Health

Fitbit Charge 4 review: An extra ingredient to becoming fit and healthy

Aside from determination, dedication, and motivation

Published

October 6, 2020

MJ Jucutan

Imagine drinking for five to seven days straight, no exercise, drinking less water than usual, and eating whatever was available. It was a recipe for disaster — for my body, that is. Back in 2019, I spent a week being sick. I was severely dehydrated that I needed to pump in gallons of Pocari Sweat and Gatorade.

That stressful experience led me to take care of myself seriously. Before and at the start of 2020, I made an effort to achieve a healthy and fit lifestyle. I enrolled in a gym, started cooking healthy meals, and packed lunch for work instead of eating at fast-food restaurants.

Finding the right companion

But the pandemic struck, and my plans were derailed. My hopes of having a healthy and fit body were slightly crushed. I found myself switching smart bands — Samsung Galaxy Fit E, Honor Band 5, and Garmin’s Forerunner 235 — while trying to follow a workout and meal plan.

Of course, it wasn’t a smooth ride. There are days where I got sick due to stress caused by the pandemic, burning out from work, and a whole lot of other things. My desire to get healthier intensified.

When the Fitbit Charge 4 arrived, I had second thoughts about whether a tracker can undeniably help me achieve my goals. I used the Fitbit Charge 3 before and nothing happened. It was such a gag, trying my best to be healthy and fit, and I only lasted for three weeks.

Yet this time around, I had the Charge 4 for two months and I could say I had a great time using it. Unlike before, I was able to continuously develop my body and follow my workout plan.

Pairing it with phone and colors

Having a tracker was the last thing I considered before starting my journey. At first, I bought a water bottle, quick-dry towel and gym clothes, and wireless earbuds so those gym activities won’t be boring.

Moving to home workouts during the quarantine didn’t make any changes to my usual equipment, except now I have extra dumbbells, a yoga mat, mini bands, and a resistance band.

When I got the Charge 4, I paired it quickly with my phones. Back then, I had a hard time pairing it with my Samsung Galaxy S20, but it was easy when paired with my Huawei Mate 20 Pro — which I used with previous Fitbit wearables.

Thankfully, it didn’t come in a striking hue. The band’s color is named Storm Blue, reminiscent of Prussian Blue or Parisian Blue, if you’re into fine arts — a color prominently seen in the Hokusai’s famous artwork The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

The material used for the band is comfortable and water-resistant, I had no problems wearing it in the shower or while sweating during my exercises.

Like a fitness BFF

This smart tracker wasn’t the sole reason I’m starting to get healthier and fitter now. It was discipline and commitment that got me through — something I lacked last year.

Relying on a wearable — smart tracker, smart band, or a smartwatch — won’t get you anywhere in reaching your fitness goals. It’s not their job to make you healthy and fit, only guide you through it.

But to say the Charge 4 didn’t help in reaching my fitness goals is unfair. While determination, dedication, and motivation are necessary ingredients, having a wearable can help you pull yourself together.

Its effects were like having a best friend reminding you of your goals; that’s just how it feels wearing its weight around my wrists. It doesn’t snap at you for not being able to follow through your goals, it simply nudges you to try to do your best.

The right workout

If you’re a Fitbit user, you’d know the magic isn’t at its trackers or smartwatches. It’s the smooth connection between your devices, the Fitbit app, and Fitbit Premium.

ICYDK, Fitbit Premium is filled with guided programs, health and fitness content from partner brands, and fitness challenges to stay active. I’ve tried some, but I realized these workouts aren’t for me.

Finding the right workout is always subjective and personal — what’s working for you might not work for someone else.

I crafted my own workout plan to achieve my goal: gaining weight, toning my muscles to achieve a lean figure, and of course, look sexy in my thirst trap photos on Instagram. Also, so I feel good about myself.

Luckily, Fitbit knows the value of personalization through Active Zone Minutes. It’s a metric calculated using your age and resting heart rate, providing you a more personalized measurement. There are also real-time alerts on your wrist to help you become more efficient in your workouts.

