Enlist the help of your own digital personal trainer with Pear Sports Square One

If you’re anything like me, an app or gadget that records how far you’ve run, the calories burned or where you’ve been is cool, but it isn’t enough to make me use it consistently. I always left wanting more. 

Enter Pear Sports Square One, a new fitness gadget that not only acts as a fitness tracker, but also becomes your very own digital personal trainer.

Like competitors such as Adidas miCoach, Square One offers all of the real-time workout feedback you’d expect, making sure you know exactly what impact each session has had. It does this by using a heart rate monitor and foot pod to record your workout metrics. Once this data is analysed by Square One, you’ll then receive prompts in-ear to ensure you either stay at or reach your peak.

The part of Square One I love though is the personal training element involved. I like being told what to do.

With Square One, you can use the device to design a workout regime that takes into consideration age, gender and fitness level, and all workouts have been devised by a team of coaches. Before you start an individual plan, you’ll have a to complete a simple 20-minute session so that the Square One can record your heart rate data and tailor the plan specifically to your needs. Very cool.

Throughout your workout, Square One monitors your progress and provides motivating cues if you’re falling short of goals. For instance, if you’re running a little slower than your target, the system will kick in to prompt you to pick up the pace. With the touch of a button, you can also get an immediate audio readout of measurements like heart rate and distance.

To save space, which is key when working out, the Square One docks an iPod Shuffle, so that you can carry both with the unit’s integrated clip. Coaching prompts and stat reads play loudly over the music, ensuring that you get the information you need.

Now for the bad bit – the price. At $249.99, it’s not cheap to say the least. The way I worked it out is if you did go and get the help of a personal trainer, this would probably equate to around 10 sessions. Is it worth it? If you’re someone who struggles with maintaining the pace when it comes to working out, this really could be a great buy.