I Tried Fitbit Premium On My Pixel Watch For A Month - Now I Take Ai Health Coaches Seriously

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The AI-powered wellness coach and fittingness planner subscriptions costs $80 annually aliases $10 a month.
• The package is profoundly impressive, a awesome illustration of Google combining its stellar fittingness trackers pinch phenomenal AI integrations.
• I'd emotion to spot much search metrics for activity and fittingness disposable successful competing fittingness scheme apps.

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What tin AI do for my health? Before testing Google's revamped Fitbit Premium, powered by Gemini, I didn't judge it could do that much. Of course, I'm alert of nan technology's expertise to comb done ample datasets to decode patterns. That's adjuvant for exercise, slumber tracking, aliases predicting unwellness aliases strain. It's 1 of nan reasons I emotion utilizing devices for illustration smartwatches and smart rings to way my health. 

But could AI get maine retired of my bed, onto nan train, and present maine to my gym each different time of nan week? Not totally, I learned. But measurement much than I initially expected. 

Also: After testing this Garmin slumber locator for weeks, I mightiness put my smartwatch distant for good

As ZDNET's wellness and wearables editor, I trial smartwatches, smart rings, and different wacky exertion that autumn nether nan wide wellness umbrella. I activity retired regularly, astatine slightest doubly a week, often 4 times a week. I genuinely bask workout and attraction astir my health, truthful I was eager to spot really Fitbit Premium would thief maine creation a workout schedule aliases supply feedback connected my play activity and slumber patterns. 

My biggest deterrent to a accordant workout regular isn't a deficiency of information aliases care; it's a sporadic schedule that changes from week to week aliases recreation that disrupts my play routine. Could nan refreshed and AI-powered app fig retired a measurement to lick that?

Fitbit Premium received a complete redesign earlier this year, made to beryllium an AI that's tailored to a user's circumstantial needs and abilities, that changes based connected a user's schedule and desires, that measures sleep, stress, and exercise, plans play workout regimens, and answers queries connected each things wellness and wellness. 

Gemini, Google's AI, grounds each these functionalities. Google is integrating much of its Gemini functionalities into nan app than ever before, successful nan hopes that users tin not only position their information but besides query nan AI for suggestions aliases answers to questions. 

Also: This 30-second regular keeps my Samsung Galaxy watch moving for illustration caller each month

The process originates pinch a speedy intake of my activity habits. I show Fitbit that I bask spot training and do truthful regularly. After my 2 to 3 spot training sessions astatine nan gym, I alternate betwixt stairmaster and elliptical sessions to get my cardio in. 

I bask going connected runs, but I do truthful irregularly, pinch nary circumstantial goals to build spot aliases velocity -- I only tally arsenic an accessible shape of cardio. I requested that if it plans to tally that it scheme them connected days erstwhile nan upwind isn't horrible. I mention that my sporadic schedule tin make it difficult to create consistency. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Then, Fitbit generates a workout scheme that changes week by week, expanding strength aliases weights arsenic I show advancement and strength. Surprisingly, nan first week I tried retired Google's spot training routine, it accurately predicted nan correct weights I should usage for definite exercises pinch minimal adjustments. 

Because Fitbit is heavy integrated into Google Pixel Watches and its ain devices, Fitbit Premium is incorporating information it monitors extracurricular of nan gym, specified arsenic sleep, stress, and steps. This added furniture of information informs really intensely nan individual wellness coach advises you to workout each day. 

Also: Is Fitbit Premium's caller AI coach worthy nan subscription? Try it now and see

My only wish is that Google created a smartwatch that didn't consciousness truthful bulky to slumber with. While my Pixel Watch 4 excels astatine workout search and mundane wear, it's not a breathable watch I bask sleeping in. I yet grew tired of wearing it to furniture and missed a fewer nights of information while testing Fitbit Premium. 

Throughout nan respective weeks that I tested Fitbit Premium, I enjoyed nan assortment of exercises Fitbit provided, which targeted some nan regular lineup of musculus groups and nan ones I wanted to further tone. Additionally, Fitbit was awesome astatine tweaking and adding much weight aliases a longer long to exercises arsenic I performed them week complete week. For example, it added a fewer much seconds onto my plank clip aft I demonstrated success, and much sets to my weight training exercises. 

It was easy to modify my play scheme to suit my changing schedule. Every modification aliases alteration tin hap done a chat pinch nan AI coach. For example, I was visiting location for a week and was distant from my gym that I frequent. I told nan coach that I'd for illustration to modify my spot training scheme to chiefly attraction connected moving and stepping instead. 