To a hydrated body and better heart

When I was living a sedentary lifestyle, my resting heart rate reached 100 bpm (beats per minute) compared to having 60-70 bpm during my active days. Since I’m still just starting again, I made it a goal to get a better resting heart rate.

Having a lower heart rate is a sign of good cardiovascular fitness. As of writing, I’m back at 65-75 bpm — that’s because sometimes I still fail to do consecutive workouts because of my job and I’m still high on caffeine intake.

If you can’t exercise regularly, you need to walk around. The Fitbit Charge 4 buzzes every hour to remind you to get up and walk, and it was a habit I enjoyed doing in my working hours.

When my Charge 4 buzzes, I walk to the kitchen to refill my water bottle and drink my water. I also stretch my hamstrings while I wait for the bottle to be refilled. Talk about hitting three birds with one stone: moving around, drinking water, and stretching my tight hamstring from too much sitting.

The struggle to exercise

Ask anyone. The hardest thing to do is always getting out of the bed to exercise. Sometimes, you just want to lie down, roll over to watch Netflix, get up to eat and drink, then find your way to bed again. Sounds tempting, right?

I’ve been a victim of this situation, many times especially last year. Committing to a regular workout is such a daunting task. When you’re bogged down with work and your mind is heavily preoccupied, it’s easy to give up on exercise and tell yourself to do it tomorrow.

But you keep saying that until you realize it’s been a month since you last worked out then beat yourself up for not trying hard.

Trying to reach fitness goals was never an easy task. It requires mind tricks and mental fortitude. The struggle in discipline and commitment during your health and fitness journey mostly stems from your emotional and mental health.

How we feel can manifest physically, which is why we need to be in a better headspace so we can push ourselves to work out.

Taking care of our mental health won’t be easy in this pandemic, but you can take little steps. I’ve done yoga and meditation, and it helped me breathe easier.

What I’m doing might be a little bit intimidating. For beginners, you can start with guided meditations accessible through the Fitbit app, Headspace, or Spotify. If you want to really start with something easy, the tracker has a breathing exercise that you can follow easily.

Unplugging made me happier

When you learn how to be mindful, you’ll realize the importance of unplugging and disconnecting. Being glued to our smartphones can wear our minds and extremely take our time. Sometimes, all we need is to step away from our smartphones.

The Fitbit Charge 4 can preview a few notifications on your screen. This helped me disconnect and focus on my tasks that require concentration such as painting, writing, and working out.

I tend to get distracted by my phone and other messages, and having a few notifications can help me decide which one requires immediate response and which one can wait later.

You can customize your notifications through the Fitbit app, and you can sync your messages, emails, and calendar, which appears in the tracker’s notifications bar.

You can also connect Spotify so you can easily control your music without using your phone. It worked seamlessly with my Galaxy Buds and my phone, and this disconnection definitely made me happier.

Give me a good night’s sleep

The most important thing I realized, later on, is the importance of a good night’s sleep. No matter how much working out or mindfulness practices you do in life, you won’t see any results when you’re hellbent on sleeping past midnight.

The tracker has a Sleep Mode to ensure you won’t be disturbed in your sleep (unless you have nightmares from your trauma wherein I have to ask you to go see a therapist).

Kidding aside, it turns off the notifications and disables the screen display. I didn’t find any use for this feature since I find it easy to sleep whenever I meditate or turn off my gadgets and put it away from the bed.

To ensure I had a good night’s sleep, I track my Sleep Score every morning through the app. The data might be taxing to look at, but it’s rich in insight based on your heart rate, restlessness, time awake, and your sleep stages. Although, the summary can be checked easily through your wrist.

Frankly, getting better sleep is what I’m still working on. Adults usually need seven to nine hours of sleep, but six hours can be enough. At most, I usually get six to seven hours of sleep.

However, I tend to sleep at 12 midnight recently, caused by watching Lucifer, chatting with friends, reading a book, or painting. I tend to wake up at five or six and seven in the morning, depending on what time I slept.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Fitbit Charge 4 offers a lot of features to help anyone starting on their health and fitness journey. It’s an advanced fitness tracker that detects your heart rate and improves your sleep. Moreover, it measures pace and distance through a built-in GPS, and packs with essential features.

