Latest news with #Fitbit
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Whoop, Garmin, Fitbit: Best premium fitness trackers in 2025
Fitness trackers are getting smarter, sleeker and more feature-packed than ever. From real-time heart rate and SpO2 tracking to advanced sleep analysis, today's wearables are built for much more than counting steps. Whether you're a gym regular or just trying to build better habits, here's a look at some of the best premium fitness trackers available in India right now. Fitbit's Charge 6 blends smart features with serious fitness tracking. It offers ECG, a form of advanced heart tracking, built-in GPS, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) tracking, and workout detection across more than 40 exercise types. The bright AMOLED screen displays Google Maps, Wallet, and even YouTube Music controls. Fitbit's Active Zone Minutes help optimise workout intensity, while the 7-day battery life ensures minimal downtime. The Charge 6 also syncs with gym equipment (if able to) and includes six months of Fitbit Premium, giving access to deeper insights and personalised recommendations. You can buy it for as low as Rs 14,799. For data-focused users, the Garmin Vivosmart 5 offers a reliable and no-fuss fitness companion. It features a monochrome OLED touchscreen and tracks heart rate, SpO2, stress levels, sleep stages, and even energy levels through Garmin's 'Body Battery' metric. While there is no built-in GPS, it lets you track your location when using the phone GPS. Safety features include emergency alerts and LiveTrack. With up to 7 days of battery life, this slim and lightweight tracker has a water resistance level of up to 50 m deep, making it ideal for both workouts and showers. It is currently selling for Rs 12,990. The FitVII Ole is a feature-rich tracker equipped with a 1.78-inch AMOLED display, 24/7 heart rate, SpO2, blood pressure tracking, and sleep analysis. It supports over 100 sport modes and comes with IP68 water and dust resistance. You also get smart notifications, weather updates, and breathing training. The Ole stands out with its Apple Watch-inspired design and customisable watch faces. The device claims up to 7 days of battery life with regular use, making it one of the best-looking smart trackers under Rs 11,000. It is available on Amazon for Rs 10,878. Favoured by elite athletes like Virat Kohli and LeBron James, the Whoop 4.0 doesn't have a display and focuses entirely on performance recovery, strain, and sleep metrics. The tracker pairs with a powerful app that offers detailed health analytics, daily recovery stores, and coaching insights. It features 24/7 monitoring of heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature, and blood oxygen, and is waterproof up to 10 metres. The sensor fits into various accessories like arm sleeves or compression wear, and the minimalist design sets it apart from traditional wearables. However, a subscription is required to use the device. You can buy it for Rs 30,000 with a complimentary 12-month membership. For users who want a slim and simple fitness band, the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers great value. It includes heart rate tracking, SpO2, skin temperature variation, stress management, and sleep stage analysis. The bright AMOLED screen displays call, text, and app notifications. While it lacks built-in GPS, it supports connected GPS and offers up to 10 days of battery life. Lightweight and swimproof, the Inspire 3 also supports mindfulness sessions and guided breathing, making it a great entry-level premium tracker for everyday wellness. It is currently available for Rs 8,899. (This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Wants All Americans To Wear Health-Tracking Devices — Security Experts Have 'Concerns'
If you don't yet wear a smartwatch or smart ring to monitor your health and fitness, you may soon be encouraged to do so by some of the highest-ranking members of the government. During a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he'd like all Americans to use wearable health products, such as Fitbits, Apple Watches, Oura Rings, WHOOP and glucose monitors, to 'control' their health and 'take responsibility' for it. According to Poltico, Kennedy said people can use wearables to track 'what food is doing to their glucose levels, their heart rates and a number of other metrics as they eat it, and they can begin to make good judgments about their diet, about their physical activity, about the way that they live their lives.' While this remains just a suggestion and not a mandate, it's been announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will launch a campaign to encourage Americans to wear these devices. Wearables can track your heart rate, menstrual cycle, fitness regimen, blood sugar levels, sleep patterns, location and more. They're a great way to understand your health (for example, the Oura Ring lets you know when it thinks you're getting sick) and to stick to a workout regimen (the Apple Watch is both loved and hated for its 'close your rings' reminders). While they can be helpful for the average person, these devices store lots and lots of our data — is it safe for all of this information to be out there? And what happens if this data ends up in the wrong hands — including the government's? Experts weigh in. There is a major difference between the government having access to health data and the government simply encouraging folks to use wearables for their own health tracking, said Alex Hamerstone, the advisory solutions director for TrustedSec, an ethical hacking company. 