6 Best Fitness Trackers 2024: Tested by Fitness and Tech Experts
<h2 class=”body-h2″>Should I Buy a Fitness Tracker?</h2><p>An easy way to decide if you should get a fitness tracker is by identifying a few key metrics you’d like to measure. In a <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/health/a41193182/heres-which-fitness-tracker-data-is-actually-useful/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/health/a41193182/heres-which-fitness-tracker-data-is-actually-useful/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”recent article”>recent article</a>, we spoke with Michael J. Joyner, M.D., a human-physiology researcher at the Mayo Clinic, to get his opinion on fitness trackers. “If your goal is to finish a 10K, then the distance you can run without stopping is more relevant than something like your respiration rate,” Dr. Joyner told MH. “You have to ask yourself how collecting more-granular data is going to help you achieve your goals.”</p><p>Before purchasing, take a second to write down your specific needs for a fitness tracker and then list some metrics you’d like to measure. Having an idea of what exactly you will be using your fitness tracker for could save you money and help you <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/health/a41193182/heres-which-fitness-tracker-data-is-actually-useful/” target=”_blank”>get the most out of your fitness tracker</a>. </p><h2 class=”body-h2″>What Is the Best Fitness Tracker Right Now? </h2><p><em></em>Over the past eight years, <em>Men’s Health </em>has tested well over 50 of the latest and greatest fitness tracker releases, spanning from brands like <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/a34317600/garmin-forerunner-745-review/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/a34317600/garmin-forerunner-745-review/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Garmin”>Garmin</a>, <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/a22746560/suunto-9-gps-watch-review/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/technology-gear/a22746560/suunto-9-gps-watch-review/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Suunto”>Suunto</a>, <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a41286799/apple-watch-ultra-review/” target=”_blank” data-vars-ga-outbound-link=”https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a41286799/apple-watch-ultra-review/” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-call-to-action=”Apple”>Apple</a>, and more. We’ve seen fitness trackers grow through each generation, which gives us an encyclopedia of knowledge in being able to cross-compare older watch models to their new versions to see if an upgrade is actually worth the price. </p><p><strong></strong><strong>Right now in 2024</strong>, we currently list six fitness trackers that are worth your hard-earned cash, but if you want to know our number one pick before we start that would be the <strong><a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-Smartwatch-Colorful-Training/dp/B0BS1T9J4Y/ref=sr_1_1″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow” data-vars-ga-ux-element=”Hyperlink” data-vars-ga-product-id=”9926b20c-05ce-4e82-82c7-8ae55dac3c74″ data-vars-ga-link-treatment=”sale | (not set)” data-href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WTV6MMY” data-product-url=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WTV6MMY” data-affiliate=”true” data-affiliate-url=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WTV6MMY” data-affiliate-network=”{"id":"29242643-49d1-404a-983c-85b499f0f894","site_id":"c7b9f75a-2f85-4251-a92e-dbc6c7213473","metadata":{},"network":{"id":"469ce69f-4798-416d-9432-eaa9954b4053","name":"Amazon","metadata":{}}}” data-vars-ga-product-brand=”Garmin” data-vars-ga-product-price=”$299.99″ data-vars-ga-product-retailer-id=”5ae2e533-dc2a-45cb-a03f-f1d3fec960a1″ data-vars-ga-product-sem3-brand=”Garmin” data-vars-ga-product-sem3-category=”Smartwatches” data-vars-ga-axid=”78e1ed90-4586-4317-ae2e-22b866fb39d5″ data-amazon-ascsubtag=”[artid|2139.a.19543741[src|[ch|[lt|sale[pid|9926b20c-05ce-4e82-82c7-8ae55dac3c74[axid|78e1ed90-4586-4317-ae2e-22b866fb39d5[ofsxid|subx_vs_jam[ofsvid|subx”>Garmin Forerunner 265</a></strong>. The tracker is versatile and lightweight, has an easy-to-use interface, and packs a ton of fun extra features—all for a respectable mid-tier price.</p><h2 class=”body-h2″>What to Look for When Buying a Fitness Tracker</h2><p>Fitness trackers can get expensive real fast. To help find the right fitness tracker for you, consider these three key factors first and foremost before looking at shiny features.</p><h3 class=”body-h3″>Accuracy<br></h3><p>The accuracy of a fitness tracker begins and ends with how precisely it tracks your heart rate (most other stats, with the exception of new hydration tracking features, are derived from this baseline data). This mark is as much about pure accuracy as it is about consistency of accuracy, which is key in helping you understand your own fitness trends. We rated Wasimo W1 as the most accurate fitness tracker due to our Fitness Director’s findings on the device.