It’s a worthy companion, since it lasted seven to eight days on a single charge based on my experience. Fully charging it takes only just an hour and a half. There’s a lot more to explore, but there’s one thing for sure: The Fitbit Charge 4 is a tracker made for everyone.

The Fitbit Charge 4 retails for PhP 9,590 (US$ 198). It’s available in black, rosewood, storm blue, and storm black. You can purchase it through Fitbit’s authorized retail stores like Digital Walker.

Accessories

Trade doomscrolling for these 12 intentional New Year’s resolutions and side quests

Published

December 26, 2025

Chay Lazaro

New Year’s resolutions don’t always have to be extreme to be meaningful. Sometimes the most impactful changes come from scrolling less and just being more present. What if you leaned into healthier routines, making your environment better, and small side quests? This guide focuses on building habits and routines that feel good even after January.

1. Build strength and cardio

Getting more active at the start of the year doesn’t have to mean drastic routines or intimidating gym memberships. The most sustainable fitness habits are the ones that fit naturally into your day.

The NovaRow R50 Air Resistance Rower from Merach offers a low-impact workout that blends strength and cardio in one efficient motion. Exercises like rowing makes it easier to show up, even on your busiest days. It’s accessible at any fitness level because it’s easy to pick up and is gentler on the body while still offering a full-body workout.

The best part is you’re getting a professional-grade rowing machine so you can do your workouts at the comfort of your own home; you get to engage 86% of your major muscle groups even when the weather isn’t cooperating.

Speaking of comfort, the NovaRow R50 is thoughtfully designed with adjustable footplates and an extra cushioned ergonomic seat. When paired with the Merach app, workouts feel more engaging thanks to interactive games and scenic rowing routes.

Once you’ve built the habit, you can increase your workout intensity. It’s got a 10-level air resistance system that offers up to 110 lbs of peak resistance to support long-term progress.

It’s available on Amazon as well as merachfit.com, with an extra 10% discount using the code GADGET.

2. Track your progress

Moving your body more is one of the most universal New Year’s resolutions and one of the easiest to abandon when life gets busy halfway through the year. The key to sticking to a fitness resolution isn’t intensity, but awareness and consistency.

A smartwatch like the Amazfit Balance 2 helps track steps, workouts, sleep, and recovery. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced HYROX athlete, it’s got over 170 workout modes to support you.

Want to try golf next year? It has 40,000 downloadable maps of golf courses. Got scuba certification on your bucket list? The Balance 2 has pro-grade waterproofing and certification for that too.

With up to 21 days of battery life, it can keep you accountable without being intrusive. It also tracks your rest and recovery to help you understand your body better without overdoing your workouts. Being aware of fitness metrics makes progress visible and more tangible, so you get more motivated to keep going.

As a bonus, it’s casual enough that you can wear it even when you’re not working out. It’s currently 10% off on Amazon.

3. Train anywhere

Showing up is often the hardest part of any fitness goal, especially when travel interrupts your momentum. Centr’s Home Workout Kit is an all-in-one resistance training system that adapts to your lifestyle and environment.

Whether you’re at home, at the gym, on a work trip, or on vacation, progress continues, no excuses. Each kit includes 3 fabric bands, 5 tube bands, 2 ankle straps, 2 D-handles, a dual-hook bar, and a door anchor, and a travel-friendly carry bag. It retails for $66.99 on shop.centr.com.

4. Hydrate

Staying hydrated sounds simple, yet it’s one of the most commonly overlooked wellness habits. Studies show 75% of Americans are actually dehydrated. Maybe it’s because tap water doesn’t always taste great or because we worry about what’s actually in it.

The LARQ PureVis 2 helps turn hydration into a habit by tracking your intake and reminding you to drink throughout the day. The built-in UVC light eliminates most contaminants by automatically activating every two hours and the Nano Zero Filter removes common pollutants.

Apart from making sure you’re water’s clean it also keeps it cold, making it more enjoyable to stay hydrated. Using a reusable bottle like the PureVis 2 also means fewer plastic bottles headed to landfills — an impact you can also track on the LARQ app. Get one on bylarq.com/gadgetmatch

5. Sleep better

Everyone wants better sleep, yet it can feel frustratingly out of reach. While you can’t control everything, improving your bedroom environment is one simple change that can make a real difference. Clean air and gentler mornings can dramatically change how you feel throughout the day.

