Fitbit may be primarily known for its range of fitness trackers, but its Fibit Premium service is another key reason to own one in the first place.
Whether you have the cheapest Fitbit Inspire 3 or the priciest Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit Premium memberships are bundled with devices. In fact, there are up to twelve months included. Still, there’s a chance you may not be getting the most out of what’s on offer in your $9.99/£7.99/AU$15.49 per month membership.
Thankfully, there is a trio of core features that are well worth looking at, ranging from improving your fitness and daily well-being to critical health features for diabetics.
1. Your Daily Readiness Score
Many of Fitbit Premium’s features coalesce into what the company calls a “Daily Readiness Score”. This number may look simple, but is made up of a variety of complex data points that range from your age and bodyweight, to workouts, to how much sleep you’re getting.
The idea behind the Daily Readiness Score is to not only ensure that you’re working to stay fit, but also to help ensure that you’re doing so in a way that’s safe and sustainable.
That means your score should be in your thoughts at the start of each day – if your score is low, and you need to rest, consider doing so to avoid an injury or overtiredness. If your score is high, then it’s time to push harder with a more demanding workout.
It’s a far cry from many other fitness trackers that insist upon daily workouts, and helps set Fitbit apart, although Garmin Connect has also brought in its own Training Readiness widget. It’s also worth noting that the sleep data collected in Fitbit Premium is much more detailed than the standard Fitbit option, with additional data for time asleep, and sleep states, to help inform your Daily Readiness Score.
2. Glucose Tracking and exportable Wellness Reports
Diabetic Fitbit users can maintain a daily log of blood glucose levels to assess the constant shifting of levels. This allows users to spot trends, as well as make notes of any symptoms of diabetes throughout the days and weeks of assessment. That can be crucial for spotting high blood sugar levels before potential health issues.
Because not everyone’s target levels are the same, Fitbit offers the ability to set custom target ranges. The information can be key in reducing the risk of strokes, heart disease, and more, too, so even non-diabetic users should check it out.
This information can be shared via an exportable Wellness Report, too, making it ideal for passing to doctors or carers. Other metrics that can be shared via this Wellness Report are are activity, heart rate, sleep, and weight data, so even non-diabetics can export a full wellness report and pass it onto their doctor to provide a more complete picture of their health.
This is done by entering the Fitbit Premium app and entering the "Discover" section. In "Health & Fitness", enter "Wellness Report" and tap "Preview", then "Request my report".
3. Build your fitness with Guided Programs
One of the best parts of Fitbit Premium is the Guided Programs functionality. These offer workout plans that offer a series of workouts but also involve nutrition and rest plans, too.
These run from beginner-focused offerings to the kind of challenges many of us can only dream of attempting. Get Active, for example, is a fortnight of exercise that offers new reading content and basic workouts to start off with, while Run Training does what it says on the tin, working a little like a “couch to 5K” plan on your wrist.
It’s not all about cardio, either, with HIIT and bodyweight-focused activities included, too, to help with strength training. Whichever workout type you’re looking for, chances are that Fitbit has one for you.
Better yet, there are classes included from what Fitbit calls “Content Partners”. That means there are meditation and relaxation plans from Calm, recipe plans from Eating Well, and fitness plans from the likes of Les Mills, PopSugar, and plenty more.
What is Fitbit Premium?
As noted above, Fitbit Premium is a monthly subscription that comes with new Fitbit device purchases. The $9.99/£7.99/AU$15.49 fee offers a bevy of benefits, with additional workouts, challenges, and guided programs offered as a sort of “digital personal trainer” on your wrist.
Fitbit Premium also increases the insights offered for sleep, including bedtime fluctuations and your sleep score. You can cancel the Fitbit Premium membership at any time.