</p><h3 class=”body-h3″>Battery Life</h3><p>With the exception of the Apple Watch Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (two fitness trackers that are equal parts <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/style/g33482000/best-smart-watches-for-men/” target=”_blank”>smart watch</a>), the fitness trackers we tested are all designed to run for days (even weeks) on a single charge. We love a fitness tracker that needs minimal charge, and we also love a fitness tracker that can run for a long time when running its GPS mode. Two fitness trackers that surprised us when testing battery life include the Suunto Race with GPS turned on (up to 40 hours on a single charge) and the Coros Pace 3 (over two weeks on a single charge when set to its most basic mode). </p><h3 class=”body-h3″>Durability</h3><p>All fitness trackers are made to take a beating, but some are better designed than others. Look at case construction and screen construction. The most advanced fitness trackers are typically made with stainless steel, titanium, or another type of quality metal. For screens, sapphire glass is a premium spec to look for thanks to its high scratch resistance and strength. Sometimes the most durable fitness tracker is unnecessary, though, especially if you are using it for pavement running. In fact, a plastic construction fitness tracker can be a much better choice for cardio-intensive activities like running and biking, since the material is going to be much lighter than stainless steel or titanium. On the flip side, if you are using your fitness tracker for strength training (or hiking or <a href=”https://www.menshealth.com/trail-running/” target=”_blank”>trail running</a>) it would make sense to look for stronger materials. </p><h2 class=”body-h2″>How We Selected</h2><p>For the past eight years, we consulted with <em>Men’s Health</em>’s fitness and gear editors on the top fitness trackers. Experts, including our Fitness Director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., our Senior Editor Brett Williams, NASM, and our Senior Gear and Commerce Editor John Thompson, put countless fitness trackers through the gauntlet and evaluated models on accuracy, design, durability, and price. We update our lineup of fitness trackers seasonally, so you can expect up-to-date information that takes into account the latest fitness tracker releases. </p>”/>
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Best Fitness Tracker Overall
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Garmin Forerunner 265
Best Fitness Tracker Overall
Garmin Forerunner 265
Credit: John Thompson
Cons
Touch screen
Learning curve when tracking strength training
The Forerunner 265 is about as balanced of a fitness tracker as one can find. It has a beautiful AMOLED display, making it easy to read in all parts of the day (even in direct sunlight). It comes in a 42mm and 46mm size. The Forerunner 265 is also seriously lightweight (well under 50 grams), so you won’t have any concerns about feeling the device on your wrist.
As far as navigation goes, the Forerunner 265 has five clean buttons to help aid in touchscreen navigation. We had trouble at times scrolling on the touchscreen after running in cold and windy weather (it seemed like the screen wasn’t responding to our dry hands), but a quick pivot to using the buttons helped avoid any serious navigation issues. We do like how the Forerunner 265 ditches a scrollable crown; it makes the watch leaner and removes common issues where the crown can catch dirt or dig into the wrist when wearing.
The best part about the Forerunner 265: it’s library of features. You get heart rate variability (HRV), zone training, and even sleep tracking. New to the Forerunner 265 is also Garmin’s Training Readiness, which used to only be available on more expensive Garmin watch models. Training Readiness is fun to have because it takes into account metrics like sleep score, recovery time, acute training load, HRV status, and more to determine when your body is best suited for a hard workout—and when you might need to dial it back for the day so your training doesn’t become counter productive.
The Forerunner 265’s wide array of workout modes you can choose from makes it super versatile. The Forerunner 265 is actually pretty comfortable to wear during strength training. As far as tracking strength training, the device will actually track your different sets and number of reps. Now, the learning curve on programming your strength training is more difficult than we like, but once you learn how to insert your workouts—and once you get in the habit of tapping your watch as you move to your next set—the feature is actually pretty fun to use.
Inside the Garmin app, you have a ton of other interesting features. There’s a section on race training and planning, where you can log your upcoming events and program in your specific workouts. There’s an “Insights” feature which lets Garmin send you motivational messages and training suggestions. Then there’s a “Gear” section, a feature we especially loved testing, where you can log in products like your running shoes and track how many miles you put into them before you need a new pair (we reported a good rule of thumb to replace your running shoes is between 300-500 miles).
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The Forerunner 265 is your all-around player to helping achieve your fitness goals. Look here first before you start examining other fitness trackers.
