Smartwatches & Fitness Trackers

Christmas is right around the corner, so there’s no better time to invest in your health and fitness than with a shiny new fitness tracker. We’ve rounded up our favourites:

Looking for a more affordable, slim option? Xiaomi’s (mi-store.com.au) latest tech is the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 ($99.95). Boasting a greater focus on sports mode than earlier models, you can now switch to 11 sports – rowing machine, yoga, outdoor running, elliptical machine, pool swimming, indoor and outdoor cycling, rope skipping, treadmill, walking and free training – to get better stats on your performance. The Band 5 also features a 14-day long battery life, 24 hour heart rate and sleep monitoring, female health tracking, smart home control and more.

Simple yet elegant, the Withings (withings.com/au) Steel HR ($299.95) is the hybrid smartwatch everyone needs. Designed with an iconic analog face, this watch features a small digital display allowing you to track your heart rate, steps, calories burned, and preview smartphone notifications. In addition, this smartwatch monitors your health over 30 activities – including running, walking, swimming and cycling – is water resistant up to 50m, features a sub-dial that shows you how close you are to reaching 100% of your daily step goal and has up to 25 days of battery life.

Even with diligent use, sunscreen doesn’t provide 100 per cent protection from the sun’s rays, says dermatologist Jeanie Leddon. Donning a hat can protect your face, neck, and noggin. There are an array of hats that can be purchased through the Cancer Council Shop (from $20.96, cancercouncilshop.org.au) ranging from broad-brim, bucket and legionnaire style hats that have been tested for maximum UPF50+ rating.

Proper hydration can help with blood glucose management, says Marshall O’Brien, a chef and nutritional wellness consultant in Minneapolis. While any water bottle will do, we like the Frank Green Ceramic Reusable Bottle (from $49.95, frankgreen.com.au), which is incredibly durable and keeps your drinks hot or cold!

Adhesive patches can help keep CGMs and insulin pumps in place during summer activities, says Lauren Solomon, a development coordinator with the nonprofit JDRF. There are a variety of colors and designs available on the market, which makes them perfect for any age. We like patches from expressionmed.com, rockadex. com.au and theskingrip.com.