A new year means time for a new start and there’s plenty that tech can do to help
Feeling the bloat of Christmas and looking to get back into shape in the new year? There’s plenty of tech that can help, from those who just want to be more active and hit those 10,000 steps through to those wanting to tackle their first marathon.
Wherever that fitness journey starts, having the right technology can help keep up motivation, it can provide all the tracking and feedback needed, while in some cases offering guidance and coaching.
As a technology expert and fitness fan, this is the tech that I recommend to get up and active in 2026.
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Now that everyone has a smartphone in their pocket, there are loads of apps and services that will offer to track, train and entertain, but there are shortcomings with using a phone. Firstly, it’s harder to glance at data on your phone than compared to a watch when exercising; secondly, phones won’t record as much data as wearable devices, and thirdly, it’s not the best tool for the job.
The best part about a dedicated wearable device for fitness tracking is that it has been optimised for the job. Brands like Garmin, Polar, Amazfit or Coros all offer GPS smartwatches with loads of fitness functions. Fitbit is well known for its fitness bands, while there are now smart rings too.
A smartwatch to track progress
When it comes to watches, Garmin is one of the biggest and one of the best. It’s not always the cheapest, but with loads of devices there’s always something on sale, like this Garmin Instinct 2 Solar for £259 at H Samuel, which is £110 off and offers full tracking for steps, activities, sleep and a whole lot more.
The thing I like about Garmin is that it’s accurate, the battery life is great and there’s loads of information in the app. This can be shared with other services, like Strava, which is a great place to track and share all the activities that you complete.
The best thing about Garmin is that the experience is much the same from its cheaper devices like this £179 Garmin Venu 2 through to its more expensive models like the luscious Garmin Fenix 8 for £669.
For those serious about getting fit, Garmin provides excellent tracking, advice and guidance, coaching and more, whether tackling a first 5km race all the way up to Ironman triathlon training.
But some might find that a Garmin (or any watch) is too bulky, or that something cheaper or more discreet is preferred. That’s understandable when one of the key features in fitness is recovery. Tracking sleep is now a big part of making sure that there’s adequate recovery from the fitness training.
This is where the Fitbit Charge 6 is excellent.
Fitness bands are cheaper and more compact
Fitbit has been making more compact trackers for a long time, and the Fitbit Charge 6 is one of the best fitness bands there is. It’s more expensive than some – although it’s discounted to £89 on Amazon at the moment – but it includes a GPS, so it offers much more reliable tracking than some rivals.
The Fitbit Charge 6 is compact enough to be worn at night without disturbing the wearer, which isn’t always the case for sports watches. The sleep tracking is also excellent, and lovingly presented in the Fitbit smartphone app.
The Fitbit Charge 6 also offers step and activity tracking, but the smaller display means it’s not as good as watches like Garmin above, especially for runners. Those whose fitness journey is going to be a little more casual – but still with exercise classes and workouts – Fitbit offers a great experience.
For a lighter touch, there’s now another option in the form of smart rings.
A smart ring provides discreet tracking
Smart rings take the sensors found in watches and bands and make them more compact, so they will fit on a finger. There’s still motion, heart rate, steps and sleep tracking, but no display and no control on the ring itself. Instead, it blends into the background for a more subtle approach to health monitoring.
When talking about sleep tracking, smart rings are the easiest to wear, as they are barely noticeable. Pretty much everything that happens on the ring is automated, so data is gathered for later inspection in the app.
Oura is one of the biggest names in smart rings, and with a sale currently running, the £249 Oura Ring 4 is a good deal, but there’s a £5.99 monthly membership to access the features, so it has an ongoing cost. That’s the downside of a smart ring: it’s expensive considering the limited features on offer.
While all the wearables above will keep track of fitness, performance, heart rate and sleep, they don’t actually know much about your body. That’s where smart scales come in. Lots of people don’t like scales, but for those really facing up to getting fit, it’s part of the package.
Fortunately, this isn’t just about weight, it’s about body composition, something that modern scales can provide information on.
Weigh in the smart way
Smart scales offer a couple of advantages over traditional scales: firstly, they will share the data with an app, so it’s possible, for example, to have these £15.99 Eufy scales feed data into the Fitbit app. Secondly, smart scales measure body composition, so are better able to track how your body changes as you get fitter.
This means that weight alone isn’t the sole measurement of success. For example, increasing muscle mass might mean that weight goes up, while fat levels have dropped, and smart scales can provide that information, while a simple weight measurement cannot.
These Eufy smart scales at £15.99 on Amazon are great value for money, while offering weight, BMI, body composition, muscle mass, bone mass, visceral fat measurements and more.
However you approach your fitness journey, having the right tech can make it much easier to keep track of gains and changes. That can help keep motivation up, while apps like Garmin, Fitbit or Oura will help track improvements in things like fitness age, sleep quality and fitness over time.