Weight
47g
Battery Life
Up to 13 days in smartwatch mode. Up to 20 hours in GPS mode
Water Resistance
50m
Sizes Available
42mm, 46mm
Satellite Systems
Garmin Multi-Band GPS
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
1 year
Most Underrated Fitness Tracker
Suunto Race
Most Underrated Fitness Tracker
Suunto Race
Credit: John Thompson
Cons
Screen size and weight might be too bulky for some
We recommend buying the titanium edition for $100 more to help cut down on watch weight
Big, bright, and packaged in a cool, rugged style: that’s what we noticed at a first glance when testing the titanium edition of the Suunto Race. For years, Suunto has been making great fitness trackers and outdoor watches, but after testing the Race we believe this is the best Suunto device we’ve ever tested.
For starters, Suunto did not try and go toe-to-toe with Garmin on packing in a ton of features, which is a good thing. Instead, the Suunto Race delivers core features like heart rate variability (HRV), GPS tracking, zone training to determine workout intensity, and Vo2 max estimates. The Suunto app if straightforward and easy to navigate all this captured data. As for the user interface of the watch, we found no issue with lagging like other fitness trackers sometimes have.
Our two favorite highlights from the Race’s software includes the GPS system (the Race connects to 5 satellite systems to track your routes in crowded cities and outdoor trails), and the zone training readings (this is especially useful to have if you are focusing on zone 2 training).
Here’s where the Suunto Race sets itself a part from other fitness trackers: it’s physical design. We tested the titanium case edition of the Race (which is an extra $100 in price), but if we had to choose again we would recommend the titanium over the stainless steel due to the lighter weight (the titanium edition weighs 69 grams compared to the stain steel’s 83 grams). Suunto added a bright AMOLED touch screen to its 49 millimeter case size to take the watch to the next level in terms of visibility and crisp graphics. The last great feature of the Suunto Race is its battery. It can pack up to a 40 hours on Performance Mode (heart rate and GPS turned on), and up to 26 days in Standby Mode (heart rate off and no training).
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The Suunto Race is a rugged fitness tracker with high durability, clean user interaction, and solid instruments. You can use it for multi-sport training, outdoor activities, and even strength training. When you’re not working out, you can toss it on your wrist and get some cool style points out of it.
Weight
69g
Battery Life
Up to 40 hours in Performance mode. Up to 5 days in Tour mode. Up to 26 days with daily heart rate off.
Water Resistance
100m
Sizes Available
49mm
Satellite Systems
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BEIDOU
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
2 years
Best Fitness Tracker Deal
Coros Pace 3
Best Fitness Tracker Deal
Coros Pace 3
Credit: John Thompson
Cons
Has a touchscreen, but really it’s best to navigate with its button
LED screen isn’t as bright and vibrant as AMOLED
The Coros Pace series has been one of the best bang for your buck GPS fitness trackers for a few years now. The latest Pace 3 watch is our definitive best value pick in 2024 thanks to its featherweight design, reliable readings, and simple user interface.
On design, the Pace 3 pairs its lightweight build with some of the longest battery life out of the fitness trackers we tested; we’re talking 30 hours of use in GPS mode and over two weeks in its basic mode with GPS turned off. The Pace 3 does have a touchscreen interface that we found works pretty well for being such a small screen, but really this is a watch best navigated by its buttons (the scrollable crown is smooth and responsive).
There aren’t a ton of features on the Pace 3, but there are definitely enough to make it worth the buy. You have essentials like heart rate monitoring (with zone heart rate training breakdowns you can access in the app), and GPS tracking for route running. The watch also comes with a barometric altimeter to provide elevation data, which is fun to use when trail running. One of our favorite features to use on the Pace 3 was installing the weather widget. The weather widget sources data from Apple Weather and provides a mapping of hour-by-hour weather on your watch, making it useful on days when you are dealing with intermittent bursts of rain.
The two biggest downsides of the Pace 3 are its plastic construction and its screen brightness. The durability of the plastic is actually pretty tough, and even protective up to 50 meters when exposed to water. However, the plastic is still more susceptible to cracking or damage than a stainless steel or titanium fitness tracker would be (the tradeoff between these materials though, is the plastic construction makes the Pace 3 lighter). On screen brightness, the Pace 3 gets by on visibility for both day and night, but after we tested fitness trackers with AMOLED, it became pretty hard adjust back to a downgraded screen (the Pace 3 has a color LCD screen).
