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Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. To claim your free tour, contact her at info@tourismgymhtx.com. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @TourismGymHtx. Facebook @TourismGymHtx
It is 2020. The new decade is finally here. Of course, everyone has their fitness goals ready and set. Back in the day, we would usually break out the pad and pen and write down our goals. We would take the same pad and pen to the gym to keep track of our goals. But, it is 2020. We have modern technology that will track our goals for us. There are many devices now that will tell us all about ourselves and all of our metrics. I am super concerned about my sleep. I will also be running an international half marathon this year and will keep you all informed.Two devices that I am thinking about investing in are the FitBit and Whoop. Today, we are going to compare the two before I decide. I'm judging the price and the sleep metrics, heart rate, and calories burned are tracked.
FitBit
Since it has been on the market the longest, let's consider the FitBit, first. FitBit has Alexa built in. Some of the bells and whistles is that FitBit has a real time calorie burn, real time heart rate zones, and you can track your ovulation and menstration. It also engages you in guided breathing.
FitBit helps improve your sleep, energy, and overall health by getting your insights about the night and helping you create the optimal sleep sleep schedule along with better habits and better rest. Precise heart rate sensors and sensitive motion detectors work while you sleep. All of the metrics are uploaded onto the app and your sleep quality is measured in each sleep cycle and gives you a personalized sleep score.
Looking at the website, it is kinda of hard to know what to do with all of the data. You can upgrade to Premium that will help you with programs to kick your sugar habit, and gives you access to thousands of workouts that are best for your body type and lifestyle.
You can invest in a FitBit Versa, which looks like a smartwatch for about $229 or you can have the more simple FitBit Inspire HR band for $99.95.
WHOOP
You will notice the immediate difference is that WHOOP charges a subscription instead of charging for the device. With a subscription, you get a Strap 3.0 for free. The Strap 3.0, which is literally a sensor in the form of a strap that collects your physiological data 24/7. The data is collected to determine your personal readiness to perform each day.
There is daily reporting on desktop and mobile devices. The Strain Coach lets you know in real time when to train harder and when to back off. The Sleep Coach allows you to align with your circadian rhythm. Over 4 months, Whoop clients experience better sleep (about 41 minutes more), 60% fewer injuries, 79% less alcohol consumption and minimized symptoms of exhausting travel.
Another really cool feature is that you can use your WHOOP to connect to your favorite apps that are BLE compatible. This strap connects to treadmills, bikes, and rowing machines.
Monthly memberships are $30 for a 6 month commitment. $24 for a 12 month commitment. And $18 for 18 months. With that, I think that I have made my decision. I believe that I will be getting a WHOOP subscription. Thank you for helping me make my decision!
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.