Have a techy Christmas: Gadget gift ideas for the fitness nuts in your life

PHOTO: Nintendo

Ask anyone what their new year resolution is and they’ll nearly always say that they’d like to get into or keep in shape. 

The portion of people who do follow through on that do really work out more and start eating healthier, but alas, it’s well-established for most people that this newfound spirit for fitness will last a couple of months. 

We’re here to help reduce that deflated disposition. It’s a new decade, people, time for new habits. 

To kickstart the year of healthy living, we’ve narrowed down a couple of gizmos that you can gift someone to keep their motivation going through those painful sessions in the gym, on the track, at home, and even through meals. Because, you know, they can’t eat junk anymore. 

For those already pretty jacked up in #fitspo condition, these gadgets would likely be very welcome too. Here are some tech for the fitness freaks in your life. 


Smartwatch/Fitness tracker

This seems like a no brainer of course, but yes, wearables would be the most obvious gift. Thing is, there’s a vast array of smartwatches, fitness trackers, fitness bands to choose from — which one would be the best fit for your giftee’s wrist (and operating system)? 

PHOTO: Flickr / Cedrick Hobson

For iPhone users, the choice is clear: Apple Watch Series 5 (from $599 on Apple Store). It’s pricey, sure, but it really is a good all-round smartwatch with an always-on display, LTE connectivity, NFC payments, and most importantly, a beefy health-tracking software that syncs data seamlessly with health and fitness apps on iOS. There’s a cheaper option in the form of the Apple Watch Series 3 (from $299 on Apple Store), which got a price cut recently. 

Fitbit Versa 2. PHOTO: AsiaOne / Ilyas Sholihyn

Apple doesn’t play nice with others though, so the Apple Watch won’t pair with Android devices. In that case, consider these three great choices for Android users: the Galaxy Watch Active2 ($398 via Samsung), the Fitbit Versa 2 ($318 via Lazada), and the Huawei Watch GT2 ($268 via Lazada). All three are chic yet formidable fitness-tracking smartwatches with their own specialties — Samsung went for the premium take, Fitbit offers excellent sleep-tracking features, Huawei goes hard with whopping battery life. 

PHOTO: Xiaomi

For the budget-conscious, the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 ($39.99 on Lazada) is the best value-for-money item packed with a decent bundle of fitness-tracking features at an unbeatable price. 

Jabra Elite 75t

PHOTO: Jabra

For the AirPods non-believers, Jabra’s Elite 65t have been widely considered to be one of the best truly wireless earbuds around for its superior audio quality, fit, connectivity, and (relative) affordability. This year, Jabra launched the Elite 75t ($288 via Lazada), which sports a smaller design than its predecessor but with boosted battery life and surprisingly, better sound — better even than the AirPods Pro

They’re perfect for intense workouts (the way the buds seal your ears make it real hard to slip out) and the IP55-rated protection from dust and water damage means gym sessions won’t be an issue either. They’re good for jogging safely too since the HearThrough transparency mode lets you listen to ambient sounds. The big bummer right now is that they only start shipping here from Dec 24 onwards, so if you’re in a rush to make it for Christmas, the Jabra Elite Active 65t ($239 via Lazada) is still good enough for 2019. 

Theragun Liv

Percussive therapy devices are pretty unknown among the masses, but professional athletes (and Justin Timberlake) swear by them. They’re basically handheld contraptions that thump you repeatedly, with the massager being powerful enough to penetrate deep layers of muscle with good vibrations. 

In the niche world of massage guns, Theragun is the most popular one thanks to a bevy of celebrity endorsements. Sure, you could use a foam roller to relieve muscle tension and soreness too, but having one as portable and convenient as the Theragun could yield deeper, more efficient results due to the ability to target muscle groups. The Theragun Liv ($398 on SixFive) is a no-frills version of the machine that promises to batter muscle knots into blissful submission. 

Withings Body+ Scale

PHOTO: Withings

Get your loved one a proper upgrade to their cheap bathroom scales because Wi-Fi connected body scales are the in-thing now. For the uninitiated, these modern body composition scales don’t just measure how much you weigh — they can read things like body fat percentage, muscle and bone mass, body mass index, physique rating, bone density and more when the scale runs an electrical current through your body. Don’t worry, they’re not strong enough to kill anyone. I think. 

The best one you can get is the Withings Body+ Wi-Fi scale ($129 via Lazada), which hooks up to a smartphone app called Health Mate to assist in weight loss through data-driven coaching. Heck, Health Mate even syncs together with over 100 health and fitness apps, including Apple Health and MyFitnessPal. The scale recognises up to eight users, so it’s probably a good way to keep track of an entire family’s physical health. 

MyFitnessPal Premium

PHOTO: AsiaOne

Speaking of MyFitnessPal, the popular app has a premium version that lets users have access to more fitness-focused features besides keeping track of nutrition and calories. The app itself is particularly well-received over here thanks to its massive library of food data, enabling users to log in local dishes like nasi lemak and bak chor mee. 

Unlock the premium subscription ($64.98 annually) and users will get to see macronutrient (carbs, protein, fat) breakdowns for every logged meal, get food analysed to see which are the best and worst for them, track exercises, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) calorie goals, get exclusive dieting tips, and more. No more annoying ads too, of course. 

Ring Fit Adventure

Getting into shape doesn’t have to be a slog at all, and Nintendo has a rather fun gamified way for everyone — from couch potatoes to marathoners — to keep fit everyday. The recently released Ring Fit Adventure ($132 via Lazada) is an action-RPG game for the Nintendo Switch, but with a sweaty twist. 

Using special peripherals to attach your Switch joy cons, players will literally be put to the physical test to play the game. Moving around will require jogging in place; turn-based battles will see players attacking enemies by carrying out squats and more; doing yoga poses will refill health bars. Yes, it’s all very silly, but the game’s a great incentive to get a legitimate workout right in your living room. 

ilyas@asiaone.com