'Those are obviously two very different questions, and there's no indication at this point that they're looking to have the government have access to that data,' he noted. The government does, though, already have access to lots of health data. 'If you look at the percent of people who receive health care through Medicare and Medicaid and state programs, and so on and so forth, they already have a lot of very detailed information,' Hamerstone noted. 'I know there are guardrails around it and things like that, but not to get into any kind of political thing, but a lot of those guardrails seem to be falling down,' he noted. You've probably heard the phrase 'data is the new currency,' meaning your personal data has inherent value to companies. It's how they sell you ads and understand your needs. But 'health data is just kind of a different category of data,' said Hamerstone. Having your credit card hacked is temporarily annoying, but you're not liable, and typically, after some phone calls and logistics, your life will go back to normal. 'But if someone gets access to your private health care data, that's much different. It's a different kind of data,' Hamerstone said. 'So, somebody knowing how many steps you take is one thing, but if you start to get into things like glucose levels or very detailed medical information, those things could start to affect other parts of your life,' he added. This could impact insurance rates and insurance options, Hamerstone said. Kevin Johnson, the CEO of Secure Ideas, a security testing and consulting company, has concerns about the government's ability to protect any data that is gathered through the use of wearables. For instance, in 2018, there was a major security breach involving the Strava fitness app and the U.S. government in which soldiers' locations at military bases were shared via Strava. 'So, the idea that the government is saying we're going to encourage ... wearing of these when the government had a significant security problem due to this, that's one of the concerns that I just don't understand how we forgot that happened,' said Johnson. Overall, Johnson said, there are 'significant security issues with wearable devices.' 'My company and other companies have tested these devices. We've found vulnerabilities. We have found ways that the wearable technology gives an attacker access to your data because of security lapses in the hardware and software. We've seen multiple cases where attackers are able to gain access to things that are unrelated to the health care data because of security problems,' Johnson said. There have also been privacy violations when data brokers get access to this data, whether they gain access illegitimately or legitimately, Johnson said. (And the companies collecting the data from wearables do often sell your data to data brokers, Johnson noted.) 'There are always security concerns when it comes to connected technology,' said Dave Chronister, the CEO of Parameter Security. And your wearable device is most likely connected to your smartphone — meaning it has access to lots of your personal data, according to Johnson. 'No device or platform is completely secure,' Chronister noted. 'Attackers often target the backend systems, such as cloud servers, via compromised employee credentials or software vulnerabilities.' 'Devices that rely on Bluetooth or Wi-Fi can also be exploited, and if the device supports messaging or sync features, phishing or spoofing attacks are possible,' noted Chronister. These devices can also get stolen or lost, which also puts your data at risk, Chronister added. Johnson said he's often heard people say things like, 'Oh, it's just my heart rate data, that's not a big deal,' but it's actually so much more than that. 'The issue is, we're not just talking about heartbeat. We're not just talking about your sleep schedule. We're talking about your location. We're talking about most of these apps tie into your contacts so that you can invite friends,' said Johnson. More, it also may include your reproductive health data, glucose levels or heart irregularities, Chronister said. 'These can paint a sensitive, personal portrait of someone's health and behavior,' Chronister added. 'It's important to understand that data from wearables is not protected under HIPAA like your medical records are,' said Chronister. HIPAA protects patient health records from things like doctor's appointments. 'Instead, it is governed by the company's terms of service ... which often include loopholes that allow for data sharing or sale, especially in the event of a merger or acquisition,' Chronister explained. This is true even if the company says they'll never sell your data. 'That promise can be overridden by fine print or future policy changes,' he added. 'Consumers should be aware that once their data is out there, they may lose control over how it is used,' Chronister said. 'Almost all of these types of devices have some level of privacy controls in them that you're able to select what data you give,' said Johnson. If you decide to get a wearable, make sure you check your privacy settings and adjust them accordingly, he noted. 'And this is very important — regularly go in and validate that the privacy settings are still set the way you want them to be,' Johnson added. This is really the most you can do to protect your data, and it certainly won't totally protect you from data breaches or data brokers. 