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How I got schooled by a fitness tracker

The Moov Now fitness tracker may not tell you the time or vibrate when you complete 10,000 steps, but its sensors can quite literally kick your butt

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The Moov Now fitness band will coach you until you get your technique right--and it's a complete taskmaster.
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For the past two years, I have embarked on a journey to get myself into shape. Today, I regularly run 10K races, am able to do lunges, squats and push-ups without too much worry and more recently, I managed a headstand for a not-so-enviable 10 seconds. I thought I was good.

But the Moov Now fitness tracker made me realise that I still have a lot to learn.

My wife gifted me this tracker last week. Until then, I was using the FitBit HR—a decent fitness band that monitored my heart rate and calculated the number of steps I took every day. It served its purpose, but after eight months I had to charge it every alternate day and it got quite annoying. The Moov, on the other hand, has a small LR44 alkaline cell (more commonly used as watch cells) that can be changed every few months.

The tracker also comes with two bands: one for your arm that you wear like a watch while doing things like a seven-minute walk, boxing and cycling, and the other that you can wear around your ankle when you're walking or running. It's waterproof, which means you can wear it for a swim. I don't swim so I checked its durability in the shower and found out that it's soap-proof as well. The only issue I have with the exercise functionality is that if you want to practice shadow boxing—one of the features offered in the app (available on the Google Play Store and the Apple Store), then the user has to buy two bands, which I find ridiculous even though it’s still cheaper than buying a single FitBit HR—two bands cost Rs 6,000 on Flipkart, while Fitbit HR costs Rs 12,000 on Amazon.

What else is offered?

In addition to all the features offered by Moov, it offers a seven-minute workout with a twist. You begin with Level 1 and then progress to the next level after completing 95 per cent of the workout. You begin with three sets, each comprising jumping jacks, squats, plank, lunges, push-ups and crunches.

And that's when my troubles began.

I did well with the jumping jacks, push-ups, planks and crunches, but the squats and lunges refused to register on the phone. I did a squat. Then two. Then three and then I kept wondering why the tracker wasn't registering my movement. And then I realised my technique was wrong.

I resorted to YouTube to find ways to rework my movement. It seemed right, but then when I resumed the seven-minute workout it still wasn’t getting g registered. And then the voiceover from my phone said, "Look at our video to get your technique." I followed that method and voila, my squats were registered. Incidentally, the first time I got the technique right, I felt strong muscular pain much like an individual does on his/her first day at the gym. I didn't feel like getting up. However, madness prompted me to continue working out and now I do the seven-minute workout twice a day.

What’s hot: The Moov has some brilliant sensors that enable you to workout properly. It improves your form and technique and your posture automatically improves while you're at work or walking

What’s not: Ideally, I wish they had one band to do all your workouts. While I like the idea of strapping the band on your ankle while running, the concept of having two bands while shadow boxing is silly. Yet, it's a band I'd recommend to those who are focused on technique. For beginners, I’d recommend going for a FitBit. It gives you the initial confidence to then progress to an advanced band such as the Moov Now, even if it does everything but tell you the time.

Watch it in action here:

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