Top 10 Sports Monitoring Gadgets

Technical upgrades to sport performance monitoring can keep an eye on your health rhythms at work, at play and in flight.

- Rachel Jacqueline

Growing up, going for a run meant simply putting on my trainers and heading out the door. These days, I won’t leave the house until I’m plugged into my music, and I won’t start running until satellites begin tracking on my GPS-enabled watch, keeping tabs on my distance, pace and heart rate while I run.

Some say technology has made us lazy. Everything is electronic these days, so we no longer have to do so many of the things we used to. And with millions of hours of entertainment at our fingertips, why leave the couch?

Another view is that technology has buoyed our health and fitness regimes. Technology is making us fitter and faster than ever before. From motivational tools to measuring devices, no step, stroke or pedal has been left untouched by technology.

And this is good news for those who are constantly on the go. We are more motivated to exercise and have more information telling us about the exercise we are doing. With sensors and alarms, bleeps and screen blips, technology helps us stick to our routine, no matter the time zone. Instantaneous feedback on our weight, daily movements and sleep means we can keep an eye on how we’re doing while away from home.

Since inactivity has been discovered as a bigger contributor to health risks than smoking, most tracking devices and sophisticated sports watches now include sensors to remind us to keep moving every 45 minutes. Long-haul flights need no longer be sedentary back-to-back movie marathons, but snoozing sessions broken up with walking breaks to satisfy our buzzing wearable devices.

Not convinced? Feed your curiosity with a collection of our favorite sporting gadgets.

1 BEST RUNNING GADGET

Garmin