'Unfortunately, individual users have very limited control. You are largely at the mercy of the device manufacturer and app provider,' Chronister noted. While you can follow privacy precautions, such as by 'turning off unnecessary Bluetooth connections, using strong account passwords, and checking app permissions ... those measures only go so far,' Chronister said. 'The real issue is how companies store, share and protect your data behind the scenes,' Chronister noted. Chronister stressed that 'it's critical to understand the long-term implications of voluntarily handing over personal health data to private companies. This information can be sold to marketers, shared with third parties, or exposed in a breach.' He voiced specific concern about how this data can be combined via different apps and companies over time to build 'incredibly detailed personal health profiles.' So while it may not be a big deal if one company has your sleep data and another has your activity levels, these companies can be acquired, or data can be combined to create a fuller picture of your private health information. 'And AI is really a wild card. Going forward, it will increasingly be able to draw conclusions and make predictions about your current and future health. This raises serious questions about how such insights could affect things like insurance eligibility, premium rates, or even creditworthiness,' Chronister said. When it comes to health data (and data of any sort), 'the risks are inherent even with the government not involved,' Hamerstone said. Once that data exists, it's at risk of being lost or stolen by bad actors, he added. Keep that in mind before you start using wearable health technology, and if you're already a user, it's important to be aware of the risks so you can make informed decisions and do what you can to protect your privacy. Trump Admin Gave Personal Medicaid Data To Deportation Officials, Memo Shows Deleting Your 23andMe Data Isn't Enough — Make Sure You Do This First RFK Jr. Keeps Telling A Flat-Out Lie About Childhood Vaccines — And Doctors Are Sick Of It
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Forget CrossFit, this $140 million fitness event is taking over
At first, it was the shirtless men. Ripped, sweaty, and moving in a brutal dance of sprinting, sled pushing, and collapsing in dramatic heaps. My Instagram and TikTok feeds were suddenly full of them. I raised an eyebrow. What was this? Then I started seeing women doing it, too. This wasn't your average gym reel or fit-fluencer thirst trap. These people looked like they were in the middle of a full-blown endurance event. Related: Apple Watch, Fitbit rival stuns with bold message They were sprinting across concrete, dragging sleds, doing wall balls and burpee broad jumps in front of crowds. There were timers, announcers, people in branded gear. Some were even wearing cute matching outfits. Whatever this was, it clearly wasn't just a workout. It looked miserable. It looked competitive. It also looked…strangely hot? At first, I thought maybe it was just a CrossFit thing. But this felt different - more structured, more polished. It was showing up in London, Miami, Berlin. Everywhere. So I started digging. Enter: Hyrox. So what is Hyrox? Founded in Germany in 2017, this race is designed to test both endurance and strength. It always follows the same format: participants run eight 1-kilometer laps, and after each lap, they stop to complete a challenging workout. Think dragging heavy sleds, rowing machines, burpees, and throwing medicine balls at a target - all done back to back. The race is open to anyone, with divisions for individuals, doubles, and relays. And because the format doesn't change, athletes can compare times globally, climb the leaderboards, and even qualify for world championships. Related: Nike fumbles its biggest launch of the year It's what co-founder Moritz Fürste calls "the marathon of fitness," and the numbers are proving it's catching on. In 2025, Hyrox will host 83 events and see over 650,000 athletes compete. It operates in 11 countries globally and does approximately $140 million in revenue, according to this interview with Fürste. In another interview with CNBC, Fürste said, "We will be a global sport," and it's hard to argue otherwise. What started as a niche competition is quickly becoming the next big thing in functional fitness, with mass-market appeal. The rise of Hyrox is more than just a viral trend: it's a clear signal that the fitness landscape is shifting. According to Precedence Research, the global health and wellness market is valued at $6.87 trillion in 2025 and is projected to reach $11 trillion by 2034. That kind of explosive growth creates room for new players, and Hyrox is sprinting straight into the spotlight. Unlike CrossFit, which varies daily and leans heavily on community boxes, Hyrox events are polished, repeatable, and scalable. They're hosted in massive arenas, backed by big sponsors, and designed to feel like legitimate sporting events. That structure has major business implications. It opens the door to media rights, merchandise, brand partnerships, and global licensing. Think Spartan Race meets Formula 1. It also gives gym owners something tangible to plug into. Hyrox has launched affiliated training programs and certifications, creating a full ecosystem that lets studios capitalize on the hype. And people are paying to suffer. Entry fees can range from $90 to over $200. Some events draw thousands of competitors in a single weekend. For a generation that's grown tired of boutique cycling classes and globo gyms, this might be the next evolution: suffering together, scoring it, and chasing personal records on a global stage. Whether it's the shirtless men or the fact it somehow makes physical torture look fun, Hyrox is the real deal. Related: The diet mistake 71% of Americans are trying to fix The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
