The best fitness tech for the New Year Wireless headphones

Face down the perennial New Year’s Resolution with the helping hand of technology. Here are some of the best fitness products for getting in shape this January...

Smartwatch

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are the first place to start. They’ll track your calories and heart rate, and you can use them to set ever-increasing goals. If you’re an iPhone user, then the Apple Watch Series 3 is best, while Android users will want to check out the Fitbit Ionic. Both are waterproof, offer GPS tracking for running and cycling, and will store a decent amount of music so you can leave the phone at home. If you want something a little bit cheaper that works across both phones, the Fitbit Charge 2 wristband is the one to go for. Working up a sweat at the gym is much easier if you’ve got music to accompany it. Many companies are creating exercise-focused wireless headphones that are sweat-resistant with rubberised tips that secure the fit. Our pick is the Jaybird RUN wireless earbuds that come with a four-hour battery life and a clamshell charging case that’ll juice them up for a further eight. They’ll work with either iPhone or Android devices.

If you want even more smarts, the Lifebeam Vi is a £200 pair of wireless headphones with a built-in artificially intelligent personal trainer. You’ll hear a human voice in your ear that can answer questions such as “how fast am I running?” or “what’s my heart-rate?”.

Bike accessory

Beeline is an intuitive, compact handlebarmounted navigation

system for bikes that strips back navigation to the bare basics, resurfacing your natural instincts to find the way and providing adventure. Instead of dictating every single turn, Beeline enables you to explore new routes while giving you just enough information to guide you on your way. Strap this gadget to your handlebars and make January your cycle-to-work month.

Smartphone app

Your phone has all the required sensors to make it a decent fitness tracker in its own right. There are plenty of apps that take advantage of that, but Strava is one of the best. It can tell you how quickly you’re cycling or running and use GPS to track your progress. One of the app’s best features is the way it pushes you to do better. You can go toe-to-toe with complete strangers (or your mates). The app is free but it has a premium subscription tier (£4 a month) that adds things like personalised goalsetting and instructional videos.