High school football season is here (finally). That means two-a-days, pre-game lifts and stadium runs in between. To get the most out of the season, you'll want to maximize your workouts -- with the team and on your own. That's where a fitness tracker comes in.
With the ability to track heart rate, calorie burn, workout duration and even give you feedback on recovery, the right fitness tracker can act like your own personal trainer, giving you a leg up on the competition and on the season.
If we played high school ball, we'd look no further than Fitbit; the price and features can't be beaten. We're also big fans of Apple Watch Series 8 around here. With so many choices on the market, you can't lose with one of the following top-rated fitness trackers for football.
Best tracker for Apple iPhone owners: Apple Watch Series 8The stylish
Apple Watch 8 with GPS gives advanced health and fitness
metrics, including blood oxygen and heart rate tracking, giving further
insight into your training. It easily connects to popular fitness and
weight training apps on your Apple iPhone.
Though Apple Watch
Series 8 is pricier than Fitbit, student-athletes will appreciate it's
high-end look and durability. Note, however, that the Apple Watch is
not compatible with Android smartphones -- they'll need an Apple iPhone
to get the most out of the tracker.
Top features of Apple Watch Series 8:
- The Apple Watch offers the largest number of bands and watch faces of any fitness tracker.
- Crash detection and fall detection connect you with emergency services in case of an accident.
- Features easy setup and integration with Apple devices and apps.
- Always-on Retina display looks great, even in full sunlight.
- Water resistant up to 50 meters for pool workout training.
- The Apple Watch 8 is available in
41mm and
45mm sizes.
Best Android alternative to Apple Watch: Google Pixel Watch with Fitbit Activity TrackingWhile
many fitness trackers are compatible with Android mobile devices,
few come with as many features as the 41mm
Google Pixel Watch. We like the
waterproof smart
watch's advanced fitness metrics via Fitbit tracking, which help you
maximize your
practices to get ready for a long (and successful) football season. It's
an especially great choice for those who are familiar (and love) the
Google ecosystem. Rated 4.3 stars on Amazon.
Fitbit Inspire 3's 10-day battery life is a great feature for high
school students who might otherwise forget to charge their watch
regularly. We love Fitbit's Daily Sleep Score, a reminder for student
athletes that quality sleep is as much a part of training as those 200's
you knocked out before practice. (We're also big fans of it's under-$100 price tag.)
Top features of Fitbit Inspire 3:
- Daily Readiness Score assesses if you're ready to work out, or if you need more recovery.
- Automatic exercise tracking with reminders to move more
- Daily Stress Management Score helps you understand how your heart rate, sleep, and activity levels impact your physiological stress
- Offers resting heart rate highs and lows
- Water resistant up to 50 meters, so you can take it swimming.
BUY IT AT AMAZON: Fitbit Inspire 3 Fitness Tracker, $80 (reduced from $100)BUY IT AT WALMART: Fitbit Inspire 3 Fitness Tracker, $98
Also worth considering: Fitbit Charge 5
Small and inexpensive compared with an Apple Watch,
Fitbit Charge 5
tracks stress levels and your body's response to stress; heart rate
highs and lows; calorie burn; real-time pace and distance feedback. It
uses Fitbit GPS technology, and doesn't require you to tether it to a
phone. It's battery lasts up to seven days.
Our favorite feature for student athletes is its
Readiness Score, which offers metrics into how ready your body is to
work out – or if you need to recover longer. Like the Fitbit Inspire 3, the Charge 5 is water resistant up to 50 meters.
One of the top names in fitness trackers and smart watches, Garmin
delivers a lot here for a relatively low price. We like the battery life
as well as all the fitness tracking, but it's the design here that has
us pressing "add to cart." Sleek in its design, the sweat- and waterproof
Garmin Vivosmart 5 tracker
won't get in the way while you're running routes or going for that
tackle. It tracks body energy levels, hydration, stress and heart rate. Lasts for up to 7 days on a single charge while in smart mode.
BUY IT AT AMAZON: Garmin Vivosmart 5 Fitness Tracker, $150
