Tinsel-wrapped technology takes performance to the max

Track, measure and perform at your best with tech products giving you the edge.

Under Armour HOVR series of shoes will measure your total distance, steps, average stride length, cadence and pace.

Whether it is shopping for the active friend in your life or preparing yourself to get fit in 2020, technology wants to wrap itself around you.

Running has been a great form of exercise for decades, but if you didn’t track it on a smartwatch, did it really happen? And do you want to listen to your own thoughts while you pound the pavement or listen to the beats from Lizzo?

From your head to your toes, we’ve got some products you could consider for yourself or a lucky someone else.

Tracking your progress, regardless of your goals, can be measured by weight, muscle mass, BMI and other metrics. A product such as the Withings Body+ Smart Scale will go well beyond the dial that shows your weight.

Wi-Fi connected Withings Body+ Smart Scale will go well beyond the dial that shows your weight.

This Wi-Fi connected scale will give you a full body composition analysis and synchronise the data to your smartphone, it will even show you the weather forecast while you’re standing there. It will be able to identify up to eight different people to ensure it tracks your data correctly and helps you reach your goals.

Weighing in once a week at the same time helps give you excellent analytics, especially when you look back over a few months.

For exercise that really moves you, you need to be cable free and for the headphones to never fall off. Enjoying music throughout a workout can help you push through the pain and take you the next mile. The Beats Powerbeats Pro are lightweight earbuds that have an arm wrapping around the ear for stability.

The Beats Powerbeats Pro are lightweight earbuds that have an arm wrapping around the ear for stability.

You could do cartwheels wearing these and you won’t feel them budge. While a good fit is important, they also sound good with excellent bass and clear vocals. Whether you’re running a marathon or lifting weights in the gym, the battery will outlast you. With nine hours of charge in a single use, they will also recharge in their case once you’re done.

Measuring your performance after a workout is excellent to track your progress and improvements over time. Sharing this data with friends can also add a competitive edge or give you that little boost to get up and do it again. The Fitbit Versa 2 has all the various fitness workouts ready to be tracked, it can also guide you through exercises, helps you track recovery and sleep while also being an excellent smartwatch.

The Fitbit Versa 2 has all the various fitness workouts ready to be tracked, and can also guide you through exercises, helps you track recovery and sleep while also being an excellent smartwatch.

Taking recovery a step further, Fitbit also enables meditation guidance and mindfulness activities to keep you stress free. The Versa 2 has a built in voice assistant too, which allows you to control your watch functions but also to query how many calories are in a banana if you’re worried about them.

If you’re heading outside for a walk or ride you might need your sunglasses and headphones, but what if they could be in one product? The Bose Frames are a stylish pair of sunglasses with small speakers in the arms that connect to your smartphone via bluetooth. The audio is delivered down into your ears which only you can hear and the built-in microphone enables you to take calls at the same time.

The Bose Frames are a stylish pair of sunglasses with small speakers in the arms that connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

The audio from the Bose Frames is impressive and gives you a greater sense of safety while you can still engage with the outside world. A car approaching, a call for help or listening to know when it is safe to cross the road is easily heard while still hearing your favourite song.

If wearing the right gear gets you in the right frame of mind then the new Under Armour HOVR series of shoes will be worth a look. They offer a wide range of styles and colours but are also extremely light and comfortable to wear.

You can leave your fitness tracker at home too. The HOVR series can synchronise data to your smartphone.

The shoes will measure your total distance, steps, average stride length, cadence and pace. By just putting your shoes on, you’ll never forget to track another run.

Under Armour has made large strides recently, acquiring MapMyFitness, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal and we can now see why. The physical now blends into the virtual and you’re ready to take advantage of it all.

Geoff Quattromani is a tech commentator across radio, print, online and television. Check out his podcast “Technology Uncorked” for new information each week.