Staying geeky and fit with the Jawbone UP

Health and fitness are the in thing these days so the technology sector wants to be heart and center of it all. Brands like Nike and adidas are incorporating health monitoring tools into their apparel to attract the really health-conscious consumer.

• With so many players trying to take a stab in this growing market, we picked the Jawbone UP as one of our top choices to see if it does the job well and also fits our lifestyle.
• Of the lot, the UP might seem pretty simple. It’s just a wristband incorporated with a number of health sensors. But it looks stylish and it is less bulky and inconspicuous. However, the cap seems to get loose quite often.
• The UP acts as a pedometer that counts the number of steps you took and the total distance you walked or ran for the entire day. You can also log workouts and other heavy activities so it can measure the estimated amount of calories you consumed.
• It’s also a sleep monitor that tracks the exact time you fall asleep and the time you actually wake up. During sleep, it will be able to recognize your sleep patterns between light and heavy sleep (REM cycles).
• All these information is synced into an Android or iOS device with the Jawbone App. It presents data into a nice graphical layout of your 24-hour cycle. It is important to note though that the UP syncs its data with the device through the 3.5mm audio jack. It does not support wireless syncing.
• To keep you in check, you can share your data with other UP users or friends and then compare your achievements with each other. The app has a leaderboard to show which UP user are hitting or nearing their daily goals.
• The UP suggests a daily activity of about 10,000 steps and 8 hours of sleep but you can still adjust this according to your personal goals. 
  

The verdict:

No amount of fitness tracking will help you get fit nor push you to burn some more calories but we find that when there is some sort of gamification, we’re more motivated to get a few more steps than what we would usually do. We take the stairs over the elevator; we’d walk in place while waiting in line for our coffee order; and hit the gym than three times a week. Thanks to the Jawbone UP for the constant and daily reminder.

Price: US$129 (roughly P5,731)

Spec sheet:

Band: hypoallergenic TPU rubber, splash-resistant

Cap: TR-90 Nylon, plated with Nickel

Battery: Lithium-ion polymer battery

Sensors & interface: Precision motion sensor, single push-button interface, vibrating motor for notifications, dual LEDs
Software: Compatible with iOS 5.1 or greater and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or later
Accessories: USB charging cable