Health

Quarantine fitness diary: Forming better habits with Peloton

It’s going to take a while before things really go back to normal and even beyond that, I’m happy having my personal trainers “with me” right here at home.

Published

May 9, 2020

Carolyn Ramoran Hamilton | Almost Diplomatic

I don’t think I can thank my Peloton bike enough for what it’s been doing for me during this pandemic. A few days before the German government called for social distancing, we’ve already decided to stay home and minimise contact with other people so as not to be unwilling helpers in spreading the virus. One of our concerns, of course, was to stay healthy and keep our mental health in check. My husband and I keep to these goals by making sure we use the Peloton bike or the app daily.

With the amount of baking we’ve been doing during this time, it’s rather imperative that I build a solid fitness routine, but it’s not as easy as fitness influencers make it out to be.

What’s a Peloton anyway?

In case you’ve been living under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll do a quick run-through. Peloton is — first and foremost — a fitness company. They’re about 7 years old now and have been producing exercise equipment you can use at home.

Their most popular product is their indoor exercise bike. The bike comes with a screen where you can stream spin classes and other exercise videos. They also have an app which makes working out when you’re away from your bike possible. Aside from spin classes, they also have strength training videos, yoga, meditation, and other cardio workouts.

The past few years, Peloton has evolved from being one of those fad-dependent fitness companies into a lifestyle for its members. It got so popular that the company went public last year.

Simply put — it’s having everything you loved about spin classes and having a personal trainer right at the comfort of your own home and without having to deal with other people. No more shouty classmates, no more sharing equipment. An introvert’s dream come true — or even an extrovert who doesn’t appreciate sweaty surroundings.

Getting the bike is easy, you just order it online as well as the accessories you might need. From the spinning shoes to even a heart rate monitor that can help track your progress if you don’t have a fitness band yet. The bike connects to a FitBit or Strava.

You get the bike delivered, sign up for the monthly subscription to have access to the workout videos, which are either live-streamed or on demand. These workouts can be accessed via the monitor with the built-in interface that your bike comes with or through the Peloton app. Sadly, the app isn’t available in Germany but reps tell us it’s already in the works. You can still access the workouts on your phone or laptop via your browser, though.

You create your profile on the Peloton network, follow your friends, and take classes with instructors who are literally fitness goals. There’s quite a lot of them that there’s one for every type of rider.

The interface is pretty straightforward and easy to use. Each spin class is ruled by three numbers you see on your screen as you pedal for your life. Your Resistance number indicates how gritty the ride will be, while Cadence is your speed. Put those two together and you have your Output score. I’m usually more concerned about my cadence and would normally complain when the instructor asks for higher resistance.

With all this information out of the way, let me go ahead and tell you how my four weeks in quarantine went with my new fitness BFF.

Week 1

I’ve had the Peloton since the second week of February. I don’t have lofty fitness goals, to be honest. I just want to get into a routine and lose a bit of the flabs I developed thanks to writing about food and having more excuses than usual to eat. I also want to gain just a bit more strength and produce more endorphins to keep me happy.

The first week of social distancing had me eating more than the usual but I tried my best to commit to working out every day to stop myself from gaining more weight. It’s already sad enough that I can’t go and meet my friends, so let me hold on to my Pop Tart habit.

Peloton offers various fitness classes that run for as little as 5 minutes up to an hour. This week, I’ve been doing lots of 15 and 20-minute spinning classes to ease myself into working out more. I do this in between work and spending time with my husband and our dog.

Since there’s no strict quarantine in Berlin, we still get to go out but we’ve limited it to walking our dog and just buying the essentials. I’m happy that I still get to add some steps into my daily routine while increasing my heart rate with the bike.

The anxiety over what’s going on and how it’s already affecting thousands of people everywhere is enough to dampen one’s mood. I find myself having to put more effort into peeling myself from my computer and getting on the bike.

“I need this,” is something I keep telling myself. Once I’m on the bike, however, I focus on the task at hand — meeting what’s required of me cadence and resistance wise — and forget about what’s happening even just for 20 minutes.

The first week, I just did the minimum when it comes to numbers as actually getting on the bike already felt like an achievement.

Week 2

A member of our extended family died after displaying symptoms of Covid-19. As someone who suffers from crippling anxiety, this was a huge blow to my mood.

After a mini breakdown, I forced myself to get on the bike and take a 45 minute class with Cody since he’s the instructor who really gets me smiling — sometimes even laughing out loud — during the ride. It was a great distraction and I was in a much better mood after.