The BlueAir Mini Restful Sunrise Clock Air Purifier creates a healthier sleep setup that supports deeper rest and calmer wake-ups. By combining air purification with a gentler wake-up helps you feel more rested and less rushed in the morning. It’s a resolution that starts at night and pays off all day.

It’s $200 and is available in two colors that easily blend in with your home decor: Coastal Beige and Midnight.

6. Read more

Doomscrolling is one habit we should all leave behind coming into the new year. Reading, on the other hand, slows the mind, builds focus, creates space for deeper thinking, and oftentimes, sparks imagination.

If getting physical books feels intimidating, an e-reader like the Kindle Paperwhite and apps like Libby make it easy to browse and borrow titles from public libraries. One lightweight device and zero notifications make it easy to pick up a book whenever you have a quiet moment.

The Kindle Paperwhite starts at $135, while both the Libby app and a public library card are free.

7. Grow your food

Who says growing your own food has to be complicated? Spending time around plants has a calming effect, yet many people don’t even try because they assume gardening requires space, sunlight, or experience.

The Auk Mini is a smart indoor garden that removes the guesswork with automated lighting and watering. This makes it easy to grow your own food even when you live in a small apartment.

While the bundle comes with basil and parsley seeds, it supports anything that sprouts and grows, with other herbs and leafy greens thriving especially well, along with tomatoes and chilies. You can use their Auk-certified seeds or your own so you’re not locked into the system.

Most herbs and salads are ready to harvest in 4–6 weeks, while tomatoes and chilies typically take 8–12 weeks. Like a lot of indoor plants, pruning and harvesting from the top encourages new growth, keeping your plants productive.

Maintenance is also intentionally minimal. You only need to refill water and nutrients and harvest regularly. If you want to start a new crop, you can simply remove the old plants, clean the unit, and replant.

The Auk Mini Bundle is $219 with free shipping.

8. Make more sustainable choices

Living more sustainably doesn’t require perfection. Small swaps, especially for everyday essentials, can make a meaningful impact over time.

Switching to cotton-lined diapers like Kudos is a big step in itself. While still disposable, it offers a more eco-conscious option by using 100% cotton lining instead of plastic. They’re also made without lotions, fragrances, latex, parabens, phthalates, or chlorine.

Kudos’ award-winning DoubleDry technology also ensures 12 hours of leak protection, making them reliable. Designed by an MIT engineer and responsibly made in the US, these diapers prove that choosing better-for-the-planet options doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort or peace of mind.

A monthly subscription is $84, with 120-210 diapers in each box depending on the size.

9. Invite more light into your home

Your environment plays a huge role in your mood more than you realize. Small upgrades that improve light and cleanliness can make your space feel calmer and more intentional.

The Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Mini takes care of one of the most neglected chores. By keeping your windows clean, you’ll let in more natural light into your space. Designed for effortless, one-pass cleaning, it features an upgraded three-nozzle wide-angle spray system that easily dissolves dirt and grime quickly. Its WIN-SLAM 4.0 intelligent path planning also adapts to different window types.

It’s got a 10-level protection system, including multiple layers of fall prevention, intelligent safeguards, and accidental damage insurance. The upgraded steady-climbing system ensures stable, slip-free movement even on wet surfaces, while ultra-fast edge detection adjusts cleaning paths in real time for seamless coverage in any lighting condition.

The result is brighter, cleaner windows, and more natural light. It’s a simple way to elevate your home and uplift your mood, with very minimal effort on your part.

The Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Mini is currently under $300.

10. Ask for help (without hesitation)

Many New Year’s goals fail not because of lack of effort, but because they’re too vague. Clarity and accountability make progress feel achievable.

A strawberry.me life coaching subscription pairs you with a coach who helps turn manifestations into more concrete steps. Even when you think you don’t need help, getting an outsider’s perspective can help you see what you can’t see for yourself. After all, even the most successful people get help.