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Last note we’ll add is the user experience. The Pace 3 is a fun watch that doesn’t try and do too much. In fact, its perfect if you are looking for an entry level fitness tracker or if you want a device that won’t break the bank. The Pace 3 will still deliver notifications from your phone to wrist, so you won’t be in the dark on texts or calls (the device won’t make calls, though). The Pace 3 includes several different digital watch face designs you can apply. Coros even has several different models of the Pace 3, with nylon band and silicon band offerings that are more unique than other fitness trackers you can find. To illustrate Coros’ availability of cool designs, we asked to test the special edition color made for professional runner Ellud Kipchoge.
Weight
30g
Battery Life
Up to 17 days in smart watch mode. Up to 38 hours in GPS mode
Water Resistance
50m
Sizes Available
42mm
Satellite Systems
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
2 years
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Best Fitness Tracker for iPhone Users
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Best Fitness Tracker for iPhone Users
Apple Watch Ultra 2
Cons
Popular colors sell out fast
Battery life not as long as other outdoor watches
Blood oxygen monitoring removed for the time being
With a starting price of $799, the Apple Watch Ultra may seem pricey, but it’s not really outlandish compared to other devices in the same tier. In fact, one can argue the Ultra is in a class of its own, blending the superior day-to-day use of an Apple Watch with rugged specs one might see on the most expensive Garmin and Suunto watches. It contains the same new features as the Apple Watch Series 8, plus a few more. You get a bigger watch face, a seriously strong titanium frame, boosted battery life, and 100 meters of water resistance.
After wearing the Ultra for over a year now, we’ve noticed it reacts quite well to nasty falls and dings. It’s fallen from shoulder high and smacked right into concrete and come away unscathed. It’s also come in contact with an olympic barbell from time to time. None of this means you shouldn’t remember to flip your Ultra face to the inside of your wrist before a set of kettlebell cleans, but you do get peace of mind knowing that this watch can take a pounding.
The Ultra delivers a bigger screen than a Series 8, a unique Wayfinder face with a live compass, a siren for turning on in emergencies, a water temperature sensor, a depth gauge, and an upgraded speaker and microphone setup. The Ultra’s biggest win, though, is (you guessed it) its ultra-seamless link to iPhones. Nothing beats the easy pairing (and later, data sharing) that can take place between any Apple Watch and an iPhone. We’ve come to trust the Ultra for occasional everyday wear, traveling, and fitness.
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Editor’s Note: Apple has been sued by California-based Masimo over potential patent infringement of its blood-oxygen monitoring technology, though the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has temporarily granted Apple the ability to sell the watch the watch in the United States.
Weight
61g
Battery Life
Up to 36 hours
Water Resistance
100m
Sizes Available
49mm
Satellite Systems
Dual-frequency GPS
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
1 year
Most Accurate Fitness Tracker
Masimo W1 Sport
Most Accurate Fitness Tracker
Masimo W1 Sport
Cons
Doesn’t have music storage or phone notifications
Barebones design
The Masimo W1 is a favorite of MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, and it’s increasingly brought up in our office conversations. Why? Because he’s found it to be the most accurate tracker on the market. During testing, Samuel wore both the W1 and a pulse oximeter similar to those used to track heart rate in hospitals. The W1 was within two beats per minute of the pulse oximeter at all times. (Another popular fitness tracker was often 10 beats per minute off from the oximeter during the same test.) “The W1 is the most accurate smartwatch I’ve ever used, period,” says Samuel. It’s also forward-thinking, aiming to track your hydration levels via a suite of Hydration Index stats.
The W1’s ultimate calling card, though, is its tremendous accuracy. Typically, if you want the most accurate heart rate readings during a run or training, you’d want to don a wearable heart rate strap around your torso. The W1’s pinpoint accuracy changes that.
Unfortunately, the W1 doesn’t do much else: it has zero ability to download or listen to music and doesn’t send phone notifications. It’s also $500, which is a steep price for a fitness watch. Thus the ultimate decision on the W1 comes down to how serious you are about tracking your fitness, and how little you care about special features or sleek and sexy watch design.
Thankfully Masimo has a few releases up its sleeve in 2024. We’re hoping they roll out some more user friendly fitness trackers that do more than just provide hardcore accuracy, but, if not, we won’t be complaining.
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Weight
34g
Battery Life
Up to 24 hours
Water Resistance
50m
Sizes Available
40mm
Satellite Systems
None
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
3 years
Best Fitness Tracker for Android Users
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Best Fitness Tracker for Android Users
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Now 15% Off
Cons
Battery life can fluctuate from watch to watch
Not ideal for iPhone users
No iPhone? No problem. The Galaxy Watch 6 can go anywhere thanks to a large scratch-resistant screen and a strong titanium case. Our favorite features include advanced sleep coaching that analyzes your sleep habits and suggests what you can do to improve, as well as a body composition reader. In just a few seconds, the Galaxy Watch 6 works to tell you your vitals (it even provides a body fat estimate). These stats are prone to inaccuracy (few home devices can accurately track body fat), but we give props to Samsung for trying to push metrics to another level.