I also had a quick chat with Pete who manages the Berlin store and he advised me to try out the meditation classes. These can be accessed on the bike, on the app, or via a browser. They have different kinds – from energizing, healing, and even those that help you to be more empathic or kinder. I find it hard to shut my mind and with a dog running around the apartment, I always thought that meditation wasn’t for me but the classes dedicated to sleep were a huge help.

I also threw in some strength training — 10 minute arm or core exercises — especially on days when I end up taking a spin class that didn’t use weights. Sometimes, I forget to stretch and find that my feet and knees tend to ache if I don’t do this. So I made a reminder on my phone to remind me to stretch everyday.

For the classes on the bike, I tried going a little over the required resistance — maybe one to two points — passable output but nothing to write home about.

I also tried a couple more instructors and I really enjoyed German instructor Irene Scholz’ classes this week. I’m glad she’s got English classes! She’s one of the two Peloton instructors who conduct classes in German. She’s tough but her classes are also really enjoyable.

I feel a lot more energized these days and I love doing my workout right before going to bed. Showering after a good workout and going straight to bed also helped a lot in getting deeper sleep.

I tried a live class with my friend Nicole and we got to try the camera function. It was a little weird at first even though it’s basically just Facetiming but on the bike’s screen. It totally scared my dog but it was great seeing my friend sweating as much as me.

I used to go to spin studios a lot and while I wasn’t a fan of all the actual high fiving, the sweat flying around, and interacting with strangers while I’m dying on a bike, I must admit that I missed the feeling of seeing someone is sweating it out because the ride was difficult. It was an Alex Toussaint spin class. He’s known for being one of the toughest instructors and someone you’d go for a ride with if you want to beat your last personal record for your output.

At one point, I decided to just let go of the numbers and enjoy. I got into the habit of hiding the leaderboard since the beginning of this week and I find that I have more fun this way.

Week 3

I tried dance cardio for the first time, another type of class you do off the bike. In these classes, you get two of the instructors teaching you dance moves.

This, however, is not your mom’s 80s-style dance workout. The steps are more modern and vary in difficulty. You also sweat a lot through the whole thing even if it seems rather easy.

I’m not a good dancer and I probably looked like a total loser but I had a ton of fun. It was just 20 minutes but it felt like such a good workout. Instead of low impact rides to recover from a tough ride the night before, I could probably stick to these instead.

Speaking of cardio, I want to give the running classes a try as well. I always found running boring so it was never my thing. However, their classes which you can do outdoors or on a treadmill might help in easing the boredom as it can feel like I have someone there with me, talking me through the whole thing.

I’m still wondering how people can have such high output scores. Are they pushing their legs much harder than I am? It’s so tough. A 30 minute Pop Ride leaves me so sweaty but at least I burn those Pop Tarts and baked goods, right?

I tried playing with the resistance knob by going much higher than expected on some rides. Still quite hard to sustain it but I noticed that I can now go for over 5 minutes without stopping to heave and wheeze. I smoked for a decade so I’m just happy I don’t need to completely stop to recover nowadays.

I gave more instructors a try and I’m really enjoying Hannah Marie Corbin’s classes lately. She’s the right amount of fun and positivity without being too perky — just a personal preference.

I’ve been wondering whether I should do multiple, shorter rides per day instead of one long ride. It feels like it’s taking forever for me to reach 100 rides. It’s a milestone that can earn you a shoutout from the instructor if you do a live spin class in time for it.

Next week, I’ll challenge myself to do more than one workout per day so hopefully, my schedule cooperates.

Week 4

The problem with working from home is that you technically never leave your “office”. So I must admit it’s been pretty difficult to squeeze one more workout in every single day. I have been trying, though – believe me.

I’d normally add a five-minute arm toning session or core workout after a ride if I have the time and energy left. Normally, I’d select the class I want from the Peloton bike’s monitor and choose the option to cast it to our smart TV in the living room. You can also follow along on your phone but it’s a lot easier from a bigger screen, of course.

Funny enough, I’ve been successful in getting a bit of my abs back but got a bit delayed in losing all of my bits that turn into what is popularly called a ‘muffin top’. I did not lose a lot of weight but somehow, my clothes fit better and there’s been some significant space in my jeans. I also feel like I have more energy throughout the day.

