By Jena Birch
Back in 2012 at the London Olympics, The Independent reported that mobile devices will be banned at the Arena since it causes disturbance to the players. Apart from smartphones and tablets, the coordinators of the event also banned any distracting items such as horn, whistles, banners, and musical instruments. But, unknown to many, swimmers in particular need smartphones, especially in measuring their health and fitness in real-time. In this post, we want to provide you ways on how you can maximize your smartphone as a swimmer.
Choose water-proof devices
Since you are a swimmer, you must first opt to choose devices that are able to take water or any form of liquid (also known as water-proof). This will ensure that you have a sturdy device that still performs even when you use it at a certain depth of water. Here are the top water-proof handsets today:
- Sony Xperia Z
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Active and Sport
- HTC Desire Eye
- Kyocera Hydro Life
- Cat S50
A swimmer’s guide to mobile technology
Back in 2012 at the London Olympics, The Independent reported that mobile devices were to be banned in the Arena because they thought it could potentially distract the athletes during competition. Apart from smartphones and tablets, the coordinators of the event also banned any distracting items such as horns, whistles, banners, and musical instruments. But, unbeknown to many, swimmers are now known to utilize smartphones, especially in measuring their health and fitness in real-time. Although this wasn’t a major issue at the Games, in this post, we want to provide you ways on how you can maximize your smartphone if you are a keen swimmer.
Choose water-proof devices
Many swimmers now opt to choose devices that are deemed waterproof because of the surroundings they find themselves in daily. Here are the top waterproof handsets today:
- Sony Xperia Z
- Samsung Galaxy S5 Active and Sport
- HTC Desire Eye
- Kyocera Hydro Life
- Cat S50
It’s worth nothing that there are only a few smartphones that are capable of feats such as this. Some are water-resistant with the ability to withstand a splash test or are able to be submerged under water for periods before the water enters the hardware. An example of this is the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge that SamMobile put through a series of tests. The experts at SamMobile found that the handset is water-resistant, and is impervious to being soaked under water for more than half an hour. According to O2’s handset information page, the Galaxy S6 Edge is made from premium metal and sturdy glass which covers and seals the handset, making it robust and water-resistant. The majority of Android mobile devices currently on the market aren’t even water-resistant like the Galaxy S6 Edge – thus, many consumers have chosen to purchase the smartphone due to robust features like the aforementioned water-resistant qualities.
Track your health
Although wearables offer quick access to user’s health informations, some smartphones also come with their own health tracking sensors. In fact, the top premium smartphones including the iPhone 6 come pre-built with a Health app, which features all the information a user needs on a single dashboard. Interesting details such as calorie intake, speed meter, stress level, and calorie burned are all featured heavily. The built-in app also creates a shortcut to people the user needs to contact in case of an emergency. Some even have built-in heart rate sensors such as the Galaxy S5. The heart rate sensor is able to monitor the person’s heart rate in real-time, when the user presses their finger against the back panel of the handset.
But, for more advance tracking of stress levels and health indicators, you may want to consider getting a robust fitness band that you can wear even when swimming. There are various fitness bands that you can pair with your iOS or Android devices, such as Fitbit, Garmin Vivosmart, Microsoft Band, and Misfit Flash. Tom’s Guide listed the top fitness bands and compared them side by side with the other devices on the market (click here).
Applications you must have
Apart from the built-in apps that many devices operate, there are apps that you can install to make the most out of your smartphone. Here are our suggested apps:
- Speedo Fit – Swim Fitness
- Meet Mobile: Swim – View Event Information, Results and Times
- Swim Coach Plus
- Swim.com
- USA Swimming Deck Pass
Overall, mobile technology is an important tool for swimmers, especially when you consider the new forms of devices that can track your health in real-time. How do you maximize your smartphone as a novice or professional swimmer? Stay updated with all the news regarding swimming on our page: https://www.swimmersdaily.com/.
The Author:
Jena is a trusted blogger covering the latest about technology, sports, fashion, lifestyle, and travel. She has started signing up for a swimming class last month, learning the basics of various strokes. She wants to start her own swimming class soon, teaching younger students about the ethics of the sport.
Featured photo by HebiPics (pixabay)
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