The Galaxy Watch 6 also delivers the features you’ve come to expect in high-end smartwatches. That means accurate GPS specs and voice navigation. Nailing these features (as Samsung does) is extra-critical in 2024, in part because the Galaxy Watch 6 actually has some new competition for Android users (namely, from Google’s Pixel Watch).
The Galaxy Watch gets the edge as our preferred pick for Android owners thanks to several generations of trial and error. The array of features available and the materials used to craft the watch have been optimized a few times over, thus producing a seriously strong, long-lasting fitness tracker (and everyday smart watch) most users will be happy adding to their training arsenal.
Weight
33g
Battery Life
Up to 24 hours
Water Resistance
50m
Sizes Available
40mm, 44mm
Satellite Systems
GPS
Sleep Tracking
Yes
Warranty
1 year
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More Factors to Consider
Aside from looking at accuracy, battery life, and durability, there are a few more key factors you can look at before buying a fitness tracker.
Weight
A lightweight fitness tracker feels amazing on the wrist. For activities like running, biking, and swimming, the lighter the fitness tracker, the better. The Coros Pace 3 and the Garmin Forerunner 265 are two of our lightest fitness trackers we recommend.
When it comes to strength training, hiking, trail running and more, a fitness tracker with strong materials that prioritizes durability might be a better choice. The downside is some of these watches are heavier than some might prefer. Our hack? Opt for spending more if there’s a lighter metal available—like with the Suunto Race titanium edition versus the stainless steel.
Music Storage
A handful of our fitness trackers above come with memory to store music offline. This is a great feature to have if you like to use your fitness tracker without your phone nearby. Consider the amount of memory in your fitness tracker if you like to listen to music offline, without using data to stream from your preferred music app.
Sleep Tracking
A lot of the latest fitness trackers (and smart watches) are coming with sleep tracking features. We’ve written about sleep trackers a number of times. We like the tech, but it’s important to note sleep trackers will not improve sleep. They will just provide you with data to interpret your sleeping patterns and make adjustments (which can be a huge payoff for some).
Some of our fitness trackers include sleep tracking data in recovery scores and training readiness scores. The main example of this would be in the Garmin Forerunner 265’s Training Readiness feature, since sleep history is one of the metrics Garmin notes it uses for calculating this score.
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Buying the Latest Model
Choosing the right fitness tracker comes down to getting the features you need at the right price, so yes, we took price into consideration, too. You’re always deciding between price and features when you deal with tech, though. Just remember: In theory, you’ll be with your news smartwatch for a year or two, so it may not be a bad idea to purchase something a bit more cutting-edge, so you can get more mileage out of your device.
Are Fitness Trackers Worth the Money?
As long as you understand that a fitness tracker should not dictate your performance during your workout, then a fitness tracker is definitely worth the money. Some individuals (including ourselves from time to time) can get caught up in looking at our fitness tracker during our workouts, but it’s important to know these devices aren’t accurate like medical devices.
Instead of focusing so hard on the numbers, ask yourself if you are feeling stronger and do a check on how your body feels the next day. Make sure to finish your workout too (you don’t want to be falling short of a workout just because your fitness tracker was over programmed to make you burn more calories than you need).
If you use your fitness tracker as a supplementary tool to gauge your performance, then you’ll put yourself on the right track to potentially optimizing your health to a whole new level.
The beauty of a standing abs workout is that you do not need a mat, much space, or to get down on the ground for any of the exercises. That makes it easy to fit into a busy day, whether you are working out at home, short on space, or prefer to stay off the floor altogether.
None of that means it is easier or delivers fewer results. Pilates instructor and Balance Body Educator Portia Page built this five-move, all-standing core workout to show that you can still challenge your abs effectively without a mat or traditional floor exercises.
Her routine focuses on strength, rotation, balance and power, training the core in an upright position that mirrors how it works in everyday movement and exercise. To get the most out of the workout, having a handle on how to switch your core on can make a real difference.
What is the workout?
1. Standing “Hollow” Scoop + Reach + Deep Squat
Stand tall, feet hip-width, knees soft.
Exhale and scoop your abs up and in (think: ribs to hips, belly hollow).
