You may be wondering why you would need a fitness tracker while running on a treadmill. After all, most treadmills these days do come with heart rate monitoring capabilities. However, note that this is simply not the proper method to monitor your heart rate while you are on it.
However, if you happen to have any type of activity tracker that can track your running sessions indoors, you will be able to derive a lot more benefits from your treadmill workout sessions. You will be able to, among other things, keep track of your fitness data, and you won’t have to take the extra hassle of keeping separate records just for your treadmill. Your fitness tracker will be able to track a lot of critical metrics like your heart rate, oxygen levels in your blood, how many calories you have burned, etc. In case you are not using a very fancy treadmill, your fitness tracker will be able to keep track of your cadence, Vertical Oscillation, and a whole lot more.
It is also worth noting that most fitness trackers under the 100 and 150 USD price line all come with the essential features you may need.
Let us look at 5 of the best fitness trackers available in the market today.
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Best Fitness Trackers for Treadmill
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker to help you stay on top of your running game, then check out these great options! Whether you’re looking for something basic or something more advanced, there’s sure to be a tracker that’s perfect for you. So get out there and start pounding the pavement!
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 | Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness and Activity Tracker with Built-in GPS |
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Fitbit Charge 4
This is quite easily one of the best fitness trackers available in the market today, for both outdoors and indoors. If you do not settle for anything less the best, this is the fitness tracker made for you.
One of the best things about this tracker is its dedicated treadmill mode that can track all vital treadmill workout metrics.
On top of indoor running, this particular tracker is also easily the best for the outdoors. It has a GPS built-in that gives the option of tracking speed, the amount of distance traveled, the total number of steps, and your route even when you do not have your smartphone on your person.
Many intelligent features like smartphone notifications for apps and control over the music being played are available right on the tracker itself. Fitbit treadmill mode is one of its most useful features if you want to use your treadmill, but don’t want to carry your tablet or phone along with you. It’s also handy if you want to work out outside, but want a way to monitor your heart rate.
- Best for both indoor and outdoor use
- Very well designed
- User-friendly interface
- Allows you to stream music
- GPS
- Health-tracking features
- Automatic detection of activity
- Activity modes that are based on specific goals
- Fitbit Pay
- Battery life of up to 7 days
- Leans on the expensive side of things
- Grayscale display
- Is not able to store music
Fitbit Charge 5
This is quite easily the most advanced tracker that is available right now. Although it is being marketed as just a fitness tracker, it is, in reality, so much more than that. It comes packed with a lot of extra health tracking features as well. This includes ECG monitoring, sleep tracking, stress monitoring, etc. It also has a type of built-in GPS that will allow you to run and walk without carrying your phone everywhere you go.
Also, it has features like smartphone notifications the ability to control music, right from the tracker itself. Another exciting feature of this app is that it is entirely waterproof to about 50 meters underwater.
- Premium Design
- Heart-rate monitoring that lasts 24/7
- ECG approved by the FDA
- The ability to detect irregular heart rates
- Stress monitoring
- Silent alarms
- Sleep tracking
- Waterproof to a depth of about 50 meters
- ECG feature was not operational at the time of its launch
Fitbit Inspire 2
If you are looking for a great Fitbit but are a bit short on budget, fear not; the Fitbit Inspire 2 is exactly what you have been looking for. First of all, it is available for under $100. While it is not the best tracker in terms of advanced features, it does have most of the essential features. It even has a mode dedicated just for treadmills.
Please remember that you need to calibrate the length of your strider to get proper results, especially when using to measure metrics on a treadmill.
- Excellent Design
- Proper Health Tracking Features
- Battery Life of about ten days
- GPS
- Waterproof to a depth of up to 50 meters
- Smartphone notifications
- Inability to control music
- Does not have Fitbit Pay
Garmin Forerunner 245
This is a perfect choice for runners who are just starting and want to make sure that they take their workouts to the next level. It has to be said that it is not the most stylish device available in the market today. But, it operates as a true workhorse and has a battery life that can last for about five weeks. When running in an indoor environment, you need to strap on the footpad accessory with your shoelaces. This will enable you to record your pace, distance, and time quite easily.
- Battery life
- Good value for money
- Has step tracking features
- Works with external monitors for heart rates
- Waterproof
- It does not have wireless syncing features
- Cannot track sleep automatically
- The app is unable to offer motivation
- Specifically a running watch and not a fitness tracker
Garmin Vivosmart 4 Smartwatch
This particular tracker from Garmin is a handy one and is very feature-heavy. It can perform GPS tasks and has auto-detection features for activities of all kinds. When it comes to running on a treadmill, there is an algorithm built-in to the system that will allow you to track the distance you cover on the treadmill. When it comes to the device’s accuracy, it tested as the most accurate one, and this is according to the reputed review site, Wirecutter.
- Accurate.
- Impressive battery life.
- Activity tracking is done automatically.
- Has the ability to measure sleep, stress, oxygen levels, and body recovery.
- Design is unique and is slim and very sleek
- The touch screen should have been a lot more responsive.
- Proprietary charger.
Buying Guide: Things to look for when buying a fitness tracker for treadmills
You need to pay attention to the following things when buying a fitness tracker specifically for tracking running activity on treadmills.
- Music storage capabilities
- Extensive health tracking
- The design has to be sweatproof
- A proper display
- ECG heart rate monitors
Final Words
Working at home is a lot more convenient for a lot of people. Many people do not like to perform their cardio exercises out in full display for the public. The fitness trackers mentioned above can do a world of good for these kinds of people. They will be able to keep track of their successes and failures, and they can then implement ideal growth strategies to make sure that they achieve their goals.