FedEx shares fall as dismal forecast fans concerns over Trump tariffs
FedEx shares plunged as much as 5% Wednesday after the company revealed a disappointing profit forecast as President Trump's tariffs weigh on global transit. The package delivery giant said it expects earnings per share of $3.40 to $4 in the current quarter, just slightly lower than forecast expectations of $4.05. But the underwhelming forecast sent investors fleeing, since the company often acts as a bellwether for several other industries. Advertisement FedEx shares fell Wednesday after the company reported a lower-than-expected profit forecast for the current quarter. Christopher Sadowski 'FedEx is like the economy's Fitbit. Express shows business demand, Ground tracks e-commerce, and Freight reflects industrial strength,' said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner at Running Point Capital Advisors. 'Right now, all three are looking sluggish.' The stock pared back gains from earlier losses, when it plunged about 6% Wednesday morning. Advertisement FedEx executives said they expect tariff policies to continue weighing on US-China air trade. That's a big deal for the company, which is more exposed to China than rival UPS. Trump initially levied a massive 145% rate on China. In a deal with the nation, he has since lowered it to 30% – but that's still far higher than previous rates. FedEx is also suffering from Trump's end to the 'de minimis' exemption, which previously allowed shipments worth less than $800 to enter the country duty-free, FedEx Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said during a post-earnings call. Advertisement The shipping carrier often acts as a bellwether for several other industries. Christopher Sadowski Trump argued that Chinese fast-fashion sites like Temu and Shein abused the tax loophole, and that others might have used it to sneak in fentanyl and illicit materials, since 'de minimis' goods were able to skirt around customs checks. FedEx did not provide a full-year earnings or profit forecast on Wednesday, which is 'quite telling,' according to Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. 'This may result in some consternation in the markets beyond just the fortunes of FedEx itself,' Mould said. Advertisement The company did, however, announce that it plans to carry out $1 billion in cost-cutting reductions in fiscal year 2026. FedEx's 'cost cutting drive is continuing, but it's clear that it'll face more challenges ahead amid ongoing trade unpredictably,' said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown. Fear over the impact from Trump's tariffs – as CEO Raj Subramaniam warned that global demand 'remains volatile' – overshadowed FedEx's better-than-expected quarterly earnings. In the quarter ended May 31, the company reported adjusted earnings per share of $6.07, far above expectations of $5.84. FedEx posted revenue of $22.22 billion, above projections of $21.79 billion. Its US daily package volume was up 6% from the year before, and its US ground home delivery volume was up 10%.
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
FedEx shares slide as trade turbulence hits demand, profit forecast
June 25 (Reuters) - FedEx shares dropped nearly 6% in premarket trading on Wednesday after the logistics giant sounded caution for the full year ahead and forecast current-quarter earnings below market expectations, as it battles volatile global demand due to pressures from U.S. tariffs. "The global demand environment remains volatile," said CEO Raj Subramaniam during an earnings webcast, as the company failed to provide full-year earnings and revenue forecasts, pointing to uncertainties surrounding U.S. trade policies —especially on those related to China. The Trump administration imposed 145% tariffs on China in April, that intensified a global trade war, before reducing them to 30% in May. With FedEx having more exposure to China than rival UPS, the company's executives said they expect tariff policies to continue weighing on the U.S.-China air trade transit. The biggest hit is from the Trump administration ending duty-free status for direct-to-consumer shipments — valued at less than $800 — from China-linked bargain sellers like Temu and Shein, FedEx Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said. "FedEx is like the economy's Fitbit. Express shows business demand, Ground tracks e-commerce, and Freight reflects industrial strength. Right now, all three are looking sluggish," said Michael Ashley Schulman, partner at Running Point Capital Advisors. Shares of German logistics company DHL fell nearly 2%, while UPS was down 0.8%. FedEx and UPS, both bellwethers for the U.S. economy and the logistics sector, have been battling for market share as industrial demand slows, while delivery profits have taken a hit as customers shifted to cheaper ground shipments from costly air services. The company's outlook overshadowed a better-than-expected profit for the fiscal fourth quarter as it cost cuts and improved export volumes that pushed operating margins higher. "U.S. manufacturing is still dealing with supply chain and recession worries, global trade isn't moving much, and while FedEx is managing costs well, demand just isn't picking up yet," Schulman added. FedEx shares trade at 11.63 times their projected 12-month forward earnings, compared to UPS's 13.40. (Reporting by Rashika Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
