as a secondary measurement that you can track as a nice-to-have. 

4. And what about sleep? To be fair, this is where the research has been mixed as the products use different formulas. The bottom line: if the tracker or smartwatch sleep measuring tool helps you get more quality sleep by improving your sleep habits, then it’s a huge help. Once again, it’s not as important as the first two metrics above, but it does have potential.
   
   

Right, now you know what you need – it’s down to the decisions; GPS-enabled watches are more accurate in counting distances and pace, but they normally have shorter battery life and are more expensive. And on the note of battery life – that’s a big difference between trackers and smartwatches; the latter offers more in terms of features, but the battery life, on average, is way less. In some cases, you’ll need to charge your smartwatch every day, while some trackers can last a week before recharging. The good news? Most of the latest trackers and smartwatches have everything you need on this list; now you just need the right training plan and partners – and we’ve got you covered there! Sign up now for foolproof, proven results!

Ready to start building your best body? Sign up here for our plan at only R199 ($14.99) per month – that’s just R16.50 ($1.23) a session – or R160 ($11.99) per month on the annual plan, and you get a personal trainer in your pocket. You log in, press play, and follow the talented coaches. Ready to join The Movement Empire? Sign up here.