At this point, I’ve realised who my favourite instructors are and tend to stick to them — Cody, Irene, Denis, Ally, and Hannah Marie. I’m not that technical nor looking into a huge increase in my output during my rides. I ride for a lot of fun, positive energy, and a really sweaty cardio session. This doesn’t mean they’re easy instructors, though. I feel like dying after most rides.

I personally like how Denis builds up the difficulty of his rides, starting high on the cadence with a manageable resistance to warm you up before things get much tougher.

By this time, I was feeling a little confident and at the request of my friend Nicole, I took the Alex Toussaint class again which we did on week 2. Not gonna lie – it was still extremely tough. However, I find that I was wheezing less and I was actually able to set a new personal record – 6 points higher than the last time I took this class.

With Covid-19 and the lockdown in New York, new content and live rides have been pretty slow. At this point, Peloton has started letting their instructors do live rides from their homes. It feels different without the studio setup but with the same level of fun and energy.

I signed up for the annual challenge that requires taking a total of 2000 minutes on the bike. I also went for some of this month’s challenges.

For April, there’s a Spring challenge that asks you to stay active for 30 days by doing any type of class. There’s also the usual challenge of the month that requires 5 days of being active and a cycling challenge that asks members to ride for at least 80.5 kilometers.

I find that they’re such a good way to keep you coming back on the bike and for the other classes as well. Not that I need any more convincing at this point — I’m practically addicted both to the spinning workouts and trying out the other classes on Peloton website. Once the app is available in Germany, gaining access to the other workouts would be a lot easier compared to going through the browser.

I’m progressing pretty well when it comes to the challenges, taking things at my own pace. My main focus is to make sure I don’t lose my 30-day (and counting) streak.

I have to say that in this time of restrictions, I feel like I gained a new type of freedom when it comes to dealing with my body issues and forming better habits for my fitness. I have the bike at home and seeing it everyday reminds me of goals I have set for my fitness. This has helped a lot in maintaining my streak.

Will I give this achievement up after quarantine? Is it even worth keeping my Peleton bike after this pandemic?

I personally think it is. It’s an investment in one’s physical health and because of the convenience it offers. It’s still going to take a while before things really go back to normal and even beyond that, I’m happy having my personal trainers “with me” right here at home.

This article is also available in German over at Mobile Geeks.

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.

Health

Redmi Watch 3 Active: Basic but better

This might just be the smartwatch to kickstart your fitness journey!

Published

August 9, 2023

MJ Jucutan

I always get questions on which smartwatch to get, knowing that my people know me as the guy who always has the latest smartwatch — changing wearables as if it’s just another pair of underwear.

Being in the intersection between fitness and technology for over three years now, I would attest that smartwatches are expensive. With only a few bucks to spare, you’re lucky to get a functional smart band that can track your basic needs. Up your budget a notch, and you might get a decent smartwatch to accompany you on your fitness journey.

This is where Xiaomi aims to break the barriers of smartwatches. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is an affordable smartwatch that’s definitely a step up from a smart band, especially when it comes to features, design, and of course, price.

Monitor what you only need

Smart bands barely have any screen real estate to preview your fitness data. Smartwatches, on the other hand, are built differently. The same goes with the Redmi Watch 3 Active, which has a 1.83-inch screen that makes it easy to view information.

Truth be told: Smartwatches can get intimidating, especially when it packs plenty of features. I sometimes get overwhelmed when I get my hands on flagship and premium smartwatches. There’s so much going on, tbh.

The Redmi Watch 3 Active, somehow, provides comprehensive data by showing only what you need. With its full-scale fitness tracking, it’s easy to monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen level. You can also see how many calories you’ve burned, how many steps you’ve taken, and if you’ve been moving enough to be closer to your goals.

Tracking your sleep, as well as stress levels, help give an overview of your current lifestyle and what you still need to change. These data may sound overwhelming, but these are pretty basic for a smartwatch. These are the only information you’ll ever need. Nothing fancy, just straightforward figures that might help you in your fitness journey.

The screen is big enough to house plenty of data, and swiping between widgets is easy. Although, not as smooth as most smartwatches. But then again, this smartwatch is considered entry-level, so temper your expectations.

More than just a fitness tracker

The most important indicator of your fitness level, for me, would be your heart rate. It shows how many beats per minute depending on the activity you’re doing. When I was taking photos of the Redmi Watch 3 Active, my heart rate spiked to over 100 bpm since I was under the sun trying out some calisthenics workout with my dip bar.