Try it and get half off your first session using https://strawberry.me/GadgetMatch

11. Be more introspective

Taking time to reflect after each day can help turn experiences into lessons, and goals into actionable plans. Journaling doesn’t need to be time-consuming or intimidating.

While it still adds to your screen time, Apple’s free Journal app for iPhone makes reflection more approachable with simple prompts and quick entries. Whether you jot down a quick thought, something you’re grateful for, or something that annoyed you, it helps you slow down and process your day. Building this habit add up to greater clarity and emotional balance over time.

13. Try a new side quest

Not every resolution needs a measurable outcome. Trying a new side quest is about curiosity, creativity, exploration, and doing something simply because it’s fun.

That can mean getting crafty with pottery, punch needle or embroidery. Or you can choose something with a tangible end like baking or candle making.

If you’re craving a creative outlet, trying watercolor or photography can open up new ways of seeing the world and testing your patience. Looking to learn new skills? Consider signing up for a language class or trying a new sport.

If you feel like you don’t have extra time or budget for side quests, you can also build it into your daily work commute. If you drive to work, try leaving earlier on a Wednesday, parking somewhere different, and walking the rest of the way. Not only will you discover new neighborhoods, walking different routes also keeps your brain sharp and alert.

If you take public transportation, you can bring knitting materials, write poetry about the people you see, or play the New York Times Crossword.

Starting something new helps break routines and even build confidence over time. The great thing about side quests is there’s no pressure to be good at it or to keep doing it. You can do it by yourself, with a friend, or a big group. The only requirement is that you try.

Accessories

HUAWEI Watch GT 4: Stride in style

Look good while doing your best

Published

October 24, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Gone are the days when smartwatches look hideous while slapped on your wrists. Back then, you could only choose between a stylish yet dumb watch or an actual smartwatch but with an ugly casing.

Huawei bridges style and smart technology, fusing both into one timepiece through the latest Huawei Watch GT 4.

Carrying that stylish DNA

The Huawei Watch GT 4 — like its predecessors — carries a style that makes you want to look like a serious adult who got their life together.

For an athlete, a fashionable statement isn’t what I’ll be going after. I’d need a smartwatch that keeps up with my training so I can be at my best during my races and competitions.

However, it looks sleek with its octagonal design on the 46mm variant that I was wearing. The diamond cuts and chiseled exteriors resembled luxurious, performance cars.

Somehow, the GT 4 has both: the ability to keep up in terms of performance and appearance. It complemented my race day outfits while also having enough power to provide me with relevant data at my fingertips. Its Always-On Display gave easy access to the information I needed, which I previewed on the 1.43-inch AMOLED screen.

With a 326 PPI density, it was easy to look at the screen and digest the information I needed when going out for a walk or a run — even under direct sunlight.

Put your best foot forward

A lot of my pre-race preparations include looking good. That means getting a wax, a haircut, a mani-pedi, and all other rituals to make me look and feel good. It’s literally putting my best foot forward — both for how I look and how I perform.

The Huawei GT 4 accompanied me for more than a month in preparing for my upcoming races. With a battery that lasts up to 14 days of usage (sometimes less when I train every day), I didn’t have to worry about recharging my device every day or two.

It’s more common for other smartwatches to drain their batteries after heavy usage. By heavy, I meant using the GPS, staying connected to the WiFi and Bluetooth, and using built-in apps while tracking relevant health information in the background.

Having a long-lasting battery means I can focus on working out and hitting my training schedule. Trust me, a lot of times you’ll postpone your training sessions because your smartwatch is still charging.

It’s an easy excuse, and sometimes, it becomes a habit that you won’t easily shake off.

Train at your own pace

A lot of smartwatches come with personalized plans that don’t really feel personalized. Sometimes, newbies find it difficult to follow through with a plan since the exercises are a bit more intermediate than a beginner.

Structured workouts are always the way when it comes to improving your physical progress and reaching your fitness goals. When I put on the GT 4, it didn’t have the data I accumulated throughout the year. Of course, it’s a new smartwatch.

But after using it for a week, it got access to the information it needed to build a plan tailored for me. The TruSeen 5.5+ heart rate monitoring technology helped in creating the health data since our heart rate is a great indicator of our overall fitness level.

