on Monday announced the addition of PurePulse heart rate tracking and SmartTrack automatic exercise recognition to its Charge HR and Surge devices.
The PurePulse monitoring will be activated whenever the devices are used in Exercise Mode, providing users with continuous, automatic tracking of heart rate trends over time without the need for a chest strap.SmartTrack will recognize select exercises automatically and record results to the Fitbit app to inform users about their overall activity.
SmartTrack is capable of identifying a range of both indoor and outdoor fitness activities -- from running, walking and biking to team sports such as basketball, soccer and tennis, according to Fitbit. It also can recognize aerobic workouts such as cardio-kickboxing, Zumba and other dance classes.
"By automatically capturing people's most active moments with SmartTrack, they are getting more visibility into the amount of exercise they're doing throughout each day and over time, while also giving them the motivation and tools they need to reach their health and fitness goals," said Michael Polin, senior product marketing manager at Fitbit.