Keeping the scoop, reach your arms overhead, maintaining the scoop.
Keeping the arms up, bend your knees and sit back & down into a deep, low squat
Straighten legs, lower arms and lift heels into a balance
Repeat, moving slowly down and up
2. High Knee Twist with Extension
Lift your right knee to hip height slowly.
Rotate your ribs toward (not down to) the lifted knee.
Lower leg and extend behind while rotating & extending in the opposite direction.
Repeat 5-10x on one side, repeat the same amount on the other.
Make it harder: Lift the knee higher than hip height and/or hold arms overhead.
3. Lateral Side Crunch
Stand tall, hands behind your head.
Shift weight to one leg.
Lift the opposite leg out to the side.
Pull your ribs toward your lifted hip like a side crunch.
Lower leg and crunch to the other side.
Repeat 5-10 times on each side.
Make it harder: Keep the leg lifted the whole interval. Your obliques will file a complaint!
4. Woodchop Squat & Twist
Bring your hands together over your right shoulder.
Bend the knees slightly, then powerfully chop down toward the left hip.
Pause at the bottom, stop the momentum, then return slowly to start.
Repeat 5-10 times on each side.
5. Single-Leg Hover Hold with Rotation
Stand tall with arms stretched to the side, shift weight to the left foot.
Lift right knee to hip height.
Extend the right leg straight forward, creating an upside-down L-shape while rotating the upper body to the right, and bend the right knee.
Straighten the standing leg and twist back to center.
Repeat 5-10 times. Switch legs.
What’s so good about standing abs workouts?
Standing ab exercises challenge the core in a more upright, everyday way than floor-based exercises do. Instead of working from a fixed position on a mat, you are asking your body to remain stable while standing, moving and balancing, which naturally brings more of the core into play.
Pilates instructor Page explains that this routine works the core through rotation, anti-rotation and lateral stability, the types of strength you use when walking, lifting, or changing direction. Because you are on your feet, balance becomes part of the challenge too, and even small wobbles force the deeper muscles to switch on.
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She also includes elements of controlled power and standing hollow work, which asks the core to absorb and redirect force rather than just hold tension. The result is a stronger, more responsive midsection, without the need for any planks or crunches.
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Fitness and health apps have been promising “smart coaches” and “personalised training plans” for years. But, to date, most programmes have been like online shopping recommendations, with exercises broadly matching your demographic profile and performance level.
However, the rapid advances in real-time image recognition, generative AI and natural language processing are bringing an AI coach worthy of the name within our grasp. And not just for high-tech gyms like Lumin, but also for people working out at home or in the park. Peloton, for example, films how you exercise and provides feedback in real time. Google has also announced AI-powered personalised fitness and health advice for its Fitbit range.
HYROX pro athlete Jake Dearden putting in the work on an indoor bike
Market analysts think the AI fitness market could be worth close to $35b USD by 2030. But how close are we to that future? Which company is training up the supertrainer? And how will that change the way we exercise, sweat and track our progress? And what do we need to know about this new world?
Harnessing AI’s potential to make personalised training available to all
Most fitness apps give generic exercise suggestions
Confidence Udegbue has the perfect CV for designing an AI coach. The Vice President of Product at fitness app Freeletics studied electrical and computer engineering and teaches fitness classes in his free time. His broad shoulders, muscular biceps and infectious spirit are a dead giveaway: this guy knows what he’s talking about.
“In the gym, I can see immediately when someone I’m teaching is making a mistake,” says Udegbue. “But that expertise is hard to scale.” Freeletics is trying to solve that problem with AI. The app has been using a predictive algorithm since 2019 to suggest workouts based on demographic data and self-assessed fitness levels. This means that a 39-year-old man who has been training for two years and is at level 63 in the app won’t receive the same instructions as a 25-year-old beginner.
Freeletics uses AI-based motion analysis powered by models like those from Google’s MediaPipe framework, which includes BlazePose – the successor to the earlier PoseNet model. The models provide a skeletal muscle database that can replicate all types of exercises, for which Freeletics sports scientists then define the movements. That way, the system can assess whether that squat you just did went low enough.
Can an AI coach give useful real-time workout feedback?
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World-class sabre fencer Olga Kharlan checks her phone
In 2024, Freeletics introduced the Coach+ feature – an AI-powered chatbot with Freeletics expertise and access to anonymised data from over 59m user journeys. Users can ask the virtual coach questions like, “How can I build muscle mass?” or “I feel weak – how can I motivate myself?”
