Are wearables legit? We stress-tested the best fitness trackers and had an expert weigh in
Forget fancy handbags and designer jewelry.Today’s hottest accessory is a sleek, slim fitness tracker that can tell you everything from how well you slept to how stressed you are.And it’s not just serious biohackers, health nuts, or celebs who wear fitness trackers.
Every day, health-conscious people are embracing the trend, too.It is now estimated that a third of Americans use some form of wearable.Brands like Oura, Garmin, Apple, and Samsung dominate the market, but a growing number of emerging companies are also competing, each offering its own unique features and designs.Even politicians have jumped on the wearable trend.
Robert F.Kennedy Jr.
sparked debate after suggesting that every American should wear one, arguing that these devices provide the insights people need to take charge of their health and well-being.“My vision is every American is wearing a wearable within four years,” the Secretary of Health and Human Services told a House subcommittee back in June.“It’s a way of people taking control over their own health.
They can take responsibility.”Today’s top fitness trackers can monitor everything from heart rate and sleep cycles to stress levels and blood oxygen, with some even tracking glucose responses to meals and making predictions about women’s menstrual cycles.The Post consulted Gary Brecka, a famed human biologist and biohacker who founded Ultimate Human, for more insights into the wearable trend and what to look for in a fitness-tracking device.“Wearables have become popular because people are finally realising that health is not just about how many steps you took or how many calories you burned,” Brecka explained.
” The real value is in understanding how your body is responding to sleep, stress, training, recovery, travel, alcohol, food and daily habits.”For Brecka, the benefit isn’t the data itself.The health entrepreneur says the most important aspect of wearables is how they influence people’s behavior.“Th...