Two great running pals

BELKIN HAS two new options for keeping healthy with its Storage Plus Armband and Fitness Belt, so you don’t need to spend a bundle on tracking devices or a GPS runner’s watch.

More and more people are health-aware these days, trying to stay fit by either walking or running. Most use either a fitness-tracking wristband or GPS-enabled watch to tally their times, paces and distance covered.

The walking and running part is wise indeed, as a recent study by the London School of Economics found. Regular brisk walks were determined to be the best exercise for both men and women to keep their weight down. Devote more than 30 minutes to quick strolls on a regular basis and you’ll have a lower Body Mass Index and a smaller waist than folks who engage in sports and other forms of exercise.

Even wiser is avoiding huge expenditures for tracking devices. Instead, let your smartphone do most of the work. You simply download and install any of the fitness apps available. Endomondo, Nike+, Google Fit and RunKeeper are all popular examples. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s already come with a “Health” app.

And, once you have one of these apps on your phone, you’ll find Belkin’s Storage Plus Armband and Fitness Belt very useful as well. For starters, holding your phone in one hand while exercising doesn’t make the workout any easier.

The armband and belt are clever ideas from Belkin, which manufactures smartphone accessories for athletes and anyone else trying to get fit and stay fit.

Lightweight and comfortable, the Storage Plus Armband comes in two sizes, for phones with displays of five and 5.5 inches. Slip your phone in the main armband compartment and you can read it through a window facing forward. There’s also a back compartment for keys, cash cards and spare change, and also a strap to keep your headphones firmly in place – the armband has an audio port at the bottom and a hole for the jack.

I popped an iPhone 6s Plus in its Apple leather case into the larger of the two armband models and it was a perfect fit. Apart from the window compartment, there are two more tucked away, so there’s plenty of space left for stashing whatever else you need.

The phone stayed securely in place as I ran and even the zippers fastening the compartments is “non-rattle”. The armband felt quite comfortable and the phone touch-screen was fully responsive, though I realised that the fingerprint scanner on the “home” button couldn’t be used.

The Fitness Belt is a great alternative, easily slipped over the body and cosily perched around the waist. The secure fastening clips can be adjusted to maximise mobility, fitting anything from a 29-inch midriff to a 44-incher. The belt is made of a lightweight, sweat-proof material that can be hand-washed.

Three expandable storage pockets are ready to hold your phone (up to a 5.5-inch display, in a case) as well as keys, gel packs, snacks, ID cards and other essentials. They have an inner coating to keep all the valuables dry. Having three pockets instead of just one somehow makes items easier to find.

Reflective accents on the belt ensure that you’re easily seen while cruising down the road.

I enjoyed a lovely run without any hint of discomfort from the belt, with a headset cable connected to my phone in a belt pocket.

Belkin’s Storage Plus Armband retails for Bt1,990 and the Fitness Belt for Bt1,690.

 

At A Glance

 

STORAGE PLUS ARMBAND

- Space for all workout essentials

- Fits most phones in case

- Secure, non-rattle zipper fastening compartments

- Adjustable strap

- Accessible headphone port

- Phone screen accessibility

 

FITNESS BELT

- Three expandable pockets fit all essentials

- Stretchable fabric preserves|  mobility

- Universal phone compatibility

- Adjustable fit 29 to 44 inches

- Lightweight, sweat-proof  material

- Inner coating keeps device and valuables dry

- Hand-washable fabric

- Reflective accents for safety

- Fits most phones while still in case

- Separate pockets make items easy to find