Freeletics is currently testing a version that will allow the app to see you work out. As of April, users have been able to record themselves exercising on their smartphones. “AI counts the reps and gives direct feedback,” Udegbue says. That is particularly helpful because even experienced athletes do not always perform pistol squats or burpees correctly.
A personal coach was long the preserve of Hollywood actors, top models and CEOs – a highly competent service provider, always available whenever a slot opened up in their client’s busy schedule. They know their clients’ allergies, preferences and weak spots. They always know how to set the pace. Sometimes they’re pushy, sometimes they go easy. They are a mix of therapist, personal assistant and best friend – open 24/7, all major credit cards accepted.
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In the soccer world, the manager is often called “boss” – a figure of respect who takes care of the players both on and off the field. A good coach can tell when something is off in a movement – when the person’s mind is elsewhere, or they’re lacking energy. Anyone who has had that person in their life knows that a good coach is worth their weight in gold, which is why there are coaches for everything – careers, relationships, nutrition – and why the idea of a personalised fitness coach is so appealing.
AI has no body or talent. It doesn’t know what it feels like for sweat to run down the skin or for muscles to cramp or for adrenaline to rush through the veins. But it does recognise patterns and make predictions that we humans can use increasingly often and, in the best-case scenario, find out more about ourselves in the process.
Mirrors show you how you see yourself. But the Magic AI Mirror promises that you will like what you see if you follow the exercises and tips on the reflective screen. Behind the glass surface is an AI coach who steers your workouts in real time.
Growl goes even deeper into movement detection. The start-up has developed an exercise boxing bag that captures every movement with 3D cameras and Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology. AI corrects your posture or encourages you when your energy decreases.
Whoop’s fitness trackers combine biometric data with generative AI. If you’re wondering when you got your best sleep, you’ll get a precise answer: “On July 14, because the allergy season was over and you didn’t drink alcohol.” You can chat with your body.
Freeletics is also banking on predictive AI. “Soon the system will recognise that user X has had an increased resting heart rate for days, so I won’t suggest high-intensity exercises,” says Udegbue.
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The vision all companies are working on is a multimodal coach: AI that unlocks information – biometrics, genetics, video, training history – and conveys it intuitively to the user. But a perfect coach is more than just an algorithm. Researchers are working on reinforcement learning systems that set individual step goals that are challenging but achievable, and adapt whenever progress has been made.
“We will not be able to deliver on the promise of absolute personalisation for the mass market,” Eskofier says. But before you lose hope, you should know what he means by personalisation.
His laboratory supports, among other people, Sebastian Steudtner, the big wave surfer and world record holder. To do this, they measured his body in an MRI scanner, carried out psychological assessments, calculated strength curves and even fitted his surfboard and wetsuit with sensors.
Eskofier’s team created Steudtner’s digital twin. By the time the project concluded in May 2025, their AI system could already discuss with a real coach what angle Steudtner should surf a 100-foot wave at, and whether he’d be strong enough to do it.
The one thing AI will never change in fitness training
No equipment, no excuses – embrace the simplicity of pure movement
“We can’t offer that service to millions of people,” Eskofier says. “But these systems can still create real added value.” He believes AI coaches are a good base: “AI can take over data processing and routine personalisation, while real coaches can focus on mentoring.”
AI coaches are getting smarter all the time, too, which is why it’s important to know what they can and can’t do. Limited data sets can lead to bias if too few women or people of below-average height are represented in the data.
“No matter how good the technology gets, one thing will never change,” says Udegbue. “A coach can only make you better if you want to be better yourself, too.” It’s all in your hands.
Credit: René Ramos/Lifehacker/ZaZa studio/Adobe Stock/Andriy Onufriyenko/Moment/Vadym Kalitnyk/iStock/Getty Images
I have a love-hate relationship with the smartwatch on my wrist. This relationship is no doubt shaped by the fact that I write about fitness tech for a living, but I know I’m not alone in succumbing to an obsession with numbers from my wearables. Did I hit 10,000 steps? What’s my resting heart rate today? Is my sleep score better than yesterday’s? When did progressive overload turn into screen time overload, too?
The fitness tech boom is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon—and with it, we consume a constant stream of promises that this data will make us healthier, stronger, and faster. With the sheer amount of health insights potentially available to us at any time, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I’ve watched my least health-anxious friends become consumed by metrics they’d never heard of two years ago. They’re tracking bone density trends, obsessing over cortisol levels, panicking about stress scores that fluctuate for reasons no algorithm can fully explain. I can feel my fitness trackers pull me away from genuine wellness and into a mental health disaster. The good news: When I look up from my screens and start talking to real people, I see I’m not alone in wanting to unplug and push back against the overly quantified self.