Linking the GT 4 to the Huawei Health app gave me access to the running plans utilized through Artificial Intelligence (AI). The very first time I ran again after a three-week-long hiatus, the GT 4 gave me a run/walk guide based on the parameters I set. This felt like a nice touch, especially for beginners who don’t know where to start.

While I didn’t follow the training plan since I know myself and my body better, the smartwatch gave me the accurate pace I needed to complete my run on a terrain with over 200-meter elevation gain. (Yes, I still did walk for a total of three minutes — shorter than the 15-minute total suggestion of the smartwatch.)

Total control over your health

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is packed with health monitoring tools and intelligent features to help you live smarter. The smartwatch detects the regularity of your heart rate, tracks your sleep, and even assesses your lung function through a respiratory check.

To be honest, the GT 4 is far from being a health device. But having relevant information through your smartwatch which you can also preview on your smartphone through the Huawei Health app, gives total control of how your body’s functioning.

If you really care about your well-being, the overwhelming data can provide insights into how you can change your lifestyle. Until then, the Huawei Watch GT 4 will look like a mere accessory to help you look like you have your life together. It can be a powerful accessory if you let it.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Huawei Watch GT 4 isn’t the top-of-mind for athletes of all kinds. However, it’s beginning to look like it can be a great choice for athletes with a tight budget.

The compatibility isn’t limited to a Huawei device since it syncs well with both iOS and Android smartphones. That means anyone can enjoy the smart technology in this little trinket.

There are plenty of features that you can use or choose not to. I swear, I didn’t even need all of it since I’m focused on tracking my performance more than anything.

But for a smartwatch to have nearly everything to cater to everyday users, fitness enthusiasts, and other athletes — it’s remarkable.

The Huawei Watch GT 4 is a smartwatch that deserves your attention. You should look and gaze at it sometimes because that’s what they’re made for.

Price, availability

You can now purchase the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 through offline and online HUAWEI Stores, authorized retail outlets, and leading e-commerce sites Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok price starts at PhP 12,999. Get freebies worth up to 6,297 until October 13.

Installment payments in Offline Huawei Stores are also available via Home Credit for up to 18 months and participating credit cards for 24 months with 0% interest.

Here are the prices for each variant:

Huawei Watch GT 4 (46mm)
- Black Fluoro Rubber — PhP 12,999
- Brown Leather — PhP 13,999
- Green Nylon — PhP 13,999
- Stainless Steel — PhP 18,999
Huawei Watch GT 4 (41mm)
- Black Fluoro Rubber — PhP 12,999
- White Leather — PhP 13,999
- Silver Two-Tone — PhP 18,999

Health

Honor’s eye comfort solutions promotes healthier sleep

A glimpse of HONOR’s novel technology and its battle against the effects of blue light

Published

August 15, 2023

GadgetMatch

We’ve all seen it.

A smartphone’s attempt to reduce blue light with display modes; eyeglasses specifically built to combat the light’s exposure; tips on preventing eye strain, and a lot more.

Blue light exposure from our digital devices has disrupted our health, particularly our circadian rhythm which helps regulate our sleep. It blocks the production of melatonin, a hormone inducing sleep.

Global technology brand HONOR aims to launch a crusade against blue light by incorporating eye comfort features into their smartphones.

Two of their devices — the Magic5 Pro and HONOR 90 — change the amount of blue light produced based on the time of the day.

Taking eye comfort for real

While most smartphones have a feature to reduce blue light exposure, they don’t really adapt to the environment, unlike HONOR’s devices.

The Magic5 Pro and the HONOR 90 have an eye comfort and sleep function that reduces the blue light by almost 40 percent in a spectral shift. This feature aims to contribute to better sleep patterns and reduce eye strain for the user.

In an interview and research with Dr. Glen Jeffery, professor of Neuroscience at University College London (UCL), the HONOR Magic5 Pro and HONOR 90 were tested for their eye-comfort solutions. Together with HONOR, Dr. Jeffery uncovered how the devices can contribute to promoting healthier sleep and relieving eye strain.

Watch the video to see how both devices fared.