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

There was a chance I could sojourn my parents' gym 1 day, truthful I asked nan AI coach to schedule a spot training convention for maine erstwhile during nan week. The AI produced a doable scheme for me. When I returned from visiting my family, I asked nan coach to revert my regular to what it was before. It provided maine pinch a scheme for nan past half of nan week that included shorter workouts for "re-entry" into my spot training routine. This was a bully measurement to easiness maine backmost into my aggravated workout regimen.  

Google employs respective different Gemini models to powerfulness nan renewed Fitbit Premium. It's a smart integration for a fewer reasons. The first is that you tin get each your slumber and activity information successful 1 place. The queries you inquire nan wellness coach pass different aspects of nan app.

Also: I wore a smartwatch pinch a prestigious creation - and can't spell backmost to my Apple Watch

I tested Fitbit Premium retired arsenic autumn turned to winter, and 1 colder time I could consciousness myself getting sick. I queried my AI connected nan app, asking really to separate betwixt seasonal allergies and acold symptoms. It provided maine pinch accusation connected that, truthful I mentioned that I had a clogged receptor and congestion. 

I besides said I'm supplementing pinch tons of fluids and rest. The adjacent morning, erstwhile I checked my regular slumber and wellness report, it brought up this accusation I had mentioned successful nan chat and asked maine really I was feeling, encouraging maine to remainder if my symptoms were present. 

To support nan accusation it records astir you transparent and accessible, there's a Coach Notes tab to position nan accusation it gathers done your conversations - and those notes are deletable astatine your discretion. 

How does Fitbit comparison to alternatives?

I've been paying for nan workout app, Fitbod, for complete a year. I purchased it erstwhile I was conscionable starting to get into weight training pinch nary anterior experience. Before its caller update, nan app provided maine pinch dedicated workouts based connected upper, lower, aliases full-body days, and switched up nan workouts based connected betterment (a caller update bars maine from changing nan workouts based connected upper, lower, aliases full-body days - benignant of disappointing). 

I tin besides way metrics, specified arsenic my wide spot and nan spot successful my push, pull, and limb muscles, which Fitbod scores retired of 100. 

It highlights my betterment successful benchmark lifts, specified arsenic nan lat pulldown, chair press, and squats. And if I wanted to get really granular, I could way my assemblage composition, for illustration fat mass, thin mass, and assemblage fat percentage, which I would measurement and study myself. (I only way my weight connected nan app sporadically.)

Nina Raemont/ZDNET

Where Fitbit excels is successful a hyper-tailored and progressively challenging workout scheme that integrates pinch your Google Pixel Watch to present adjuvant and curated insights. However, I'd emotion for Fitbit to incorporated immoderate of Fitbod's functionalities, specified arsenic a spot people aliases charts that way my reps and weight progression complete time. This could really bring location nan "personal fittingness coach" facet of nan app. 

If Google continues to beforehand its AI and these AI-powered wellness devices and package proceed to merge and improve, arsenic is already nan case, I tin envision these fittingness trackers evolving into wellness assistants. Currently, I'd picture them arsenic fittingness devices pinch AI-powered wellness and wellness features. 

Also: How to usage your Apple Watch's Hypertension Detection characteristic (and why you should)

But there's a existent opportunity for these devices to do truthful overmuch more. We're seeing hints of this successful nan existent type of Fitbit Premium, pinch a dedicated AI that not only summarizes activity information but besides offers guidance connected greater wellness and wellness conversations. I can't deliberation of immoderate presently rivaling instrumentality pinch arsenic overmuch all-inclusive functionality. 

Google presently has nan top separator complete its competitors pinch Fitbit Premium and its lineup of smartwatches and Fitbit wellness trackers. It excites maine astir really nan wellness locator abstraction will germinate - and what Google's competitors will do next. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Fitbit Premium's renewed app sewage maine energized and excited to workout pinch a varied yet individual action of exercises that are tailored to my interests and return into relationship my wellness data, for illustration sleep, stress, and vitals. 

Fitbit Premium costs $10 per period aliases $80 per year. If you're fresh to perpetrate afloat to your wellness and fittingness adjacent year, I'd opportunity nan subscription is good worthy it. It's disposable done nationalist preview correct now pinch a afloat rollout coming soon. 

It couldn't hole my busy, sporadic schedule that deterred maine from a regular workout regimen, but it sewage maine much excited to get to nan gym erstwhile I could and inch person to my fittingness goals. Its AI functionalities besides allowed maine to inquire nan correct questions and extract nan applicable accusation from my wellness and slumber reports.