The accuracy may not be the same as most smartwatches, but seeing my resting heart rate go between 60-65 bpm means it’s close enough to my Apple Watch. FYI, my current resting heart rate as of writing is 58 bpm.

It’s pretty normal for athletes (some actually have lower) to have that low resting heart rate. A good indicator would be having 60 up to 90 bpm, which is counted as normal. If your resting heart rate is around 100 or beyond, it’s time for you to get off the couch and stop being a potato.

If you don’t have a gym membership — and a coach, even — then you don’t have to worry. The Redmi Watch 3 Active is equipped with over 100 workout modes, which include 10 professional workout modes.

It’s highly suitable for beginners since you can find workouts like running, walking, freestyle, hiking, and cycling. There are specific workouts as well, categorized into outdoor activities, training, dancing, combat sports, ball sports, winter sports, and recreational sports.

Suitable companion

After completing my first elite race at Spartan Stadion (a grueling 5KM race with 20 obstacles inside New Clark City’s Athletic Stadium) last mid-July, I took a short hiatus to recover from the race burnout.

Running in a category filled with national and pro athletes was exhausting for my mind, body, and spirit. It was a difficult test of my strength, pride, and willpower. The Redmi Watch 3 Active came a week after, prompting me to get back to taking care of my body with grace.

Somehow, the smartwatch’s advent into my life has impeccable timing. It was raining in Manila, endlessly, for days. I also didn’t have the energy to sign up back to the gym and start my training for Spartan’s Trifecta Weekend in November, dealing with post-race blues and personal affairs that caused me to lose weight.

I knew I had to resume training. Luckily, the Redmi Watch 3 Active’s different workout modes accompanied me in getting my strength back.

Train your mind and body

With jump rope as a workout mode, I get to measure my skips in the morning. There are also workouts that are highly specific depending on your equipment such as Dumbbell, Wall Ball, Barbell, Weightlifting, Deadlift, Burpee, and Sit-Ups.

Something more general includes strength, physical training, and functional fitness training. If you’re focused on certain parts of your body, the workout modes have the option to focus on the upper body, lower body, abs, and back.

As for me, I only pick functional fitness training when I do home workouts since I use bodyweight exercises that help with my athletic performance. When I’m training my muscle strength, I opt to do calisthenics using my dip bars and pull-up bar. There are no guides if you’re clueless about what workouts to do.

The training modes just allow you to see how many kilocalories you’re burning, the duration of your workout, and the intensity of your heart rate while performing the exercises. It’s usually categorized between light, intensive, aerobic, anaerobic, and VO2 Max — which refers to the maximum oxygen consumption. Usually, that’s when you hit your limit.

For everyday life

The Redmi Watch 3 Active pairs easily whether on an Android smartphone or an iPhone. With only the Mi Fitness app, you can see comprehensive data regarding your health and fitness.

Since it pairs seamlessly with any smartphone, the smartwatch makes it easy to read notifications, answer calls, check your calendar, and adjust music playback. You can even remotely capture photos from your phone using just the camera button on the smartwatch!

Even if it’s connected with Bluetooth and WiFi, the smartwatch lasts for at least 7 days — even when using it for different workouts. When on standby, the Redmi Watch 3 Active also indicates how much battery is left and how many days it would last. Fun fact: With several settings off and a full battery, the smartwatch promises up to 12 days of battery life.

In a way, the Redmi Watch 3 Active gives off an everyday smartwatch vibe. It has all the bells and whistles of a smartwatch, in a design that looks elegant when working out and balancing work and life.

The watch faces are customizable, with over 200 options to choose from. It also comes with optional straps to match your everyday style. Lastly, it’s lightweight and waterproof with a 5ATM. Just what you need out of a reliable smartwatch!

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The Redmi Watch 3 Active is quite packed for an affordable smartwatch. It has everything you’ll need to kickstart your fitness journey, and a little bit more. You can stop making excuses about having a smartwatch before starting to work out or sign up for a gym membership. This one’s highly affordable, priced at PhP 1,999, and available at Xiaomi’s exclusive Shopee store.

It’s not as smooth, powerful, and feature-packed as most smartwatches. You’ll need to shell out money for that, especially if you want to elevate your performance. But if you’re just starting out, this smartwatch is a must-have to cop. Xiaomi breaks the notion that smartwatches have to be expensive to be functional. The Redmi Watch 3 Active might just be the best value-for-money smartwatch right now.