A growing anti-tech fitness movement
When I put out a call on Instagram asking people about their relationship with posting workout data and fitness content, I received hundreds of responses from people exhausted by the performance of fitness. Even if your only audience is your own reflection, simply owning a wearable can create a real barrier between feeling good about your body and your fitness journey. Did I work out enough today? Will my friends see that I skipped a workout? Should I push through injury to maintain my streak?
For these reasons, celebrity trainer Lauren Kleban says she doesn’t like to rely on wearables at all. “Counting steps or calories can quickly spiral into a bit of an obsession,” says Kleban, and that “takes the joy out of movement and away from learning what’s truly best for us.” She says her clients want to focus on their mind and body connection, now more than ever. There’s a real, growing desire to rebuild a sense of intuition that doesn’t depend on feedback from a watch.
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Similarly, Marshall Weber, a certified personal trainer and owner of Jack City Fitness, says that he’s “definitely been surprised by the growing push towards unplugged fitness,” but that he “totally gets it.” Weber says he’s had clients express feeling “overwhelmed with their Fitbit or Apple Watch micromanaging their training.” When every workout becomes about numbers and keeping up with an average, it’s all too easy to lose touch with your body. “The anti-tech movement is about taking back that personal connection,” Weber says. After all, when was the last time you finished a workout and didn’t immediately look at your stats, but instead just noticed how you felt?
This is the paradox at the heart of fitness technology. Tools designed to help us understand our bodies have created a new kind of illiteracy. Maybe you can tell me why you’re aiming for Zone 2 workouts, but can’t actually recognize what that effort feels like without a screen telling you. In a sense, you might be outsourcing your own intuition to algorithms.
If nothing else, the data risks are real. (Because if you think you own all your health data, think again.) Every heart rate spike, every missed workout, every late-night stress indicator gets recorded, stored, and potentially shared. Still, for me, the more insidious risk is psychological: the erosion of our ability to know ourselves without consulting a device first.
What do you think so far?
How to unplug and exercise intuitively
So what does unplugged fitness actually look like in practice? It’s not about rejecting all technology or pretending GPS watches and heart rate monitors don’t have value—I promise. Look, I crave data and answers as much as—and maybe more than—the average gym-goer. I’m simply not woo-woo enough to ditch my Garmin altogether.
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Instead, I argue for re-establishing a hierarchy in which technology serves your training, not the other way around. “Sometimes, the best performance boost is just learning to listen to what your body is saying and feeling,” says Weber. But what does “listening to your body” actually look like?
If you’re like me, and need to rebuild a connection with your body from the ground-up, try these approaches:
Start with tech-free workouts. Designate certain runs, yoga sessions, or strength workouts as completely unplugged. No watch, no phone, no tracking. Notice what changes when there’s no device to check.
Relearn your body’s signals. Can you gauge your effort level without looking at a heart rate monitor? Do you actually know what “recovery pace” feels like for you, or are you just matching a number? Practice assessing fatigue, energy, soreness, and readiness without checking your watch.
Replace metrics with sensory awareness. Instead of tracking pace, notice your breathing pattern. Instead of counting calories burned, pay attention to how your muscles feel. Instead of obsessing over sleep scores, ask yourself a simple question in the morning: how do I actually feel?
Set goals that can’t be gamified. Rather than chasing step counts or streak days, aim for qualitative improvements. Can you hold a plank with better form? Does that hill feel easier than last month? Are you enjoying your workouts more? These are the markers of real progress.
Create tech boundaries. Maybe you use your GPS watch for long runs but leave it home for everything else. Perhaps you track workouts but delete the social features. Find the minimum effective dose of technology that serves your goals without dominating your headspace.
Reconnect with in-person community. The loss of shared gym culture—people actually talking to each other instead of staying plugged into individual screens—represents more than just nostalgia. There’s real value in working out alongside others, in having conversations about training instead of just comparing data, in building knowledge through shared experience rather than algorithm-driven insights.
The bottom line
Unplugging is easier said than done, but you don’t need to go cold turkey. Maybe in the new year, you can set “body literacy” as a worthwhile resolution. At the end of the day, exercise should add to your life, not become another source of performance anxiety. It should be energizing, not exhausting—and I don’t just mean physically. The never-ending irony of modern fitness culture is that in our pursuit of optimal health, we keep inventing new forms of stress and anxiety. When all forms of wellness come with trackable metrics and social pressure, I think we’ve fundamentally missed the point.
