September 19, 2008 - 1:11 A.M.
Sleek new fitness watches track your training
- TAGS:fitness, GPS, wristwatch
- IT TOPICS:Mobile
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. -- A company called Polar rolled out this week four new fitness watches that monitor and support various kinds of exercise. They're designed around different kinds of workouts from walking and jogging to weight lifting and cross-training.
The top-of-the-line watch is called the FT80. This $350 watch gives you feedback on how long to rest between weight lifting sets using a graphical display. It guides you to reach training targets, and shows calories burned during exercise. It also syncs with a separate G1 GPS Sensor and S1 Foot Pod accessories sold by the company. The FT80 is water resistant to 50 meters.Â
The $240 FT60 watch "intelligently adapts to the user’s personal exercise habits and provides them with weekly targets, easy-to-understand feedback, and guidance on the most effective way to improve their fitness, according to a company press release.
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Next down the line is the $180 FT40, which you can set to "fat burning" or "fitness improvement" modes, or "zones."
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And the cheapest watch, called the FA20, costs $120. The FA20 "provides 24/7 continuous measurement of daily activities, including calories, active steps, distance covered and duration. It also indicates when a user has been active for 30, 60, or 75 minutes, making it easier for them to track and live a healthier lifestyle, according to the release.
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Importantly, the watches are sleek and stylish -- especially the top-of-the-line FT80, which looks extremely streamlined and futuristic.
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Polar offers a free Web site where you can upload your training data and track progress toward fitness goals.
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