From the moment I first spotted the sorbet pink Polar A360 fitness tracker, my heart melted into a big bunch of pink cotton candy. I love pink. I love sorbet. Just the thought of a bowl of creamy, berry-filled sorbet on a hot Singapore afternoon following an especially long trail run is enough to get my heart rate up.
And thanks to my pink Polar A360, I’ll know exactly where my heart rate is at all times during and after my conditioning runs. Do I reward myself with a treat after my runs? Well, a girl’s gotta cool down, right?
The Beauty of Pink
It was love at first sight when I strapped on my new sorbet pink Polar A360. True, the price tag of S$299 (plus the blue H7 heart rate sensor at S$119) did cause me a bit of consternation, but who was I to complain when I didn’t have to pay for it?
My best friend gave me this fitness tracker as a reward for being her good friend and she worries about me staying healthy and fit. I immediately shared with her the bountiful features her gift provided: this waterproof training and tracking marvel with smartwatch features, activity guide and ultra-cool changeable bracelets in charcoal black, powder white, neon green and navy blue gives me wardrobe change-up power that allows me to look hot in the looks department, too. I’ll be treating myself to other colour bands next time I’m flush.
The Power of A360
My favourite benefit is the Polar Smart Coaching feature that keeps tabs on my training achievements (and not-so-much), so even if I’m not setting new records, I am tracking all aspects of my runs. And wait until you read this: I can work out at an ideal intensity and get immediate feedback thanks to my Smart Coach. It gets better.
My coach encourages me to keep going, unlike the dude I worked with before my first marathon who was too much of a perfectionist in my book. The product’s activity guide sends me off in the right direction by telling me specifically to jog for half an hour or walk an hour in order to meet my daily goals.
These personalized motivators not only work to keep me fit, but I seem to be more motivated than ever. Who would have thought?
Runner’s Boon
- I discovered that wearing this clever wrist device helps meet my goals faster, whether I prefer intense, once-a-day activity or participate in interval training that’s more suited to crowded work and family schedules.
- I have the option of getting real time activity results using either the Polar Flow app or the Flow web service designed for those who spend too much time sitting at their computers! Further, the calorie tracker won’t be ignored once you input personal data that includes your weight, height, age, gender and activity intensity preferences. This tracker has the potential to know you better than the guy you’re dating.
- You already know how thrilled I am about having a wristband heart and activity-tracker, but did you know that I’m not the only person who loves wearing pink? Psychologically, the color is uplifting and cheerful — even when I hit a wall and don’t think I can take one more step, this brightly coloured band reminds me that I am strong enough to finish.
Runner’s Bane
- I already know what you’re thinking in terms of price if you muttered “No way my best friend will spring for this” under your breath after reading of my good fortune. But if you really want to own one, you could turn this negative into a positive by saving a bit of money every day (skipping a special coffee, for example), until you have saved enough.
- The pink Polar on its own will serve you well, but you’ll only get half the benefits if you don’t add the blue heart monitor band to your shopping cart. Sure, you can buy the wrist device alone, but without the sensor’s many features — including a signature 5-minute test that continually assesses and reports on your fitness — you’ll miss out on learning critical aspects of your progress in real time.
- If complexity isn’t your cup of tea, Polar A360 could send your brain into overdrive. You’ll receive more than 100 sports profiles from which to choose to customize your training sessions, and why would you ignore this important feature? Further, if the only way you like your exercise is solo — if you hate running with a chattering companion — you may not wish to take advantage of Polar Club, the big-screen group workouts that others find so compelling. Me? I need all of the inspiration I can get from others when I run.
Conclusion
From the opinions I gathered while wearing my new pink Polar A360 tracker (you think it’s possible to run past a fashionista wearing this and not get stopped repeatedly?), the price and the add-ons that cost extra could be deal breakers to many of the women I talked to, but that doesn’t mean they’re not keen on the features.
Even women who dislike the colour pink perked up when I mentioned the other colors available. I’m just thankful that I have such a generous friend and want to use this review to tell her just that!
