Market is full of fitness gadgets. Smart watches, fitness bands, fat percentage measuring devices, weighing scales, slimming belts, massagers, tummy trimmer, push up boards, hand gripper, sit up bar, pull up bar, ab roller, foam rollers, fancy yoga mats, skipping rope and the list is endless. They are available at the fingertips, advertised by the fitness models on the online shopping apps. Many of them are useless and just seem to be workable only from the photo on the shopping app. You realise the impracticality of the fitness gadget only when you start using it and end up wasting money.
We need only basic fitness gadgets to measure the progress towards our goals. These enable us to take decisions about our strategy towards fitness and also motivate us to keep up the good work.
WEIGHING MACHINE
A weighing machine is a must have in order to keep a track of our body weights. A daily check of the body weight is not required. Only weekly and monthly checks should be carried out. In isolation, body weight does not give you any indication of the amount of fat or muscles you have lost or gained. It only indicates the overall body weight. But body weight is an important factor when combined with measurements which we will discuss further. A digital weighing scale is desirable. It should be light weight, portable and dry battery operated.
MEASURING TAPE
A measuring tape is required to measure the circumference of the belly, thighs, calves, hip, arms, etc. Weekly records of these measurements can be kept to compare in coordination with the body weight figures. You can draw inference from measurements and body weight as follows:
| WEIGHT | MEASURE | FAT | MUSCLES |
| Constant | Belly circumference decreased | Reduced | Gained |
| Increased | Belly circumfrence decreased | Reduced | Gained |
| Decreased | Belly constant | Constant | Lost |
| Constant | Belly increased | Gain | lost |
There are many combinations as above. You can draw the inference by applying the logic that weight is a combination of fat, muscles and bones. Hip and belly circumference are indicative of the stored fat. Biceps, triceps, calf, thighs are indicative of muscles. Chest is indicative of both fat and muscles. The inferences can be drawn by comparing the regular photos in a chronological manner. The strength will automatically be measured while performing the workouts. These figures can also be noted in the measurements. For example, how much chest press you lifted this week. Analyse it in agreement with the chest circumference and photos.
DIGITAL WRIST WATCH
A digital wrist watch which can be used as a stopwatch, too would be very handy. With this, you can measure time taken to perform different workouts, rest interval between sets, resting heart rate and heart rate during workouts. Nothing more than this is required to draw inferences about your progress. Smart watches are expensive and utility is low. Data security is compromised because they disclose info about you to the digital world. Data given by a smart watch is never accepted for medical prescriptions.
HEART RATE
- Indicative of the effort you are putting in a workout. You can manipulate the intensity accordingly.
- Recovery – if your heart rate is abnormally on higher side as compared normals, your body is fighting with an infection or repairing the broken muscles by supplying blood continuously which carries nutrients to repair.
- Decrease in resting heart rate indicates your heart is getting stronger and now it needs to beat lesser times to supply the blood to your body.
CAMERA/MOBILE
To click nude photos of yourself regularly. It gives visual analysis of the progress being made and acts as a major motivational factor. A good camera or your mobile’s camera will suffice.
NOTEBOOK AND PEN
A notebook to record all the above measurements as a fitness log. In this log, you can pre-plan the workouts and meals. A record of the data of weight, measurements, heart rates and how you feel can be kept for reference later on. This notebook and pen should fit your satchel or pocket and must be kept at a place where you don’t lose them. These should be handy so that you can carry them to your workout place/gym/tracks.
These are the basic devices having high utility and practicality in your fitness journey. What other devices are you using which are useful? Please comment……..
STAY HEALTHY! STAY FIT!
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